DuPont's Mobility & Materials unit, including nylon and other resins, posted sales of a little more than $5 billion in 2021, up 25 percent vs. 2020. The unit's pretax operating profit surged 87 percent to $1.1 billion. Officials said that the unit's sales volume growth reflected demand strength across the segment, driven primarily by the ongoing recovery of the global automotive market.
In November, DuPont announced plans to sell off several well-known brands and materials, including Zytel nylon, Crastin polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), Rynite high-performance nylon and filaments, Delrin acetal, Vamac and Hytrel elastomers, and Tedlar fluoropolymers. Tyvek plastic film and Styrofoam expanded PS materials are not included in the sale.
DuPont sites involved in the sale include:
- Zytel nylon sites in Richmond, Va.; Hamm, Germany; and Mechelen, Belgium.
- Tedlar fluoropolymer production in Circleville, Ohio.
- Vamac elastomer production in Orange, Texas.
- Delrin acetal production in Parkersburg, W.Va.
- DuPont Teijin film sites in Hopewell, Va.; Torrance, Calif.; and Bayport, Texas.
- Sites compounding several of these materials in Shenzhen and Zhangjiagang, China. The Zhangjiagang site opened in 2020.
DuPont also pulled off a major deal in the second half of 2021 when it bought composites firm Rogers Corp. for $5.2 billion. Rogers' value-added products, such as high-frequency circuit materials, will offer it a competitive edge, officials said at the time. Rogers has a workforce of more than 3,500 employees and operates 14 manufacturing sites. Its 2021 expected sales are approximately $950 million.
Looking to 2022, Breen said that DuPont "is advancing our position as a premier multi-industrial company and are focusing our portfolio around key growth pillars: electronics, water, protection, industrial technologies and next-generation automotive."
"We expect these steps will provide high-growth, high-value opportunities in sectors with long-term secular trends," he added.
