Evonik's endeavour to build a new production facility for cosmetics and consumer goods in Americana in the Brazilian state of São Paulo is moving ahead rapidly. The mid-double-digit million euro investment will go on stream 2014 and will create around 80 new jobs in total.

"The total production capacity of around 50,000 metric tons per annum is spread across different technologies to be able to offer a broad portfolio of locally manufactured products to our customers in the Personal Care and Household Care industries," explains Patrik Wohlhauser, member of Evonik's Executive Board and responsible for South America. The portfolio will include specialty surfactants, conditioning agents, emollients, emulsifiers, thickeners and fabric softening actives amongst others.

Evonik already supplies customers in the region today through its service and logistics center in Guarulhos (Brazil). "We have not only significantly increased our sales force capacities in the region in the last two years. We have also set up an application lab this year to fulfil our customers' technical support requirements," says Weber Porto, Evonik's Regional President South America.

Evonik has production facilities for cosmetic ingredients in Europe, the USA and Asia. In addition to this project, Evonik is currently building another production plant for ingredients for cosmetics and household consumer goods in Shanghai (China) to serve the Asian market.