Sirmax growing production in Anderson
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The U.S. subsidiary of Italy-based Sirmax Group is increasing production of a flame retardant compound it says is growing in demand. Sirmax North America said it is dedicating one of the production lines at its Anderson location to the compound and could add a small number of jobs.
The company said its polypropylene-based compound contains flame retardant chemicals that when added to plastic polymers, can delay ignition, slow the spread of flames and reduce the rate of combustion.
The compounds are also designed to be low in toxicity, causing minimal impact on the environment and human health, Sirmax said. The products can be used in a variety of applications, including automotive, household appliances and power tools.
“Over the past year, sales and market demand for flame retardant compounds have increased dramatically, so we have made the decision to dedicate one of our five production lines to this family of materials,” Lorenzo Ferro, country manager of Sirmax North America, said in a news release. “We are therefore prepared to meet this new market challenge and to respond to any quantitative requirements.”
Sirmax invested $2 million into the production line at the Anderson facility in 2022.
The plant currently employs about 90 people. A spokesperson for Sirmax told Inside INdiana Business while dedicating the line to the flame retardant compound will not create any new jobs immediately, the company does expect to add up to five jobs in the coming months as demand for the compound increases.
The spokesperson said the Anderson plant was selected for the dedicated line because the U.S. market has been increasingly requesting this type of material, particularly because they are easily customizable to each client’s requirements.
Sirmax said demand for such self-extinguishing materials has also been increasing in Europe, which has led to a boost in production at its plants in Poland.