AkzoNobel inaugurates major investment in Sundsvall

Demand for AkzoNobel’s microspheres is increasing strongly at the global level and Expancel, an AkzoNobel trademark, is to retain its leading position in that market.

In 2011, AkzoNobel invested more than €30 million in its production facility for microspheres in Stockvik, outside Sundsvall, Sweden. The objective is to grow, and today, the extended plant is to be inaugurated in a ceremony for employees and invited guests.

“We have extended the plant’s capacity and are now able to meet increased demand in the global market. The investment also includes a new process control system, which means that we can make the handling of our chemicals even more safe,” says Niklas Larsson, Director Specialty Products at AkzoNobel Pulp and Performance Chemicals.

99 percent of the product is exported and customers are found within a number of different market areas all over the world. In total, some 360 people work at AkzoNobel in Stockvik where management, marketing, R&D and production for Expancel are located. Other employees are based at sales offices in a large number of countries, and there are also production facilities and labs in the US and China.

The investment is the largest in the product’s history and, with the extended production capacity, the company will be able to export greater volumes, thus securing Expancel’s competitiveness globally.

Facts
The Expancel microspheres are microscopically small gas-filled plastic balls that, when heated, increase 60-80 times in volume. The shell hardens but the sphere remains durable and very light. Expancel is mainly used in manufacturing sectors as a chemical additive, providing numerous advantages such as reducing weight and decreasing the need for other raw materials. Read more about what the product is used for at www.expancel.com