OMNOVA Solutions recently announced an investment to repurpose or redirect excess styrene butadiene (SB) latex capacity at its plant in Mogadore, Ohio, to the production of styrene acrylic and other specialty emulsion polymer chemistries. The project will reportedly allow OMNOVA to optimize its existing assets and provide significantly greater flexibility to respond to the company’s changing business mix with a range of polymers in its Mogadore facility. It is also expected to improve SB industry capacity utilization. Following the transition, OMNOVA reportedly expects to save approximately $4 million per year in lower operating costs while significantly enhancing its capabilities to serve customers.

As part of the 20-month project, the production of styrene acrylics and other latices at the company’s Akron, Ohio, site will be transitioned to upgraded, more efficient polymerization assets at the nearby Mogadore plant. The Akron plant will remain a finishing facility, dedicated to dry polymer manufacturing and packaging to serve growing customer demand around the world. Once the transition is complete, the Mogadore plant will reportedly have the most diverse range of capabilities within OMNOVA’s Performance Chemicals business.