South Korean company Miwon invests 9 million euros in new production plant in Catalonia

South Korean chemical company Miwon inaugurated a new production plant in Manresa (Barcelona) on Monday, representing a €9 million investment. The expansion adds 1,306 m² to its existing facilities in the Bufalvent industrial estate, where the company has been operating since 2014 and currently employs around 50 people.

To support its process of setting up in Catalonia, Miwon received both assistance and a grant of €182,300 from Catalonia Trade & Investment—the Government of Catalonia’s agency for business competitiveness belonging to the Ministry for Business and Labour—through the High-Impact Business Investments program. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Director General for Industry, Oriol Alcoba, and the CEO of Catalonia Trade & Investment, Joan Romero, along with the Mayor of Manresa, Marc Aloy, and the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Barcelona, Younghyo Park.

According to the Director General of Industry, Oriol Alcoba, "The government is very pleased to see Miwon's new commitment to Catalonia with the expansion of its factory and the creation of a new R&D laboratory. This expansion reaffirms the company's commitment to Catalonia, where the group's only plant in Europe is located, and demonstrates the confidence of foreign companies in our country and that Catalonia has the necessary assets to increase its investments and boost its growth", he said.

Based in Catalonia, Miwon specializes in producing ultraviolet-cured resins, a technology that reduces atmospheric pollution and is used in adhesives and paints. The multinational has facilities that include a production plant, offices, warehouses, and now a new R&D laboratory that will serve the entire group. With this project, they are maintaining the production line they already had while at the same time increasing capacity and adding new lines, says the director, who points out that they currently have a production capacity of 9,000 tonnes per year.

Miwon develops products for the paint, adhesive, and dye industry and is working on new lines that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly. With this expansion, they will start working on a line based on the use of water instead of solvents. According to Miwon's plant manager in Manresa, Joachim Zoeller, Miwon's Bages plant has reduced its water consumption by more than 30% thanks to different management of both the production process and the plant's water treatment system, which has allowed it to grow. Most of the company's investments have been in new machinery and automation of the production process.

The expansion project, which the company has been developing over the past two years, "is a precursor to future investments we’re certain to make in Catalonia, as we still have room to grow at our current facilities", emphasized Zoeller. For the executive, "Catalonia is very well connected, with strong infrastructure and high-quality talent".

Miwon first established operations in Catalonia in 2014 with support from Catalonia Trade & Investment, starting with just two employees. Since then, the team has grown to around 50 people. According to the company’s director in Spain, Miwon intends to "continue growing at the same pace, creating between five and ten new jobs each year".

The company's site in Catalonia is Miwon’s only European production plant. Founded in 1959, Miwon Specialty Chemical generates over $400 million in annual sales and employs nearly 600 people across 13 facilities worldwide.

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