MonoSol, a division of Kuraray, will invest $72 million to build a water-soluble film manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Indiana. 

 

The facility, initially 150,000 square feet, will have the ability to expand the site to over 400,000 square feet in the future. This is the company’s fourth facility in the United States and sixth overall dedicated to producing water-soluble films. Expected to be operational in mid- to late-2020, the site will initially create up to 89 jobs.

 

Customers worldwide use the dissolvable film to create pre-portioned packets for a variety of applications, including detergents and cleaners, food ingredients, agrochemical, cosmetics and personal care products, and pool and spa chemicals. This film technology is also used for the growing segments of transfer printing, countertops and solid surface release films, composites fabrication in aerospace, embroidery backing and healthcare containment applications.  

 

The new facility will add approximately 18 percent to existing global capacity, allowing MonoSol to keep pace with consistent growth in several business segments while increasing operational efficiency and material flow. Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2018. Once completed, MonoSol’s global manufacturing footprint will include four plants in Indiana, as well as sites in Hartlebury, United Kingdom, and Saijo, Japan.

 

“We are making a significant investment in our water-soluble film technology in response to continued global demand and the growing needs of our customers for innovative and sustainable packaging solutions,” said P. Scott Bening, president and CEO, Kuraray/MonoSol. “Expanding our manufacturing footprint into Central Indiana further strengthens our business continuity plan through geographic diversity and enhances our proximity to key customers who have ever-increasing needs for products that require exact dosage, easier handling, greater convenience and safety and sustainability.”