Lanxess AG has announced that it is stepping up the pace in the rapidly growing Chinese chemicals market. The announcement was made by the company's Management Board Chairman Dr. Axel Heitmann at this year’s "Wirtschaftswoche" Congress entitled "China 2005 - Partner or Rival?" in Berlin.
The company's wide-ranging China offensive is having a direct influence on its human resources policy in China. At present, Lanxess employs about 590 people in China, and a further 250 are likely to be added in 2006. The number of Chinese employees is currently growing at an average of over 30% a year - with some of the recruits also destined for employment abroad. Dr. Heitmann stated, "In effect, this means that our top Chinese staff have very good future prospects with us to occupy positions anywhere in the world."
The company has just launched a management trainee programme for young Chinese people who want to study in Germany and afterwards work for Lanxess in China.
The company has also announced that in a joint venture, it will become one of the first foreign companies to produce an antioxidant for rubber in China. A new facility is being built in Tongling, Anhui Province.
With an investment of some €20 million, the company is currently building a new production plant for high-tech engineering plastics at its Wuxi site. The first part of the new expandable facilitities is due to go on stream in the spring of 2006.
Lanxess’ subsidiary Rhein Chemie, based in Mannheim, will double its production capacity for polymer-bound chemicals (Rhenogran) with a new facility at the Qingdao site.
