March 2007
Polartech Additives, Inc. and Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC announce sale of Bedford Park facility to Polartech.
MANCHESTER UK – Polartech® Additives, Inc., and Georgia-Pacific LLC today announced an agreement on the sale of the Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC facility at Bedford Park, Ill., to Polartech. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.
The facility, which manufactures a range of additives for the metalworking business, will form part of Polartech’s global manufacturing portfolio. Polartech plans to add new products, processes and personnel in the coming months. The facility will manufacture Polartech products in addition to heritage Actrachem brand products produced at the facility and still supplied to the North American market. Polartech, based in the UK, recently opened a new facility in India and has a plant in Suzhou, China, under construction.
“We are delighted to have been able to secure the Bedford Park facility, and access to the Actrachem brands that were included in the purchase. The name is well respected in North America,” said Robert Stubbs, president of Polartech Additives, Inc. “It was already our intention to expand our manufacturing presence in the United States, but to be able to combine these aspirations with this acquisition gives us significant additional momentum.”
“Polartech is expanding, and we’re pleased that the facility and our former employees will have the opportunity to grow in this dynamic business,” said Mike Roberts, business manager of pine chemicals for Georgia-Pacific. Georgia-Pacific’s future strategic plans did not include the metalworking industry.
Headquartered at Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of building products, tissue, packaging, paper, cellulose, and related chemicals. The company employs approximately 50,000 people at more than 300 locations in North America, South America and Europe. Georgia-Pacific Chemicals is a global performance chemical manufacturer recognized as a leader in each of its key markets - building products, paper making, and industrial and specialty applications. For more information, visit www.gp.com
The Polartech Group of companies, headquartered in Manchester UK, is fast becoming one of the world’s leading dedicated Metalworking Additive Specialists. With manufacturing Plants in the UK and India and one in-build in China, the US acquisition complements the strong presence Polartech already has in the US market following its acquisition of the Petromix brand. For more information visit www.polartech.com
Media Contacts:
Georgia-Pacific - Melodie Ruse
+1 404-652-4627
Polartech – Peter Richards
+44 161-876-5673
