Monsanto says it is planning a new cotton seed processing facility in Lubbock, Texas. Construction of the $140 million facility is expected to begin in March and be completed in the second half of 2017.
The facility will employ about 40 full-time personnel and will be Monsanto’s primary U.S. hub for all commercial cotton seed processing operations, including cleaning, treating, and bagging. Existing processing facilities will transition to support storage and warehousing, precommercial operations, and research.
“Bringing people, processes and technology together at a new, state-of-the-art cotton facility in Lubbock will boost collaboration and efficiency within our manufacturing organization,” says Dave Penn, cotton manufacturing lead at Monsanto. “Furthermore, its geographic location in Lubbock, Texas, will allow for better alignment with the cotton industry and help us better serve customers across the Cotton Belt.”
Advanced technology at the new hub will also allow for better data capture, and automating processes will improve both manufacturing effectiveness and personnel safety, Penn adds.
Existing cotton seed processing facilities in Arizona, Mississippi and Texas will continue to support manufacturing operations until summer 2017, at which point they will transition to support storage and warehousing, precommercial operations, or research. Manufacturing employees who are offered the opportunity to relocate will also have the option to receive a severance package in the event they choose not to relocate.
By Rebecca Coons
Source: Chemical Week
3M and Dow have announced they are cutting thousands of roles from their global workforces in response to economic pressures. Dow has said it will cut 2,000 jobs across its global workforce (around 5%) in a bid to save US$1bn in 2023. The company says it will also cut costs by shutting down “select assets”, though it did not note where it would halt operations.
Sweden’s state mining firm has discovered what could be Europe’s largest rare earths deposit, and says it could help the bloc reduce its reliance on imports of minerals needed to manufacture clean technologies and meet climate targets.
Henkel and Avantium have been partners since 2019, when Henkel joined the PEFerence consortium. This consortium of partners, coordinated by Avantium, aims to establish an innovative supply chain for FDCA and PEF (polyethylene furanoate).
