CHARLOTTE, NC - BASF announced plans to build a new production plant for emulsion polymers at its integrated “Verbund” site in Freeport, TX. The new facility will allow the company to better serve the coatings, construction, adhesives and paper industries by expanding the network of manufacturing locations and improve the backward integration of raw materials used in production. 

The plant is expected to begin production in mid-2014. It will manufacture acrylic emulsion polymers used for architectural coatings, construction chemicals, adhesives and the paper chemicals industry.

BASF currently operates three emulsion polymer plants in North America in Monaca, PA; Chattanooga, TN; and Altamira, Mexico. Building a plant in Texas broadens the supply network to better serve all BASF customers from a manufacturing location in the central-southern United States. In addition to this investment, BASF is building new manufacturing facilities for emulsion polymers in India, and the company also opened new plants in South Africa in September 2012 and in China in November 2012.

The Verbund concept links production and energy requirements in an efficient manner. In Freeport, the concept allows BASF to maximize the production efficiencies of acrylic dispersions while helping to protect the environment and surrounding communities by reducing waste, cutting emissions, and keeping resource consumption and transportation to a minimum.