DuPont Spruance

DuPont has announced that it will expand its Kevlar para-aramid fiber production facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia. A new production line, based on proprietary DuPont fiber technology, will be added at the Spruance site, increasing production capacity for DuPont Kevlar brand fiber by the end of 2002. Total investment for this expansion is expected to be $50 million.

“The Kevlar high-performance fiber market is seeing incredible growth as demand from our core customers continues to increase and new product applications are developed,” said Diane Gulyas, vice president and general manager – DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems. “DuPont is committed to the Kevlar business as a key contributor to our sustainable growth mission, so we are taking every action we can to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

The company has successfully completed the first phase of expansion projects that began in early 2000 and increased production capacity for Kevlar fiber globally by approximately 15 percent.

The second expansion phase, announced today, will address a nearly two-year trend of growing demand for high-performance, high-strength para-aramid fibers – demand that has exceeded global manufacturing capabilities.

This capacity expansion is based on innovative technology developed and patented by DuPont and used in the company’s European operations for the past three years. As applied at Chesterfield, the technology will include design enhancements from the European operations that will provide unique process and product capabilities to support the continually growing needs of Kevlar customers.

“Adding Kevlar fiber capacity through enhanced technology is critical to maintaining our leadership position in the market for aramid products and technologies and reinforces our commitment to grow with our marketplace partners,” Gulyas said.

Kevlar is a global business serving a wide range of market applications delivering innovation, technology and solutions in environments where high-strength and lightweight performance are demanded. The business serves a global marketplace from offices in all major regions of the world and has manufacturing facilities in Northern Ireland, Japan and the United States.

DuPont is a science company, delivering science-based solutions that make a difference in people’s lives in food and nutrition; health care; apparel; home and construction; electronics; and transportation. Founded in 1802, the company operates in 70 countries and has 93,000 employees.