Loparex Group recently announced plans to build a 35,400 m² (380,000 ft²) greenfield facility for the production of siliconized paper and polymer films (release liners) on the recently purchased 5.7-hectare property at the Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate (HESIE) of Thailand. The new world-class facility will support the company’s manufacture of release liners to global markets including automotive, electronics, appliances, composites, hygiene, medical, graphics, labels, tapes and other industrial applications.

Jan Hilbrink, currently managing director for Europe, will lead the construction and startup of the new plant. The plant is scheduled to begin production by the end of 2012 and will feature solvent and solvent-free products, and poly-coated liners, as well as printing and slitting capabilities.

In 2011, Loparex doubled capacity at its Guangzhou, China, plant. In 2009, an investment in Loparex’s Silvassa, India, facility tripled that plant’s output. “The new facility in Thailand will truly complement the facilities we have in Guangzhou and Silvassa with additional technical capabilities and, of course, enhanced service potential not only for the ASEAN region, but also for our customers throughout all of Asia and the Middle East,” said Andie Ho, managing director, Loparex–Asia Pacific.

“The Thailand facility will serve as an additional ‘service hub’ for Loparex to expand our sales and technical service resources to our customer base, in addition to offering an expanded product portfolio,” said Tapani Laakso, director of Sales and Marketing for Loparex–Asia Pacific.

The new plant will be designed with lean manufacturing principles and will reportedly have the ability for rapid and substantial expansion to meet future market demands. “We have the unique opportunity to employ the best practices of lean manufacturing and six sigma from our operations in the U.S., Europe, China and India to create a truly world-class, flexible, and efficient plant from the ground up,” said Jack Taylor, COO of Loparex Americas.

For more information, visitwww.loparex.com.