Columbian Chemicals sets up Asian headquarters

MARIETTA, Ga. (Jan. 16)—Columbian Chemicals Co. is establishing an Asian headquarters at its Seoul, South Korea, office as part of a plan to boost the carbon black producer´s presence in the region. The move comes less than a year after the company bought a majority share of Columbian Carbon Japan and established Columbian Chemicals Philippines Distribution Co., which were done to enhance the firm´s sales, warehousing and distribution efforts in Asia, according to Dietmar Voss, senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing. The firm also will upgrade its laboratory at Columbian Chemical Korea´s Yosu plant; create a new technical service unit to better serve Asia´s growing demand for rubber and specialty carbon blacks; and close its office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which it opened in 1997, because, with its Asian operations headquartered in Seoul, it serves very little purpose.