PPG, Universal Display to launch Irish OLED facility
PPG and Universal Display Corp. plan to launch a manufacturing facility in Ireland to expand production of organic light materials used in consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets and televisions.
The companies have partnered on organic light emitting diode technology, or OLEDs, for 20 years at a PPG specialty materials plant in Barberton, Ohio, and a PPG research center in Monroeville.
OLEDs are the materials that when electrically charged provide color and images that show up on phones and other devices.
PPG and Universal have supplied the technology to consumer brands including Samsung and LG.
PPG is the exclusive manufacturer of Universal’s phosphorescent emitters, which will be produced at the planned facility in Shannon, Ireland.
The facility will allow the companies to double current production capacity, they said in a joint announcement.
Universal, based in Ewing, N.J., has leased the site, formerly a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, with an option to buy it.
PPG will operate the facility, which is expected to begin operations in early 2022.
Initial employment will be 20 to 30, and at full capacity, the plant could employ 80 to 100, said a PPG spokeswoman.
Universal’s president and
chief executive, Steven Abramson, said the Ireland plant is “the next step in our globalization strategy.”
Michael McGarry, PPG’s chairman and chief executive, said the new plant allows PPG to “continue to grow and broaden our strong 20-year relationship of producing high-performance OLED materials for Universal Display.”
Universal generated $429 million in revenues last year and is projecting revenues of $530 million to $560 million in 2021.
Specialty coatings and materials including OLEDs are part of PPG’s industrial coatings segment. The Downtown-based company’s sales in 2020 totaled $13.8 billion.