SYNTHOMER TO INVEST RM35MIL IN R&D NEAR PASIR GUDANG
SYNTHOMER plans to invest about RM35mil to set up a new research and development (R&D) centre near its Pasir Gudang facility, Johor, as part of its ongoing expansion plan in Malaysia.
Synthomer Sdn Bhd executive vice-president (Asia) Derick Whyte said the investment would be implemented upon approval from the parent company Synthomer PLC.
“It will take us about 18 months to set up the R&D centre and we are looking at early 2020 for the centre to start operating,’’ he told reporters at the opening of the company’s nitrile latex expansion facility in Pasir Gudang.
For the Pasir Gudang plant expansion, this RM270mil investment was first announced in June 2017 when the site in Pasir Gudang took delivery of Synthomer’s latest technology innovation. It is the world largest nitrile butadiene rubber latex reactor.
The expansion of this facility will see an increase of 90,000 tonnes of nitrile latex yearly which is a 50% increase from the existing output.
Present at the opening ceremony were British High Commissioner to Malaysia Vicki Treadell, Synthomer chairman Neil Johnson and chief executive officer Calum Maclean.
Whyte said with the opening of the R&D centre, the existing centre in its Kluang outfit with 70 researchers would be relocated to the new place.
“We want to centralise our R&D activities at our Pasir Gudang plant as it is the focal point of our operations in Malaysia,’’ he said.
Whyte said Synthomer was currently working closely with five public and private universities in the country as part of its strategy to produce engineers to be employed by the company.
He said Synthomer did not face any problems hiring engineers, adding that it received about 1,400 applications from job seekers for three engineering posts at the company.
On the investment between RM220mil and RM300mil as mentioned by Maclean in his speech at the ceremony, Whyte said the figure would be realised probably in 2020.
“We are committed to invest in Malaysia as part of our long-term strategy to grow our business in the country and we have invested more than RM1bil in the last 15 years in Malaysia,’’ he said.
Synthomer is one of the world’s major suppliers of lattices and speciality emulsion polymers supporting leadership positions in many markets including coatings, construction, textiles, paper and synthetic latex gloves.
The company is a FTSE 250 listed company headquartered in London with group revenue of £1.5bil and employs 2,800 people with manufacturing plants, technology centres and sales offices in Europe, Middle East Asia and the United States.
Synthomer provides customer-focused services from regional centres in Harlow, the United Kingdom, Marl, Germany and Kuala Lumpur.