Achieving industrial excellence

In an increasingly aggressive business environment, the performance of our production base and our ability to respond to market developments are critical to our competitiveness. Our short-term strategy is to create world-scale facilities, enhance their operating performance, close uncompetitive production lines and optimize variable costs.

 

Creating world-scale facilities

A number of capital spending projects recently announced are designed to bolster our most efficient sites to create world-scale facilities. Examples in France include expanded acrylics capacity at Carling, vinyl chloride capacity at Lavéra and hydrogen peroxide capacity at Jarrie. As well, our facilities in Shanghai, China are being extended.

 

Enhancing operational efficiency

Our production teams are focusing on three key drivers to enhance our production base reliability, efficiency and safety. This commitment to progress has already been demonstrated in several product lines.

 

Closing non-competitive units

An in-depth analysis was conducted at each Arkema site to identify potentially vulnerable activities that could undermine our long-term viability. As a result, a number of activities and plants have been closed in France and in the United States.

 

Optimizing variable costs

Energy and raw materials prices have soared in recent years, and there is no sign of a letup. In response, we have optimized our variable cost management by enhancing processes and by introducing a number of projects to reduce energy consumption, in keeping with our concept of sustainable development.