BARRY, U.K – On June 15, Cabot’s fumed metal oxides manufacturing facility in Barry, Wales, UK, celebrated its 25^th anniversary. Members of the Performance Chemicals regional leadership team as well as several customers and distribution partners attended the anniversary celebration.

In the early 1990s, Cabot opened its fumed metal oxides manufacturing facility in Barry to meet the growing demand for silica in the United Kingdom and Europe, Middle East and Africa region. The Barry location was selected based on the availability of local raw material, a well-developed chemical infrastructure and its highly skilled workforce.

The hydrophilic fumed silica plant was officially commissioned in 1992. Over the years, the facility has undergone several strategic expansions, including:  doubling the manufacturing capacity of hydrophilic fumed silica from 1995-1996; a threefold capacity increase of treated silica manufacturing from 1998-2008; and the addition of densed treated silica capabilities to address emerging market needs in 2014.

The Barry facility has become a leading manufacturing center for Cabot’s fumed silica technology, occupying approximately 24 acres of land at Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, and producing a range of hydrophilic and hydrophobic fumed silica in both densed and undensed forms.

“If I think of Cabot’s history and where we are today in the fumed silica business, I feel proud of our leadership position, reputation in the industry, reliability and quality of the products and services that we offer to our customers and our important distribution partners,” said Ivana Jovanovic, Vice President and Regional Business Director, Performance Chemicals, EMEA.

Stephen Knight, Facility General Manager of the Barry site, commented, “Over the past 25 years, the Barry team has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in serving our customers with high-quality and innovative products, whilst setting the standard for SH&E performance by the people operating this facility. We are very fortunate to have a long-serving, highly skilled and dedicated team here committed to the Cabot values of integrity, respect, innovation and excellence.”