DGAP-News: Wacker Chemie AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Wacker Chemie AG: WACKER EXPANDS PRODUCTION CAPACITY FOR DISPERSIONS IN USA 09.03.2015 / 10:04 --------------------------------------------------------------------- - ANNUAL CAPACITY AT CALVERT CITY SITE (KENTUCKY, USA) TO INCREASE BY 85,000 METRIC TONS - INVESTMENT VOLUME OF AROUND EUR50 MILLION - ADDITIONAL CAPACITY WILL BE AVAILABLE DURING THE SECOND HALF OF 2015 - NEW ETHYLENE PIPELINE SECURES RAW MATERIAL SUPPLY - CEO RUDOLF STAUDIGL: "THE EXPANSION IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO MEET OUR CUSTOMERS' DEMAND FOR OUR DISPERSIONS OVER THE COMING YEARS" Munich / Calvert City, March 9, 2015 - Wacker Chemie AG is expanding its existing vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions production facilities in the United States. The Munich-based chemical company will add a new reactor with an annual capacity of 85,000 metric tons at its Calvert City site, investing an amount of around EUR50 million in the site's capacity and infrastructure. This makes the complex the largest of its kind in the Americas. The new reactor is scheduled to come on stream by mid-2015. "Capacity expansion is essential if we are to meet our customers' demand for our dispersions over the coming years", explained Rudolf Staudigl, CEO of Wacker Chemie AG, the reason for the investment. "After extending our dispersions capacities at our sites in South Korea and China in the course of the last two years, we have now pushed ahead with expanding our production in the US, too. Thus, we will be able to keep pace with future market growth and strengthen our leading position in VAE dispersions", Staudigl said. WACKER has further added an ethylene pipeline to the Calvert City facility for increasing the long-term reliability of raw material supply at the site. "This investment in our continuous raw-material supply is an important step: it not only makes a key contribution to supply security in the years to come, but also to the cost-efficient production of our dispersions," explained John Fotheringham, vice president of Dispersions at WACKER POLYMERS. With over 50 years' experience in the development and production of vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer dispersions, WACKER is a global technology and market leader in this field. VINNAPAS(R) dispersions are popular binders in the construction, paints, coatings and adhesives industries. The dispersions find application, for instance, in the formulation of low-odor and low-emission indoor paints, but also in plasters, technical textiles and nonwovens, carpet adhesives and as binders in polymer materials based on renewable resources. About WACKER POLYMERS WACKER POLYMERS is a leading producer of state-of-the-art binders and polymeric additives based on polyvinyl acetate and vinyl acetate copolymers. These take the form of dispersible polymer powders, dispersions, solid resins, and solutions. They are used in construction chemicals, paints, surface coatings, adhesives and nonwovens, and in fiber composites and polymeric materials based on renewable resources. WACKER POLYMERS has production sites in Germany, China, South Korea and the USA, as well as a global sales network and technical centers in all major regions. This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates of WACKER's Executive Board. Although we assume the expectations in these forward-looking statements are realistic, we cannot guarantee they will prove to be correct. The assumptions may harbor risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual figures to differ considerably from the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such discrepancies include, among other things, changes in the economic and business environment, variations in exchange and interest rates, the introduction of competing products, lack of acceptance for new products or services, and changes in corporate strategy. WACKER does not plan to update the forward-looking statements, nor does it assume the obligation to do so. For further information, please contact: Wacker Chemie AG Media Relations & Information Christof Bachmair Tel. +49 89 6279-1830 Fax: +49 89 6279-1239 [email protected] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 09.03.2015 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: Wacker Chemie AG Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4 81737 München Germany Phone: 0049-89-6279-1633 Fax: 0049-89-6279-2933 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.wacker.com ISIN: DE000WCH8881 WKN: WCH888 Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service --------------------------------------------------------------------- 331055 09.03.2015