By investing 18 million euros in a new production line, Croda is opening up new growth prospects for its industrial site in Chocques, in the Hauts-de-France region. Croda International, designer, manufacturer and supplier of high-performance raw materials for a wide range of industrial sectors, announces the launch of a new production line at its Chocques site. The new facility, inaugurated today in the presence of local elected officials and numerous economic players from the Hauts-de-France region, will increase the site's production capacity by 20% with 15 new workstations.
"This strategic investment in the French market is part of our global investment plan. We want to strengthen our business so that the Chocques plant continues to be a major site for our activities in Europe, and becomes a benchmark model".says Robert Khoury, Plant Manager at Croda Chocques.
New infrastructures for optimum performance
The Chocques site, in operation since 1927, has a 22-hectare operating area. It has its own R&D department, equipped with advanced technologies that make it Croda's most advanced alkoxylation site in Europe.
The new production line, built around a new reactor, will eventually increase the site's production capacity by 20%, to meet the growing demand from many industrial sectors: cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastics, inks, cleaning products...
It will also help improve the plant's performance in terms of efficiency, reliability and sustainable development. Indeed, while 90% of the site's energy needs already come from steam produced by the Labeuvrière waste recovery center, Croda aims to further improve its energy performance by integrating more sustainable manufacturing processes.
Croda, partner of the local economy
With a total investment of around 45 million euros over the last ten years, the Chocques site has become one of the Croda group's flagship sites and a key player in the chemical industry in the Hauts-de-France region.
" The launch of the new production line at our Choques site marks an important step in Croda's development in France, and demonstrates the Group's commitment to the future as an economic player in the Hauts-de-France region. We look forward to the impact that our increased production capacity will have on the local economy. "adds Robert Khoury.
Croda Chocques, which currently provides 172 direct jobs - a figure that has been rising steadily since 2009 - has created 15 additional positions in several of the plant's departments (production, logistics, quality, analysis, etc.) with the installation of this new production line.
The manufacturer also relies on some thirty local subcontractors, providing the equivalent of some fifty indirect jobs.
Croda currently employs around 500 people in France. The company has 3 production sites in France: in Chocques (62), Le Perray en Yvelines (78) and Chanac (48), as well as sales offices in Trappes (78).
