Toray Sets Food Wrap Plants In France

Toray Industries will spend $94 million to build two new plants in France that will make biaxially oriented polypropylene metallized films to be used as food wraps. Scheduled to open in April 2010 at Toray's production base in Rhône-Alpes, the operation will consist of a 20,000-metric-ton-per-year film facility and a 22,000-metric-ton metallizing unit. Toray, headquartered in Tokyo, says it enjoys a 60% market share for such high-barrier films in North America, where they are prized for their ability to keep out oxygen and moisture. Demand in Europe, which Toray currently supplies from the U.S., is growing 10% annually, the firm says.