Water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film manufacturer MonoSol (Merrillville, Indiana / USA; www.monosol.com), which belongs to Japanese chemical group Kuraray (Tokyo; www.kuraray.co.jp), is planning to build a second European production facility.

With the plant that is to be built in Ujazd / Poland near Katowice, MonoSol intends to supply the Central European market with packaging solutions, in particular for laundry and dishwashing detergents. The company plans to create 90 jobs in Poland, although the exact schedule has apparently not yet been determined. The investment will augment the company’s presence in Europe, which so far includes a plant in Hartlebury / UK and the European headquarters in Hattersheim / Germany.

The company, headed by Scott Bening, also recently completed construction on an expansion of production in Lebanon, Indiana / USA. This will almost double the existing capacity there. Following the expansion, commercial production is expected to be available in early 2021.

MonoSol specialises in transparent water-soluble films of the “Vivos” brand for pre-portioned packaging solutions. Application areas include detergents and cleaning agents in liquid and powder form as well as foods such as sauces, coffee and tea.