Rohm and Haas Selects Site for New China R&D Center

Rohm and Haas Company announced that it has selected the site for its new China Research and Development Center in Shanghai.
    
Located on more than eight acres in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong New Area District, the new site will anchor the company’s research and commercial presence in one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.
    
“We’re very excited about the opportunities this new research and development center will bring to Rohm and Haas and its customers,” said Raj L. Gupta, chairman and CEO of Rohm and Haas Company. “This first-class facility will consolidate many of our research, technical service and commercial employees under one roof, supporting a collaborative environment that is incredibly important not only to innovation, but to the level of service we can offer customers in China and the surrounding regions.”
    
Mr. Gupta said the company’s growth in China over the last several years has been remarkable.
     
“Rohm and Haas has had a presence in China since 1979, when we opened a small facility to support our electronic materials business in Hong Kong,” Mr. Gupta said. “Today, we have 1,000 employees and sales in excess of $300 million. The growth potential is tremendous, and our continued success in the Asia-Pacific market depends to a large extent on our ability to rapidly grow our presence in China.”     
    
The new site, expected to open in mid-2006, will initially employ approximately 300 Rohm and Haas researchers, technical service personnel, commercial and sales professionals and functional staff. The company will design and construct a five-story administration building, featuring offices, customer meeting rooms, a training and conference auditorium and a customer reception area. A four-story research building will be constructed concurrently, providing modern laboratory and technical service facilities for scientists, technical service professionals and support staff.
    
The Zhangjiang site, which is located on the eastern side of Shanghai, has the flexibility to grow with additional multipurpose buildings for R&D, technical service, customer service and commercial offices. The initial 300 employees will be relocated from other Rohm and Haas facilities throughout Shanghai, and the site is capable of employing up to 1,500 employees. Rohm and Haas will invest $30 million initially, although the total project is estimated at up to $60 million if long-term growth necessitates site expansion.