On 7 June 2012, after just 560 days, Symrise brought its expanded menthol capacities into operation, thereby doubling the production volume of this highly coveted raw material. Also there was partner, Lanxess, who delivers the preliminary product and has also invested extensively.
Menthol is literally in every mouth, it cools the skin and offers a range of other desirable characteristics. Demand is increasing both in industrialised nations and emerging markets. Therefore Symrise invested e16 million in its headquarters in Holzminden in order to double its menthol capacities. In addition, Symrise is investing in the facility in Bushy Park in the United States in order to process greater volume flows around the world. The new plant was set up without interrupting operations – a particular challenge both technically and logistically. But Symrise mastered this with just 560 days of construction time. Dr Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, CEO of Symrise AG, spoke about the importance of this investment: “We are delighted to launch our new menthol capacities today after a construction time of just a little over 18 months. With this step, we are extending our leading position in this strategically important segment and investing in a key growth segment. The demand for menthol is experiencing double-digit percentage growth – primarily in the emerging markets. Their economic strength will have a significant effect on the global markets in the future.”
