Colquímica Adhesives, with headquarters in Portugal and one of the world’s largest players in the development and commercialization of hot melt adhesives for industrial applications, opened in March its new facilities and subsidiary, Colquímica Adhesives Inc., in Charlotte, NC, U.S. A US $12 million plant was under construction since the beginning of 2020 and is the company’s first U.S. manufacturing facility.

This new plant has 100,000 square-foot and is the Portuguese company’s first important production facility in the U.S. The new unit is producing adhesives for products for the personal hygiene, packaging, and product assembly industries, and is expected to represent a 20% increase in the company’s production capacity, totaling 12 thousand tons per year (30.000 pounds/year).

Seven years after opening the first production unit outside the country in Poznan, Poland, Colquímica Adhesives reinforces its globalization strategy by expanding industrial operations to the American continent. The company incorporates in its production unit in Charlotte the latest technology available and a high degree of automation in all stages of production. Three months after the official opening, Colquímica Adhesives Inc. counts with 30 employees. The qualifications vary, but due to Colquímica’s business nature, they are centered around engineering, business, economics, logistics, marketing, and human resources.

“This new manufacturing facility reaffirms our commitment toward investing in the U.S. economy, as well as its dedication toward U.S. consumers,” says Pedro Gonçalves, CEO of Colquímica Adhesives Inc. “The first three months have surpassed our expectations and we are very optimistic about the coming semester. Charlotte is an outstanding and strategic location for us. Being situated in a central point on the East coast, allows a close service to Colquímicas’ customers, with good proximity to all the main industrial states and major cities. It is very well served in terms of logistic infrastructure, road communications, and sea harbors. What’s more, given Charlotte’s industrial core and expertise, we expect to create more and more workplaces through hiring and training local talent, providing a positive impact on Charlotte’s job market.”

The chosen location allows the company to effectively serve not only North America but also Canadian, Mexican, and Latin American markets.

The outcome of the first trimester has shown a significant impact on the company’s capacity to serve customers both in the U.S. and Canada, but also in the Latin American markets, namely Mexico. Colquímica aims to strengthen its presence in this continent, and has been conducting several commercial actions both in North and South America.

According to João Pedro Koehler, CEO of Colquímica Adhesives Group, “This is a decisive step in affirming Colquímica Adhesives as a global and multicultural brand. The opening of a branch in the U.S. reflects the sustained growth traced by the company in recent years, as a result of the intense network of our employees with customers and partners.”

Colquímica Adhesives had a turnover of $126 million in 2020, currently counts with more than 300 employees. With 93% of revenues from exports, the company is present in more than 65 countries and has a capacity of 143 million pounds of industrial adhesives per year, being one of the most important players on the global market.