Solvay adding new production capacity, jobs in Greenville County
September 16, 2021
Adding over 30 new jobs, multi-million-dollar investment in new technologies at South Carolina facility
The Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC), charged with promoting and enhancing quality of life in Greenville County by facilitating job growth and investment, has announced that Solvay has completed installation of its new thermoplastic composites (TPC) manufacturing facility at its Greenville, SC site. At full production capacity, the new line will add more than 30 positions at the new 27,000-square-foot dedicated facility.
The project represents a major milestone in Solvay’s efforts to industrialize its TPC capacity. A key driver for the world-class facility is growing demand from energy companies, supported by increasing aerospace and automotive demand. The new product line will have the ability to manufacture unidirectional composite tape from a range of high-performance polymers including PVDF, PPS and PEEK.
“The TPC solutions that will be manufactured in our Greenville facility will help our energy, aerospace and automotive customers achieve better environmental responsibility by making cars and planes lighter, thereby reducing emissions,” said Mike Finelli, president of Solvay’s growth platforms. “Our new capacity and differentiated technologies will allow us to expand with our customers as TPCs gain momentum in a growing number of applications and play an important role in the energy transition.”
Located at 7139 Augusta Road in Piedmont, Solvay’s expansion includes the recently acquired Cytec Engineered Materials and increases the company’s capacity to meet growing demand.
The Greenville facility is part of a series of recent strategic investments in line with the Group’s commitment to build the infrastructure required for the growing TPC market. Other recent commitments to the industry include Solvay’s addition of capacity for TPC tape in Anaheim (CA), two new R&I centers in Brussels (BE) and Alpharetta (GA), and Solvay’s membership in the TPRC consortium.
“Solvay’s expansion is yet another example of the unparalleled success companies are finding in South Carolina. We thank Solvay for their continued partnership with our state and look forward to their future growth in Greenville County and beyond,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.
With the project now complete, Solvay is working toward qualifying products to meet customer-specific requirements. Individuals interested in joining the Solvay team should visit the company’s careers webpage.
Upon commercialization of the Greenville facility, Solvay will be uniquely positioned with proprietary technologies enabling the company to position the right product for the right application. Solvay’s TPC portfolio includes Evolite™, which offers reliability and lower total cost of ownership in markets such as energy and automotive, and APC tapes, which offer significant weight and cost advantages in aerospace and urban air mobility applications.
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development awarded Greenville County a $200,000 Set-Aside grant to assist with site preparation.
The Greenville Area Development Corporation is a non-profit organization established by Greenville County Council to promote and enhance the economic growth and development of Greenville County. Since its founding in 2001, GADC efforts have resulted in the creation of over 30,000 new jobs, nearly $6 billion in capital investment, and a cumulative economic impact of over $55 billion in Greenville County, SC — including an economic impact of more than $6 billion annually. To learn more, please visit www.goGADC.com or call (864) 235-2008. To learn more about workforce opportunities, visit www.jobsingreenvillesc.com.
