Italian polypropylene (PP) compounder Sirmax (Cittadella) plans to invest $25.6 million to establish a production facility in Anderson, IN. The 140,000-square-foot compounding plant will be located on a 26.3-acre greenfield site. Targeting operation by October 2015, the company's first North American location will serve as a strategic logistical location for its automotive and appliance customers, which includes a US-based client that signed a $20 million annual contract with Sirmax late last year. The company anticipates producing 20,000 tonnes of PP compound in 2016, with an annual turnover estimated at $35 million, reaching 60,000 tonnes by 2020, creating 50 new jobs.

"I would like to thank Governor Mike Pence and the state of Indiana, the city of Anderson and the IEDC [Indiana Economic Development Corporation] for the warm welcome and the high professionalism that they always showed in this process," said Massimo Pavin, chief executive officer of Sirmax. "This is what made the difference in our location choice for our first US production plant in Indiana, in the heart of the automotive sector. My wish, that I would like to share with the Sales Director of Sirmax North America Lorenzo Ferro, is that this is only the first of many steps to increase the productive capacity of the Anderson plant."

With this investment Sirmax is consolidating it global presence, offering service and assistance to its main customers in Western Europe, Turkey and North Africa from Cittadella and Tombolo (Italy), Eastern Europe from Kutno (Poland), South America from Jundiaì (Brasil) and North America from the new Anderson facility.

Founded in 1964 under the name SIRTE, Sirmax manufactures and supplies plastic compounds and resins used in the automotive, home appliance, electrical and furniture industries. As the second largest independent PP compounder in Europe, the company's products include PP compounds used in automobile interiors, exteriors, under-the-hood as well as in household appliances including components for washing machines, dishwashers, dryers, refrigerators and freezers. Launching a global strategy in 2005, Sirmax operates five manufacturing and sales facilities across the globe, including three in Italy, a facility in Poland and a facility in Brazil, in addition to sales subsidiaries in Germany, France and Spain.