About Us
WACKER in North America
Whether it’s protecting buildings from the elements, a tube of toothpaste or a cell phone, airbags, diving goggles or furniture polish: people all over the world come into contact everyday with our products and achievements, often without noticing. As the North American based headquarters for Wacker Chemie AG, Wacker Chemical Corporation develops solutions and technologies and manufactures products for applications both here in the Americas and around the globe.
The WACKER Group’s U.S. activities began in 1965, when the Munich-based chemical company established Wacker Chemicals Corporation in New York. This move provided WACKER with direct access to North American markets. In the U.S., WACKER now operates six production sites, five sales offices and has twenty-one distributors, thus ensuring close proximity to its customers. North and South America is one of WACKER’s most important forward-looking markets, accounting for around 18 percent of global Group sales €4.6 billion (2016, without Siltronic).
The Group’s WACKER SILICONES, WACKER POLYSILICON, WACKER POLYMERS and WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS business divisions are represented in the United States by Wacker Chemical Corporation in Adrian, Michigan.
The Numbers Behind the Success Story
3.5 %
annual increase in chemical production in the Americas
4000
tankers of VAE dispersions each year
200
specialists trained at the WACKER INSTITUTE since 2012
50000
test results in a database for release coatings
2017 – New Lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Another success factor is the internationalization of our R&D work. Our three-step model consists of technical competence centers, WACKER ACADEMY and international research centers. Our new lab in Ann Arbor (Michigan, USA) is the latest addition to our global silicones research network. In mid-2017, we will begin developing innovative products there for markets in North, Central and South America, including applications and solutions for the healthcare, medical, electronic, life sciences and coatings industries. Covering 1,000 square meters and featuring its own analytical facilities, the huge lab complex is located close to the University of Michigan – one of the most reputable in the USA. The blend of science, numerous start-ups and well-established companies offers just the right climate for developing new applications and products. The goal is clear: WACKER wants to continue to grow in the world’s second-biggest chemical market.