Momentive establishes North America silicones excellence centre

Garrett, Indiana – Momentive Performance Materials Inc. has established a North American centre of excellence for silicone elastomers custom compounding.

The centre is at the company's Garrett facility, which has experienced investment and expansion by Momentive since its acquisition from General Electric in the year 2000, the company said in a 28 Oct statement.

"Consolidating the US custom compounding expertise into a unified centre of excellence enables us to continue our mantra of exceeding our customers' needs and expectations with regards to innovation, quality and service," said Holger Albrecht, VP global business leader for speciality elastomers at Momentive.

The expansion of the site, said the materials supplier, underscores commitment to existing and new customers in industries demanding speciality silicone elastomers.

"The facility's centralised location enhances the responsiveness and support our customers have come to know and expect," the company said.

Momentive's silicones are used in a wide variety of industries, including automotive, health care and consumer goods.

The company recently disclosed the sale of its consumer sealants segment to Henkel AG & Co. KG but is continuing to manufacture the consumer products through the end of next year as production shifts.

The company also recently unveiled plans to invest $15 million in its specialty silicones business in Waterford.