LANXESS to Streamline the Chrome Value Chain of its Leather Business
by Shrutee K/DNS
The site closure in Zárate, Argentina, will affect 170 employees. “It is our intention to enter into talks with employee representatives without delay in order to find responsible solutions for all affected employees,” explains López-Remón.
LANXESS will continue its other operations in Argentina at its production sites in Burzaco and Merlo (Province of San Luis), from where the company offers comprehensive solutions for the rubber industry. LANXESS currently has some 400 employees in Argentina.
The LANXESS leather business: The LANXESS leather business unit is one of the world’s leading suppliers of leather chemicals and chrome specialties. LANXESS is the only supplier of leather chemicals that is active in both: organic leather chemicals and chrome tanning salts. In chrome tanning salts the company has a unique position through its strategic backwards integration in chrome ore. The leather business unit employs currently 1,500 employees worldwide and has currently production sites in Leverkusen, Germany; Filago, Italy; Rustenburg, Newcastle, Merebank, South Africa; Changzhou, China and till end of 2017 Zárate, Argentina.
Argentinean chrome
chemicals production to be discontinued
Chrome value chain to
be centralized in South Africa
Stronger focus on
innovative, service-intensive specialties for leather production
As
one of the world’s leading suppliers of leather chemicals and chrome
specialties, specialty chemicals company LANXESS is to further strengthen the
competitiveness of its leather chemicals business. The core element is a shift
from the international chrome value chain to centralization in South Africa,
where chrome ore is processed into the intermediate sodium dichromate and
ultimately to chrome specialties, predominantly chrome tanning salts for use in
tanneries worldwide. In this context the company will discontinue production at
the Zárate site in Argentina in the fourth quarter of 2017. LANXESS currently
operates production facilities for sodium dichromate and chrome tanning salts
in both countries: in Argentina at its site in Zárate, and in South Africa at
its sites in Newcastle and Merebank.
"This strategic measure enables us to further strengthen our competitiveness in the chrome chemicals business. Moreover, it allows us to focus even more on our business with organic leather chemicals and thus bolster our leading position as a provider of innovative, service-intensive specialties for the leather production,” says Luis López-Remón, head of the LANXESS leather business unit. LANXESS expects the streamlining of its chrome value chain to generate a positive EBITDA effect of around EUR 10 million annually, which will be realized by the end of 2018, as well as approximately EUR 60 million in one-time-costs in 2017.
"This strategic measure enables us to further strengthen our competitiveness in the chrome chemicals business. Moreover, it allows us to focus even more on our business with organic leather chemicals and thus bolster our leading position as a provider of innovative, service-intensive specialties for the leather production,” says Luis López-Remón, head of the LANXESS leather business unit. LANXESS expects the streamlining of its chrome value chain to generate a positive EBITDA effect of around EUR 10 million annually, which will be realized by the end of 2018, as well as approximately EUR 60 million in one-time-costs in 2017.
The site closure in Zárate, Argentina, will affect 170 employees. “It is our intention to enter into talks with employee representatives without delay in order to find responsible solutions for all affected employees,” explains López-Remón.
LANXESS will continue its other operations in Argentina at its production sites in Burzaco and Merlo (Province of San Luis), from where the company offers comprehensive solutions for the rubber industry. LANXESS currently has some 400 employees in Argentina.
The LANXESS leather business: The LANXESS leather business unit is one of the world’s leading suppliers of leather chemicals and chrome specialties. LANXESS is the only supplier of leather chemicals that is active in both: organic leather chemicals and chrome tanning salts. In chrome tanning salts the company has a unique position through its strategic backwards integration in chrome ore. The leather business unit employs currently 1,500 employees worldwide and has currently production sites in Leverkusen, Germany; Filago, Italy; Rustenburg, Newcastle, Merebank, South Africa; Changzhou, China and till end of 2017 Zárate, Argentina.
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