Teijin commits to carbon fiber in the U.S.

Japan’s Teijin has purchased 440 acres of land in Greenwood, S.C., where it plans to invest $600 million in facilities to produce carbon fiber. Teijin already operates carbon fiber plants in the U.S. in Rockwood, Tenn., through its subsidiary Toho Tenax. With the acquisition, the company joins other Japanese carbon fiber makers that have boosted their U.S. presence recently. Toray Industries announced in November 2015 that it would spend almost $500 million on new facilities in Spartanburg, S.C. Toray is a major supplier of carbon fiber materials to Boeing. In June 2014, Mitsubishi Rayon, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, announced it would double the capacity of its carbon fiber plant in Sacramento, Calif. At the time, Mitsubishi noted rising demand for compressed gas tanks made from carbon fiber.