Semi-finished products specialist Senoplast (Piesendorf / Austria; www.senoplast.com) has started the construction of its new production facility in China (see Plasteurope.com of 03.04.2018). The Austrian company announced that the groundbreaking ceremony for the 4,000 m² plant in Suzhou near Shanghai took place on 16 May 2019. From 2020, an initial number of 40 employees will produce plastic sheets for bathtubs, vehicle parts and other thermoforming applications at the site. Senoplast will invest EUR 13m in the construction.

The film and sheet manufacturer is also investing in Mexico, where it currently operates its only production facility outside Austria. At the Querétaro site, Senoplast is spending EUR 7.7m on the expansion of its production and administration. As part of this, it is setting up a fourth production line to supply the growing markets in South America in addition to the existing customers in the NAFTA region. Construction of the plant expansion has started in mid-March and is scheduled to end in mid-September. "China and North America are strategically important markets", said Senoplast CEO Günter Klepsch. "It will be a decisive competitive advantage to produce locally in order to supply customers even faster and more efficiently."