A new plant in Nantong sees starlim strengthening the partnership between Upper Austria and China

Starlim Spritzguss GmbH, the global leader in the manufacture of silicone products which is headquartered in Marchtrenk, Upper Austria, is expanding in one of the most important markets in the world with a new plant in Nantong, China. This represents a significant step for the enterprise and underlines its commitment to innovation and growth in the Asian region.

The new plant in Nantong is nearing completion and will host many of the latest production systems for the manufacture of high-grade silicone products. The production facility in Jiangsu province sees starlim strengthening its partnership with China and improving its capacity to meet the needs of its customers in the region.

“The construction of our new plant in Nantong is a significant milestone for starlim and strengthens our position as the global market leader in the manufacture of silicone products. China is a significant strategic market for us, and we can offer our customers in the region first-class products and services”, says starlim CEO Thomas Bründl.

An expanding economy in the Asian region

The decision to select the Nantong location is also a reflection of the economic relations that have existed for many years between Upper Austria and China.

“If one looks at the past, it is evident that purchasing decisions of automotive suppliers were made from Europe, meaning it was also possible to deliver to China without a regional location. Rapid development of industry in China has changed this situation in recent years. Chinese locations now have greater expertise and competency and, indeed, some of these develop their own products. Aside from this, local players have established themselves, particularly in the mobility sector. Growth in e-mobility has, on a global level, been most rapid in China and now accounts for a considerable part of the overall mobility scene in China. As local manufacturers now perceive their market to be outside China, primarily in Europe and Southeast Asia, the need for high-quality – but locally manufactured – products has increased. Other advantages of this market are reduced logistical expenses, shorter procurement times and greater flexibility. A logical consequence of all these considerations for starlim was the construction of a production location to best serve all these needs. And, last but not least, the pandemic showed us just how volatile a supply chain that depends on importing is”, explains Thomas Bründl.

“Numerous economic factors and, also, a variety of soft facts were associated with the selection of Nantong as a choice of location. starlim depends on highly qualified labour and, with a top-ranked university, Nantong was particularly attractive in this respect. In particular, the employees of the Suxitong Industrial Park are making every effort to create an environment in which industry can develop in an unbureaucratic manner. Furthermore, the close proximity to key customers and the metropolis of Shanghai was another important criterion”, relates Markus Berger, starlim CEO Asia Pacific.

Two billion silicone parts annually

The plant in Nantong is the first facility of Starlim Spritzguss GmbH, the Austrian enterprise, in the Asia-Pacific region. Around 50 key customers and numerous other trading companies from China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Tunisia and Korea will soon be supplied directly from Nantong.

An annual capacity of around two billion silicone product units will be developed within the next three years. This investment will enable us to address the extremely strong growth in the demand for high-precision injection-moulded parts made of silicone for the mobility and life science sector through local manufacture. We are proud to contribute to the strengthening of the partnership between Upper Austria and China, and looking forward to further growth and success through the new plant in Nantong”, says Thomas Bründl.

70 jobs for the new location

The city of Nantong is in Jiangsu province on the Yangtze river delta. With a population of 7.4 million, the city has several universities, and starlim has already successfully acquired highly qualified personnel at a local level for the new plant. About 70 workers will be employed by starlim in Nantong, with 40 of these working in production.

Fact box:

Construction phases 2 and 3 envisage a doubling of production, a machine capacity of up to 150 and warehouse expansion.

The starlim enterprise

starlim is the largest processor of liquid silicone in the world. As a corporate group active on a global level, starlim produces single and multi-component parts for the mobility and life science sector and industrial applications. The enterprise is a significant and secure employer which has been owner-managed since 1974. The company manufacturers around 14 billion silicone parts each year. The corporate group employees 1700 internationally in Austria, Canada, China, Italy, Morocco and Germany.