Material supplier SI Group making tackifier capacity expansion in France

Material supplier SI Group is doubling the tackifier resin capacity at its Bethune, France manufacturing site, in a move intended to turn the site into a regional hub for best-in-class tackifier and reinforcing resin production and technology.

Tackifiers are low-molecular weight compounds (oligomers) that are added to adhesive formulations to improve tack and peel adhesion.

In a news release, officials with Schenectady, N.Y.-based SI Group said the investment – which is slated for completion later this year – addresses an increasing demand for Novolac tackifiers in one of the firm’s core regions. “We have taken the decision to further grow capacity as another step forward in reinventing our business model,” said Robert Kaiser, vice president, rubber & adhesives solutions at SI Group. “This expansion will not only benefit the region’s supply, but will provide superior solutions at the highest reliability of supply to all our customers globally.”  

In addition to tackifier resins, SI Group also offers antidegradants, bonding, curing, and reinforcing resins, manufactured globally. The expansion in Bethune, France follows the company’s announcement in September 2020 to also expand resin capacity in Nanjing, China.