-5 February 2007-
Additive companies form Chinese joint venture

Rohm and Haas Company and Weihai Jinhong Polymer Company Ltd are forming a new joint venture in China, subject to approval from the Chinese government.

The joint venture, Jinghong Rohm and Haas Chemicals Company Ltd (JinHaas), will provide a complete range of plastics additives products and technical support to the construction and PVC packaging industries within the Chinese market. It will produce methacrylate butadeine styrene (MBS), acrylic impact modifiers (AIMs) and acrylic processing aids at Jinhong’s Weihai City plant, where the joint venture will be based. The products will be distributed in China and other emerging markets.

Jinhong will contribute its Weihai city plant to the joint venture and Rohm and Haas will provide capital jointly to improve manufacturing operations. The venture should be fully operational in the first quarter of 2007. Rohm and Haas, which owns 51% of the new business, expects JinHaas to double its plastics additives sales in China by 2010.

“With this joint venture, we will become the first multinational company with a significant manufacturing footprint of plastic additive polymer in China,” comments Joan Schuller, Rohm and Haas Asia-Pacific region general manager. “Having a local presence will allow us to be more responsive to our customers’ product needs and technical service requests.”

www.rohmhaas.com
www.jinhong.com.cn