Largest silicones manufacturing plant in Asia starts construction (2001.10.30)

Bangkok (30 October 2001) -- General Electric (GE), together with Shin-Etsu Chemical of Japan, yesterday (29 October) organized a groundbreaking ceremony for their Thailand silicones manufacturing plant at Asia Industrial Estate, Map Ta Phut. This ceremony was to mark the start of construction of the largest silicones manufacturing plant in Asia with Bht 10,500 million investment.

Earlier this year (7 February 2001), GE, together with Shin-Etsu Chemical, a major Japanese silicone producer, signed definitive agreements to establish in Thailand a jointly-owned facility to manufacture silane-monomers and siloxanes, the essential materials used in the production of silicone end-products, which is expected to become operational in 2003. The joint-venture company, Asia Silicones Monomer Ltd., is 50% owned by a GE-Toshiba business partnership and 50% by Shin-Etsu Chemical of Japan. The project is promoted by the Thailand Board of Investment.

Photo shows: The Board of Investment's former Secretary-General, Mr. Staporn Kavitanon; Asia Silicones Monomer's Director and President, Mr. Shigeaki Yamada; GE Silicones' Vice President and General Manager, world-wide, Mr. Bill Driscoll; and Shin-Etsu Chemical's Managing Director and General Manager of Silicone Division, Mr. Ryoei Miki.

For more information please contact: Bangkok Public Relations Ltd., Ananya Sopittakamol (ext. 110) or Hasan Basar (ext. 105) at Tel. 664 9500 Fax: 664 9515

details about a company profile