DAK Americas LLC is one of the largest integrated producers of PET resins in the world and the main producer of polyester staple fibers in the Americas announced its plans to add 230 million pounds of polyester staple fiber (PSF) capacity to meet the growing demand in the Americas. The new fiber capacity will be installed at Dak’s PET resin site in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

The expansion work is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016. Polyester fibers made at the new site will be used in textiles and nonwoven applications, including some in the automotive market. The new fiber facility at the Pearl River Site geographically will strengthen DAK's ability to supply fibres across the Americas with a second U.S. fiber manufacturing location and places DAK in a good position to service the growing Mexico fiber market, officials with Charlotte, N.C.-based DAK said in an Aug. 28 news release.

Production will focus on lower denier (< 3.0 denier) fibers, but will have the capability to produce fiber products from 0.9 to 9.0 denier.

President and CEO Jorge Young in the release said that DAK’s ability to utilize considerable infrastructure currently in place at its Pearl River site provides them with a unique opportunity to grow their fiber capacity and meet consumer demand with a very competitive investment.

Some market watchers expected the new capacity to be built in Charleston, S.C., where DAK recently added almost 30 million pounds of fiber capacity. The selection of Bay St. Louis for the expansion came as a bit of a surprise for them.

DAK operates almost 1 billion pounds of annual PET resin capacity in Bay St. Louis. The firm acquired the site from Wellman Inc. in 2011. The new capacity expansion create 86 new full time positions including operations, maintenance, technical and management roles on-site.

DAK Americas, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is wholly owned by Alpek, S.A.B. de C.V. of Monterrey, Mexico. DAK Americas is comprised of five business units: Polyethylene Terephthalate Resins (PET), Polyesters Staple Fibers (PSF), Monomers/ ingredients (TPA/PTA), Specialty Polymers and Green Polyester. DAK is one of the largest integrated producers of PET resins in the world and the main producer of polyester staple fibers in the Americas. DAK is focused on the future with numerous Sustainability initiatives across its businesses