To meet increasing demand for its water-soluble and biodegradable films, Kuraray’s MonoSol Division is planning to build a new manufacturing facility in Poland and increase capacity at its recently completed plant near Indianapolis in Lebanon, Indiana (USA).

The plant in Poland will be located in Ujazd, part of the Katowice Special Economic Zone, and is expected to create approximately 90 jobs. After a comprehensive European site selection process, the Poland location was chosen for its infrastructure, accessibility to key customers, strong skilled labour base, cost and operational advantages.

MonoSol’s existing production facility in Hartlebury, UK, will continue to serve European and global markets. The company already has sales, customer service and technical support teams located throughout Europe with its EU commercial centre located at the Kuraray Europe headquarters in Hattersheim am Main, Germany.

The addition of the Poland facility will expand MonoSol’s manufacturing presence to mainland Europe and is driven by strong growth of the unit dose concept in continental markets, particularly in the laundry and dish detergent categories. The physical proximity to customers allows for better and faster collaboration, shortens the supply chain, and helps reduce risks and costs associated with trade uncertainty.

In Lebanon, Indiana, MonoSol recently completed construction on its newest manufacturing facility and will begin operation in December. The company will now install additional equipment, doubling the plant’s initial capacity. The new capacity is slated to begin commercial production in 2021.

“The need for environmentally friendly solutions is growing at a rapid rate as companies across the globe take on the challenge to make everyday products simpler, safer and more sustainable,” said P. Scott Bening, MonoSol’s chief executive.