“With the plant fully operational we can now produce our range of structural adhesives and gelcoats in the US - allowing us to significantly increase capacity globally and locally,” said Kevin Matthews, Scott Bader’s CEO. “Shorter lead times for our North American customers is good news, especially with the impact of global supply chain issues being experienced worldwide.”
Scott Bader has been ramping up activities in North America since 2022 - first acquiring the industrial unit on North Carolina’s Southpoint Business Park and then injecting a further £1.5 million into Scott Bader ATC, Canada. This enabled the facility to start production of its Crestabond structural adhesives for North American customers, for the first time, while transformation of the new Mocksville facility got underway.
The Crestabond range allows for a primer-less application, meaning it can be used for almost any method of assembly with minimal preparation. It is suitable for the bonding of composites, metals and thermoplastics.
Through wider supply chain collaboration, Scott Bader is also advancing the ‘lightweighting’ of composite and adhesive materials to enable customers to drive energy efficiency and lower carbon transportation. The company’s most recent collaboration led to a specialty product being developed for the bonding of battery trays in electric vehicles (EVs), for example.
Alongside production commencing in North Carolina, the company intends to invest £30 million in its flagship UK manufacturing site over the next 5 years and it has created a £2 million laboratory facility in France, which will open in the first quarter of 2024.
Scott Bader is an employee-owned global manufacturer of advanced composites, structural adhesives and functional polymers. Established in 1921, the company now employs 800 people across seven manufacturing sites and 18 offices worldwide.