ExxonMobil Chemical (Houston, Texas / USA; www.exxonmobilchemical.com) has established a new speciality compounds and composites business to focus on the development, production and marketing of engineered polyolefin compounds. The operation’s portfolio includes a new line of performance polyolefins for automotive applications. Products range from soft and flexible compounds to reinforced composites. The company recently started up a specialty compounding centre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana / USA to provide a complementary capability to its existing European facility in Lillebonne / France. In March 2007, it opened a polymers automotive applications centre in Kawasaki / Japan.