John Tacca, vice president of Wacker Polymers, walks through the facility’s new lab during the Wacker Polymers technical center’s official ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning.WACKER CHEMIE AG
Headquarters: Germany2012 Sales: $6 billionWorkforce: 16,000Key subsidiaries: Wacker Polymers (Dalton, Ga.), Wacker Polysilicon (Charleston, Tenn.)Other subsidiaries: Siltronic, Wacker Silicones, Wacker Biosolutions,New Dalton Address: 2124 S. Hamilton St.Source: Wacker Chemical Corp.
John Tacca , Vice President of Wacker Polymers, speaks during the Wacker Polymers’ technical center official opening, ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning in Dalton, Ga.DALTON, Ga. – The carpet industry is growing again, and the increased demand for the chemicals that supply the Carpet Capital’s tufting mills has drawn new investment to Georgia.
Wacker Polymers, a subsidiary of Germany-based Wacker Chemie AG, on Tuesday unveiled its research and technical training facility here. The German chemical giant is hustling to supply enough binding products and technical expertise to satisfy local carpet manufacturers, and sees its new facility as a way to reach out to customers.
“If you’re going to be in the carpet business in Dalton, you have to be in Dalton,” said John McClurken, technical manager at Wacker’s new facility.
While Wacker won’t be manufacturing its binding agents in Dalton in the near term, the company will run its research, service and training operations there. Wacker Polymers did not disclose the size of its newest investment in the state of Georgia, though it is a tiny fraction of the $2 billion another division of Wacker is making to build a polysilicon production plant near Charleston, Tenn.