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Construction Begins On Japanese Plant In West Virginia

Ground has been broken on a $100 million specialty plastics plant for Kureha Corp. at DuPont's factory in Belle, West Virginia.

BELLE, W.Va. (AP) -- Ground has been broken on a $100 million specialty plastics plant at DuPont's factory in Belle.
 
Kureha Corp. expects to employ about 50 people once production starts in early 2010.
 
Company President and Chief Executive Officer Takao Iwasaki said Monday that recruiting for plant operators should begin early next year.
 
The plant will produce a high-performance polymer resin called polyglycolic acid. One of the raw materials used to manufacture it is made at the DuPont plant.
 
Kureha operates a 100-ton-a-year pilot plant in Japan. Iwasaki says the Belle plant will be a 4,000-ton plant and could become a $1 billion-a-year business.
 
Kureha is the 20th Japanese company to locate in West Virginia.
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