Cargill’s biobased polyurethanes business has opened a sales office in France to serve its fast-growing European customer base. The office will manage ordering, customs clearance and delivery logistics for the company’s BiOH^® line of soya-based polyols used in manufacturing flexible foam for the furniture, bedding, and automotive industries.

“The new office provides local contacts to more effectively serve the needs of our European customers,” said Yusuf Wazirzada, business unit leader of Cargill Biobased Polyurethanes. “As a result, customers can look forward to faster responses and greater security of supply for BiOH polyols. Call it a down payment on our stated commitment to build infrastructure in Europe as our business expands in the region.”

The opening of the European sales office comes at a time when Cargill is scaling up its industrial polyol manufacturing capabilities by opening a $22 million plant in Chicago. Expected to be fully operational in November, the new production facility is the first world-scale biobased polyols plant.

Derived from natural vegetable oils such as soybean oil, BiOH polyols help flexible polyurethane manufacturers reduce their environmental footprint and market their choice to downstream customers. Manufacturers are currently applying the technology to make flexible foam for bedding, furniture and automotive uses. Customers include some of the biggest names in the industry, including Recticel and The Vita Group.

For more information, visit www.cargill.com.