Brazil. Croda of Brazil confirmed the opening of its New Innovation and Customer Experience Center and the Special Polymers Plant located in Campinas, São Paulo.
The company assured that these important investments in the region are part of a continuous improvement plan focused on product innovation and Customer Service. Brazil's Croda has invested significantly since 2013, opening several facilities, including a new distribution center that improved distribution speed and logistics by up to 50%; a new storage tank area offering process automation and increased safety; as well as a new effluent treatment station, which allows 75% of the water used at the Campinas site to be reused. The new specialized polymer factory and the new Innovation and Customer Experience Center are the final investments that are part of the five-year progress plan.
New Special Polymer Plant in Campinas
The new Special Polymer Plant is considered one of the most important investments made in Croda in Brazil. The new state-of-the-art facility increases the capacity of the Croda factory in Campinas by more than 20%, enabling the production of a range of polymeric surfactants that can be used in all Croda market segments. "We have already mapped a broad group of products to manufacture at this state-of-the-art plant, and manufacturing has begun with the production of Atlox 4913, a high-performance aqueous polymer dispersant for agrochemical formulations," said Cristian Galucci, Director of Latin American Operations.
The Atlox 4913 is a differentiated product sold to a diverse group of agrochemical companies throughout the region. Fernando Vinagre, Crop Care's Sales Development Manager for Latin America, commented: "Allied to our global Crop Care strategy, this investment allows us to be more agile and responsive to our customers, which in turn will ensure sustainable business growth of businesses in the region."
Innovation and Customer Experience Center
In addition to increasing manufacturing capacity, recent investments also include new laboratories and training facilities so that Croda can keep up with growing customer demand in Brazil and Latin America.
The new Innovation and Customer Experience Center improved the resources of the Personal Care, Health Care, Crop Care and Synthesis laboratories. Together, two new laboratories were bred, one for Analysis and one focused on the Performance Technologies market, which includes the segments of Coatings & Polymer, Polymer Additives, Home Care & Water Treatment, Lubricants, among others.
"The strategic path for the coming years will be to maximize the platforms coming from these investments, to ensure the growth of the Group's sales in Brazil and Latin America, as well as to strengthen our innovation in South America and exports to the other regions," concluded Marco Carmini, Managing Director of Latin America.
