Cargill, Teijin form joint venture for NatureWorks

Cargill and Teijin Limited of Japan have formed a joint venture in NatureWorks LLC, maker of NatureWorks biopolymer, derived from 100 percent renewable resources. On October 1, the two companies entered into an agreement in which Teijin will acquire 50 percent ownership of NatureWorks, effective upon regulatory approvals. The move comes as NatureWorks expands to the nameplate capacity of its US polylactic acid (PLA) plant – the world’s first and largest commercial scale biopolymer manufacturing facility. Cargill and Teijin, a global polymer producer, plan to accelerate NatureWorks’ global sales growth and facilitate product expansion in the
broad plastics and fibers markets served by NatureWorks.

‘Teijin's downstream application knowledge in fibers, films and plastic compounds will be of immeasurable value as we grow production at our Blair, Nebraska facility and consider additional expansion in the fast−growing global marketplace,’ said Cargill vice chairman Guillaume Bastiaens. ‘NatureWorks will greatly benefit from Teijin’s expertise in technology and end−use application development. Teaming up with Teijin will allow more brand owners, retailers and converters to address their global interest in sustainable solutions using NatureWorks biopolymer.’