FMC makes $100m investment in Thai MCC facility

FMC Corporation has announced it will invest more than $100 million in a new world-class microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) manufacturing facility in Thailand. The investment is part of the company’s strategy to ensure long-term supply of its Avicel colloidal MCC, which is widely used as a key ingredient in food and beverages.

The new facility will increase FMC’s global food-grade MCC capacity by 35%. Initially, the facility will manufacture Avicel colloidal MCC, but it has been designed to allow for future volume expansion and different product lines for the food and pharmaceutical markets.

“Demand for MCC continues to grow rapidly in Asia,” said Michael Wilson, President of FMC’s Specialty Chemicals Group. “This addition of significant new capacity to our MCC network will be needed to supply high-quality products and service to our Asian customers, while at the same time providing us with greater flexibility to support global growth with our existing capacity in North America and Europe.”

“Today’s announcement represents another major step in FMC’s Vision 2015 growth strategy,” said Pierre Brondeau, FMC President, CEO and chairperson.

“This significant investment underscores FMC’s continuing commitment to profitably grow our signature product lines and to introduce or broaden the availability of leading FMC technologies in rapidly growing regions.”