DSM to invest in several plants

Heerle/The Netherlands, Greenville/USA – DSM has decided to invest in capacity expansion and modernization of the caprolactam plant at the Chemelot Industrial Park in Geleen/The Netherlands. The total investment costs amount to € 25 million. This investment will allow DSM to gradually expand the capacity of the plant according to market demands. Caprolactam is the key raw material for Nylon-6, a highly versatile material that is used to make not only textile, carpet and technical fibres, but also engineering plastics and packaging films. Furthermore the company will expand its Dyneema UD (UniDirectional bullet resistant sheet) production by 25 per cent in its Greenville/USA manufacturing facility. The investment is driven by the increasing demand for Dyneema UD in the US market for personal and especially vehicle security and protection against terrorism. The new line is expected to come on stream in mid 2008. This news also comes on the heels of the recent decision to invest in a new Technical Service center at DSM’s Stanley/USA facility.