Today Columbian Chemicals Co. hosted an inauguration celebration for the company’s new plant in Camaçari Pole, a chemical complex in the Bahia state of Brazil. The project began in September of 2005 and utilizes the latest environmental and energy conservation technologies. The US$75 million facility’s production capability of 75,000 metric tons can be expanded as the market develops.
Local authorities, the company’s customers, suppliers and Board of Directors, as well as representatives from Camaçari Pole attended the inauguration celebration. Jacques Wagner, the Governor of the State of Bahia, and Luiz Carlos Caetano, Camaçari’s Mayor, both addressed the guests, along with JS Lee, president and CEO of Columbian, and Antonio Quaresma, president of the South American region.
“Columbian is a growing company and today we see the evidence of the type of growth that will ensure our future success,” said Lee. “Our customers are here and so we are here to be a part of what promises to be a very prosperous future for Bahia.”
Lee and Wagner revealed a commemorative plaque, and the facility was officially opened as Lee activated the facility’s sonic horn. The guest then toured the facility in small groups, and the day ended with a commemorative luncheon in Salvador.
Columbian Chemicals Co. is one of the world’s leading producers of carbon black – an engineered material that improves the strength, durability and overall performance of a range of products including tires and other mechanical rubber goods, as well as inks, paints, plastics and coatings. Based in Marietta, Georgia, Columbian Chemicals Co. and its affiliates own and operate 13 carbon black manufacturing facilities in Brazil, Canada, China, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Korea, Spain and the United States, employing about 1,400 people worldwide.
The company has earned the ISO 14001 certification, an internationally recognized standard for environmental management, at all of its European, North American and South American manufacturing facilities.