Mitsui Chemicals, along with Prime Polymer and Mitsui & Co., will establish Mitsui Prime Advanced Composites Europe in the Netherlands. This will be Mitsui Chemicals' first European production base for polypropylene compounds, in response to the increasing global demand for automotive-use polypropylene. The new company is expected to start operations in June 2020 and will provide close customer support and effective lightweight solutions in Europe. Mitsui Chemicals aims to strengthen and expand its polypropylene compounds business to meet the lightweight needs of automobile manufacturers worldwide.
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. (Tokyo: 4183; President & CEO: Tsutomu Tannowa) and Prime Polymer Co., Ltd. (President: Naoshi Hamada), owned 65 percent by Mitsui Chemicals and 35 percent by Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 5019; Representative Director & CEO: Shunichi Kito), announced today that the Group will establish Mitsui Prime Advanced Composites Europe B.V. in the Netherlands, together with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 8031; President & CEO: Tatsuo Yasunaga). The new company will be Mitsui Chemicals’ first European production base for polypropylene (PP) compounds in response to growing global demand for automotive-use PP, it is scheduled to start operations in June 2020.
Mitsui Chemicals Group currently operates eight production bases around the world (Japan, the U.S., Mexico, Europe, Thailand, China, India and Brazil) and has five research bases (Japan, the U.S., Europe, Thailand and China) and has continued to enhance its production systems, sales and R&D of high-performance PP compounds, which can be used to help reduce the weight of automobiles.
Recently strengthened environmental regulations have driven an increasing global need for lighter automobiles. As a result, demand for PP compounds is rising each year to meet light-weighting needs in bumpers, instrument panels and more. Mitsui Chemicals Group’s light-weight solutions are well accepted by automobile manufacturers all over the world and the Group expects to see its business expansion in Europe.
By establishing the new company with production, sales, technology service, and R&D function in the Netherlands, the Group reinforce close customer support providing effective light-weight solution in Europe and bolster the Group’s global network.
Mitsui Chemicals Group will continue to strengthen and expand PP compounds business through enhancing production, sales and technology service structure to supply high-quality products, responding to automobile manufacturers’ light-weight needs and their global development.