DuPont to add Kalrez facility in US

Wilmington, Delaware – DuPont Transportation and Advanced Polymers has acquired a new facility in Delaware to manufacture its Kalrez-branded perfluoroelastomer product line.

The site is twice the size of the current plant, which also is based in Newark, Delaware, and will be outfitted with “state-of-the-art” equipment and advanced manufacturing capabilities.

DuPont T&AP — which is a business unit of DowDuPont's speciality products division, now named DuPont — said it plans to invest about $45 million (€37.7 million) to increase manufacturing capacity and then transition production from its current site to the new facility. The new site will allow Kalrez FFKM parts to expand in-line with DuPont's projected business growth, better serving customers in the semiconductor, electronics and industrial markets.

"We are extremely fortunate to have found a site that will allow us to invest for growth while retaining our highly skilled employees," DuPont T&AP president Randy Stone said in a statement.

"Customers will be receiving the same high-performance parts as we progress through this expansion and transition. We also are pleased that our growth and investment plans are Delaware based as we've enjoyed a strong partnership with the state since we launched the Kalrez business more than 40 years ago."

DowDuPont Specialty Products produces technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions for a variety of industries, including electronics, transportation, building and construction, health and wellness, food and worker safety. DowDuPont intends to separate the division into an independent, publicly traded company.