Sun

Sales generated in China will make up for nearly a quarter of the Baton Rouge, Lousianna-based company’s 2009 global sales, a substantial jump from 5 percent in 2008, according to John Sun, Greater China managing director.

During a recent interview at the Cross-Strait Plastics Industry Summit 2009 in Guangzhou, he told Plastics News that the breakthrough’s relatively short time period was made possible partly by supplying polymer curative to China’s government-funded, high-speed railway projects.

“Last year, we participated in the construction of a high-speed railway between Beijing and Tianjin -- about 150 kilometers,” Asia Advocacy Manager George Yao said, “which showcased our technologies, brand and services and earned us more opportunities.”

“We sold about 200 metric tons of curatives in 2008,” Sun said, “The number will expand to 2,000 metric tons this year.” He added that his team has been working hard to win the high-speed railway projects for at least 5 years.

The automotive industry was a major end market for polymer curatives, but the global auto industry is suffering from sluggish demand and severe oversupply, Sun said. He also serves as a vice president of Beijing-based China Plastics Processing Industry Association.

Other product categories are also growing in China despite the global recession, such as antioxidant additives. The company plans to double its production capacity of antioxidant additives at its Shanghai plant. Albemarle operates additional production and research and development facilities in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, and Nanjing, Jiangsu province.

Flame-retardant additives also hold much promise in the Chinese market, as the central government steps up regulatory efforts on fire safety. Albemarle is rolling out three new grades of flame-retardant additives this year, Sun said. “We are staying ahead of curve, ahead of regulatory changes in China. That gives us competitive advantages. … Being the leading player in the field, we are joining forces with the Chinese government to educate the public on the use of flame-retardant additives.”

Beijing’s action to push forward additional nuclear power projects will need large quantities of high-end, inorganic flame-retardant additives. “That can be significant growth for us,” Yao added.

The company made a strategic move last year to form a joint venture in Weifang, Shandong province, known as the largest bromine reserve and production center in China. Bromine is used to make polymer additives. “It’s important to always secure resources,” Sun said.

Publicly traded Albemarle reported US$2.5 billion (17.4 billion yuan) in global sales for 2008. It employs about 600 in China today, up from less than a dozen when it entered China in 2003.