INDUSTRY
Investment - Chemoxy ’ s cosmetics ingredients plant is described as “ a stunning construction ”.
WORDS : SARAH WALKER
Multi-millionpound cosmetics investment from Frenchowned Seqens is a Teesside success story
WE ’ RE MADE UP !
A
state-of-the-art cosmetics ingredients plant in Billingham marks the dawn of a new era for Seqens – previously Chemoxy - on Teesside .
More than £ 10m has been invested in the new plant - an impressive addition to Teesside ’ s industrial skyline , with its stainless steel reactors , vast pipelines , large distillation column and storage tanks .
The plant will produce chemicals known as diols , which are already made by Seqens on Teesside and are widely used as emollients and preservative boosters by multinational players in the personal care industry . 1,2- Hexanediol , 2-Ethylhexylglycerin and Caprylyl Glycol can be found on the ingredients list of a wide range of everyday products such as creams , lotions , cosmetics , shampoos and conditioners .
Diols also go into that must-have product we have all become more than familiar with in the past year – hand sanitiser !
Alastair Lloyd , commercial director at Seqens custom specialties , said : “ We have already provided hand sanitiser to the NHS and this expansion helps continue the fight against Covid , with the wider Seqens group making other critical materials including paracetamol and Isopropanol
“ When the business was sold to French owners , one of the first things they did was approve this expansion , so their belief in the people of Teesside is pretty evident .
“ The new plant is a stunning construction and it ’ s a credit to the team that ’ s been working on it and those who put the business case together .”
The facility , which represents the single largest investment Seqens has made on its UK sites , will allow the company to
more than double its production of key ingredients for the cosmetics market .
The firm has already seen a significant increase in anticipated sales in the last year as it establishes its reputation in the cosmetics ingredients market with materials of the highest quality and service levels .
Seqens CEO Helen Webster said : “ Our plans for the future of the business anticipate continued growth in a number of market sectors , so we see this expansion as only part of the journey , rather than the final destination .”
She added the building of the new plant was contracted out to various local companies , employing skilled tradespeople on Teesside . It is also set to create 15 new jobs including opportunities for three apprentices plus further work in the supply chain to distribute the products globally . “ We have a very strong culture of taking on apprentices and a lot of our people in senior plant positions have come through apprenticeships , so that ’ s a really important part of the business to us ,” Helen explained .
“ I would also like to personally thank all our team involved in the build and , of course , other key stakeholders including the Tees Valley Combined Authority , mayor Ben Houchen and Middlesbrough Council for their continued support .”
Andrea Stephens , commercial manager for cosmetics ingredients , says that while the beauty industry is much like fashion with trends that come and go , the market for sustainable , green , paraben-free products is “ here for the long term ”.
She said : “ A lot of studies have found traditional preservatives such as parabens to have some toxicity and these are now widely restricted in the cosmetic market .
Belief - Seqens commercial director Alastair Lloyd .
“ However , personal care formulations still need to be protected from bacteria , mould and yeast and diols offer some antimicrobial efficacy . We can therefore see continued and significant growth ahead for our products , which is why we have built a plant on the scale that we have .”
Alastair says the new plant is coming online for commissioning now and he hopes that by June , it will be in commercial production .
He said : “ It is great to be part of a firm investing in the chemical industry in the UK .
“ The industry has seen too many closures in the UK , so the fact that we have actually put steel in the ground and we are growing is great to see and the whole team is proud to be a part of that growth .”
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