Strongsville, Ohio (June 10, 2011) – Momentive Performance Materials Inc. launched an expansion of specialty ceramic powders production at its manufacturing facility in Strongsville, Ohio, with a groundbreaking ceremony today that was attended by state and local government representatives, company leaders and plant associates.
Upon completion in December 2011, the expansion project will increase by 50 percent the plant’s production capacity of boron nitride powder, a specialty ceramic material used in a variety of thermal management applications in the compound semiconductor, semiconductor, and LED lighting industries, and in other industrial and consumer products. Boron nitride powder has the unique ability to provide excellent thermal conductivity, while not conducting electricity. It is used in compound semiconductor manufacturing and in specialized ceramic heat dissipation applications. It is an essential ingredient in specialty materials that transfer heat away from integrated circuit boards, LED lighting microchips, batteries and other electrical components, keeping the devices cooler and significantly extending their service life. The powder is also used in plastics, cosmetics and other diverse applications to impart thermal conductivity, lubricity or other physical performance characteristics.
“This is an exciting day for our Strongsville operation, for our associates here at the site and for our global quartz and ceramics business,” said Joseph P. Reyes, General Manager for Momentive’s Ceramic business. “We continue to develop leading edge technologies and products to serve our global customers and markets, and in doing so we continue to grow our presence in Ohio. We appreciate the continued support of the State of Ohio and the City of Strongsville in our ongoing business expansion.”
The $5.8 million project includes the addition of 6,000 square feet of production space and the installation of special equipment to produce and refine specialty boron nitride powders. The additional 10 manufacturing jobs will bring employment at the Strongsville plant and business offices to 195 associates. In addition to the Strongsville expansion, the quartz and ceramics business also recently broke ground on an expansion of its quartz production operations in Hebron, Ohio, which is expected to create an additional 10 manufacturing jobs. A sister company, Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc., previously disclosed it anticipates adding 100 jobs over the next several years at its global headquarters in Columbus and customer service center in Gahanna, Ohio. Together, the new Momentive’s operating companies employ 780 associates in Ohio and more than 10,000 associates around the world.
The global quartz and ceramics business is headquartered at the Strongsville facility, located at 22557 West Lunn Road. It also operates two smaller plants in the greater Cleveland area, as well as plants in Japan, China and Germany. Overall, Momentive’s operating companies have more than 100 manufacturing facilities around the world.