Henkel completes expansion of North Carolina plant

Henkel, a maker of adhesives, sealants and functional coatings, has expanded its operations in Salisbury, North Carolina.

This expansion of Henkel’s existing site brings a new 10,000-square-foot production area for UV-curable acrylic pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA).

“The new production area at the Salisbury facility is a major investment for Henkel and represents the first large-scale UV hotmelt production plant outside of Europe, creating a tremendous resource for our customers in North America,” said Bruno Motta, global project manager, UV hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives at Henkel.

UV-curable hot melt adhesives address changing market needs and enhance the customer experience, said the firm. They are designed to coat a variety of facestocks, serving all segments of traditional pressure sensitive markets.

Branded as Loctite Duro-Tak UV, Henkel said it offers a comprehensive set of adhesive chemistries from this new facility, designing its own polymers and providing different types of curing systems.

“Henkel‘s UV-curable acrylic PSA technology expands our solvent-free hot melt production and bridges a market gap with an innovative alternative to solution acrylic adhesives, helping our customers achieve their sustainability objectives and creating new market opportunities with a customized approach,” said Gary Rzonca, senior vice president, packaging and consumer goods, Henkel North America.

Henkel’s Salisbury facility manufactures adhesives under the leading brand Loctite used extensively in the packaging, consumer goods and electronics markets.

The Salisbury plant became part of the Henkel manufacturing network in 2008 following the company’s acquisition of the National Starch adhesives business.

The site has more than 217,000 square feet of production space, including the new UV acrylics operation, said the company, and employs 230 employees with 20 jobs expected to be added in 2023.