PHILADELPHIA, March 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Braskem (B3:
BRKM3, BRKM5 and BRKM6; NYSE: BAK; LATIBEX: XBRK), the largest thermoplastics polyolefins producer in the Americas, and the
leading producer of biopolymers in the world, today announced a new U.S. distribution partnership for Braskem's growing U.S.
polypropylene (PP) business with PolyQuest, Inc., a leading North American polymer resin distributor and recycler. As a
distributor of polypropylene, and the largest distributor of PET in the U.S., PolyQuest has long-standing relationships with
customers in the sheet, film, textiles, strapping and BCF markets.
Mark Nikolich, Braskem America CEO commented, "We're pleased to be partnering with
PolyQuest to expand our reach and presence with new clients and sectors, accelerating our market share growth, as well as
supporting our position as the largest producer of polypropylene in the Americas. Just as importantly, PolyQuest shares a focus
on advancing the future of the circular economy through a commitment to sustainable development. We look forward to leveraging
our expertise in polypropylene recycling and closed-loop technologies with PolyQuest's established U.S. recycling facilities. Our
leverage across these activities will only grow in importance as Braskem remains on track to launch Delta, our new U.S. 450
kiloton polypropylene production line in early 2020."
Tod Durst, PolyQuest Executive Vice President, commented, "There is no better partner for
PolyQuest in the polypropylene market than Braskem and we look forward to expanding our relationship responsibly and rapidly. The
expansion of our resin offerings in the U.S. to include polypropylene was a logical one for us as it further enhances our
position as a value-added supplier to an important and growing segment of the industry. We're delighted that the partnership
occurred organically through one of our joint strategic packaging clients."
With an increased focus from both producers, converters and brand-owners towards a sustainable and recyclable raw material,
PolyQuest aims to provide a solution for post-consumer polypropylene products in the marketplace through its recycling facilities
in New York and South Carolina. PolyQuest's goal is to
introduce several post consumer polypropylene recycled capabilities to customers in 2019.
Braskem has committed up to $675 million towards the design and construction of its new PP
production line named Delta which is being constructed next to Braskem's existing production facilities in La Porte, Texas. With main construction ongoing, Delta is targeted for initial production in early
2020. The new plant will have a production capacity of 450 kilotons (kt), or the equivalent of approximately 1 billion
pounds, per year.
The new Delta line will represent additional production capacity of homopolymers, random copolymers, impact copolymers, and
reactor TPOs, building upon Braskem's current polypropylene production plant in La Porte which
has a production capacity of 354 kt annually and will continue operations. Braskem also maintains a UTEC Ultra High Molecular
Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) production plant located at the same La Porte site.
The construction of Braskem's new Delta production line is positively impacting economic activity in the La Porte region, employing approximately 1,000 development and construction workers to fully construct the
facility. The Delta production line design is being developed directly in-line with Braskem's commitment to sustainability and
attention to eco-indicators such as emissions, water, and energy efficiency, as well as recycling and waste reduction.
For additional information on Braskem's new Delta production line announcement and progress, please visit www.braskem.com/usa/delta.
ABOUT POLYQUEST, INC.
PolyQuest is a privately held company headquartered in Wilmington, NC. It is the
largest distributor of PET resins in the U.S. and Canada and one of the fastest growing
recyclers in the US. For more information, visit www.polyquest.com.
ABOUT BRASKEM
With a human-oriented global vision of the future, Braskem strives every day to improve people's lives by creating
sustainable solutions with chemicals and plastics. Braskem is the largest producer of thermoplastic polyolefins in the Americas
and the leading producer of biopolymers in the world, creating more environmentally-friendly, intelligent and sustainable
solutions through chemicals and plastics. Braskem exports to clients in approximately 100 countries and operates 41 industrial
units, which are located in Brazil, United States, Germany and Mexico, the latter in partnership with the Mexican company
Idesa. For more information, visit www.braskem.com.
Braskem America is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A. headquartered in Philadelphia. The company is the leading producer of polypropylene in the United
States, with six production plants located in Texas, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, an Innovation and Technology Center in
Pittsburgh, and a new operation in Boston focused on
leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and advanced materials. For more information, visit www.braskem.com/usa.
ABOUT BLUEVISION
Bluevision was created to represent the set of Braskem actions and initiatives that focus on sustainability and which
bring a positive impact to the planet and people's lives. It is a platform that shows the capacity of the human being to actively
influence the course of the planet through their actions and everyday lives. Through facts, stories and curiosities, Bluevision
connects people who are seeking innovative and society-oriented solutions that use resources in an intelligent way. For
more information about Bluevision please visit: www.bluevisionbraskem.com
Braskem on English social media:
www.facebook.com/BraskemGlobal
www.linkedin.com/company/braskem
www.twitter.com/BraskemSA
View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/braskem-america-announces-new-us-distribution-partnership-with-polyquest-inc-300816686.html
SOURCE Braskem