The new industrial site in Columbia (USA-Tennessee)
Jun 2021
Technological prowess and promise
One site, three skills
In the United States, Mersen has been remodeling a former industrial site since 2019 to match its industrial requirements and pursue its development in specialty markets.
Ultimately, Mersen's capabilities in Columbia will cover:
- production capacities for extruded graphite
- Insulation felt manufacturing capabilities
- Isostatic graphite manufacturing capabilities
The site was of interest to us because it was equipped not only with an extrusion press, but also with an isostatic press and several very high temperature furnaces. For us, that meant the chance to expand our isostatic graphite manufacturing capabilities in a modular fashion at a reduced cost, and to have a specialty extruded graphite manufacturing capability that we did not previously have in-house.
A center of excellence for high-growth markets
Columbia is a multi-activity center of excellence that strengthens our industrial capabilities ready for the ramp-up of several high-growth markets like solar power and electronics.
The acquisition is a technological adventure, but also a human one, since the site’s former director has been recruited . As Columbia’s living memory, he will train a new generation of specialists, because you can’t become an “extruder” overnight! Ensuring the continuity of this know-how is essential for us to produce quality materials capable of meeting today’s industrial challenges.