Specialty chemicals company Evonik announced plans to close its silica production facilities in Waterford, New York, and Havre de Grace, Maryland, as part of an ongoing reorganization to enhance efficiencies. The Waterford site will cease production in mid-2025. Havre de Grace will continue to operate until mid-2026.
The company will implement a product transfer to other silica hubs to maintain availability.
Evonik's Waterford manufactures fumed silica, a thickening/reinforcement agent and anticaking additive for powders. The Havre de Grace production manufactures precipitated silica and calcium silicate for toothpaste, food and animal feed. The site also has a Research, Development & Innovation Center, laboratories and other support functions, which will remain after the production closure.
Evonik said in a press statement that employees of both locations will be offered transfer opportunities to other Evonik locations in North America and aid employees in finding other jobs. The closures will affect about 66 people.
The exact plant closure dates are not finalized.
What People Are Saying
Emmanuel Auer, global head of the Evonik Smart Effects Business Line: “Structural changes in markets and industries have caused the need for a strategic repositioning of our asset network. We need to improve competitiveness, optimize costs, reduce complexity, and thus achieve a more robust business structure. New hub concepts, the use of economies-of-scale and backward integration with partners are being considered. The planned closure of Waterford and Havre de Grace and the corresponding relocation of the production is part of this process."
Antoinette Barbour, vice president and general manager, Americas Smart Effects: "Supporting our employees and customers is our primary focus now. Waterford and Havre de Grace remain important production sites until we have successfully transferred manufacturing and customers to other plants.”
