HOUSTON - Helsinki-based Kemira has completed the relocation of its global Oil & Mining segment headquarters to Houston. The company signed a multi-year lease for a 15,000-square-foot space at Briarlake Plaza Two, a 19-story building along the Houston Energy Corridor. In addition to the new office, Kemira is opening a technical service laboratory located in close proximity to the Houston headquarters. The lab will be completed and fully staffed by the end of the first quarter of 2015. Kemira will maintain its corporate headquarters for the Americas region in Atlanta.

“We are very excited about our move to this new HQ location in Houston,” said Tarjei Johansen, President of Kemira Oil & Mining. “The new spaces will increase Kemira’s visibility and profile in the oil and gas industry while also bringing us closer to our customers. With our new technical support laboratory, we will be able to provide faster local technical and applications service to support our customers in the field.”

The relocation of the Oil & Mining headquarters is part of an ongoing strategy to grow Kemira’s business in oil and gas. The acquisition of 3F Chimica in in the fourth quarter of 2013 increased the company’s global manufacturing footprint and broadened its product offering to this important customer base. In addition, recently announced capacity expansions at Kemira’s Aberdeen, MS, site also further strengthen its position in the Americas region, where the company is targeting growth in enhanced oil recovery and oil sands applications.