US-headquartered Porex Corporation unveiled its new Customer and Commercial Center and expanded manufacturing plant today in Hicom Industrial Estate, Shah Alam, Malaysia.
As the leading global innovator of engineering solutions for the filtering, venting, wicking, diffusing, absorbing and applying of gases and liquids across a wide spectrum of applications, this event serves as a hallmark in POREX’s continued expansion in the Asia Pacific region.
The event opened with the launch of POREX’s new corporate video, highlighting the company’s unmatched capabilities and expertise in providing porous polymer solutions to markets including medical and life sciences, electronics, cosmetics, writing instruments and waste water treatment.
“POREX is always thrilled to be able to work with customers to unearth inventive solutions based on our core values of innovation and expertise. This expansion enables POREX to work closely and collaboratively with customers in Asia Pacific, helping them to overcome product development challenges to create exciting and novel products,” said Jon Peacock, CEO of POREX and president of Life Sciences, Filtration Group.
With the expanded manufacturing facility, POREX will be doubling its footprint in Malaysia. The new Customer and Commercial Center will focus on providing commercial, business development, marketing and product development engineering services to Asian customers, particularly in China, Japan and Korea.
The 40 percent increase in operational floor space will enable POREX to scale up production of its unique fiber lines to better serve customers locally and globally, in addition to its already established sintered particles lines. POREX anticipates expanding staff to respond to new design trends more quickly and thoroughly.
“We have seen huge growth and successes from the Asia sales team over the last few years,” said Nils Gustavsson, senior vice president and general manager of POREX, who spoke at the event. “This expansion and creation of a customer center further strengthens our significant investment to support our customers and grow POREX’s business in Asia,” he added.
When asked about POREX’s star markets in Asia, Bill Foughty, senior vice president global operations, said: “We are currently focused on areas such as venting technologies for electronics, porous nibs for writing instruments and cosmetics applicators, and filtration solutions for biomedical and water treatment applications. However, given Asia’s diverse and vibrant markets, we are constantly on the lookout for new applications that would benefit from our expertise.”
POREX Malaysia’s existing capability in sintering porous plastics will be complemented with the newly added capability in fiber technologies that cover the full breadth of solutions to serve existing and future customers.
The product development team will be able to help Asian customers design and invent new products that combine unmatched porous and fiber expertise and technologies. POREX’s newly added capabilities in fiber technology will support a wider spectrum of solutions to customers in filtering, venting, diffusing and media support.
Foughty noted at the event that the opening of the new Customer and Commercial Center and expanded manufacturing plant signifies continued investments in Asia from POREX and its parent company, Filtration Group.
“Together with our other facility based in Ningbo, China, we look forward to better serve customers in the region as POREX grows and expands its market reach in the region. The next stage is to look into global manufacturing capabilities where products can be manufactured in Asia to serve our global customers worldwide based on functional needs.”