UCAR Emulsion Systems (UES), a global business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, has announced the successful start-up of its next-generation latex facility at St. Charles Operations (Hahnville, Louisiana, USA).

The St. Charles Operations latex facility will replace existing latex manufacturing sites in Tucker, Georgia, and Garland, Texas, which are scheduled for closure by Union Carbide Corporation later this year.

Every aspect of the new latex facility's operation, including the process, environmental controls, quality and worker safety, sets a new level of standards for latex plants worldwide. In addition, investments are currently underway at other UES production facilities to increase their long-term manufacturing capacity and capabilities. The new investment in St. Charles Operations is expected to add 30 permanent jobs.

The UCAR Emulsion Systems business manufactures and markets emulsions for architectural and industrial coatings as well as for textiles.