Westlake Corporation
Westlake Corporation is an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and fabricated building products, which are fundamental to various consumer and industrial markets.[2] The company was founded by Ting Tsung Chao in 1986.[3] it is the largest producer of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in the US and ranks among the Forbes Global 2000.[4][5] Westlake Chemical operates in two segments: Olefins and Vinyls, and is also an integrated producer of vinyls, with substantial downstream integration into polyvinyl chloride (PVC) building products.[6]
Formerly | Westlake Chemical Corporation |
---|---|
Type | Public company |
Industry | |
Founded | 1986 |
Founder | Ting Tsung Chao |
Headquarters | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Key people | Albert Chao (President and CEO) |
Revenue | US$15.794 billion (2022)[1] |
3,050,000,000 United States dollar (2022) | |
US$2.247 billion (2022) | |
Total assets | US$20.550 billion (2022) |
Total equity | US$10.465 billion (2022) |
Number of employees | 15,920 (December 31, 2022) |
Website | westlake.com |
Facilities
In 2014, Westlake made a significant expansion in their ethylene production facilities in Sulphur, Louisiana.[7] In 2014, Westlake acquired the German polyvinyl chloride manufacturer Vinnolit.[8]
In 2016, Westlake acquired U.S. chlor-alkali producer Axiall Corporation for US$3.8 billion.[9]
In June 2021, Westlake purchased the United States building products business of Boral for $2.2 billion[10][11]
Safety Incidents
In September 2021, an explosion at a Westlake ethylene plant in Sulphur, Louisiana injured 6 workers. In January 2022, an ethylene dichloride tank exploded at a Westlake facility in Westlake, Louisiana injuring 6 workers and triggering a Shelter-in-place order.[12]
Westlake facilities in Louisiana have had uncontrolled chemical releases including benzene, chloroform, ethylene dichloride, hydrogen chloride and vinyl chloride.[13]
References
- "Financial Statement" (PDF). Westlake. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- "Westlake Chemical". Fortune. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
- Abram, Lynwood (16 March 2008). "Chao, pioneered petrochemical ventures around the world". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- "ICIS Top 100 Chemical Companies: Westlake Chemical is the ICIS Company of the Year". ICIS. September 30, 2013.
- "The World's Biggest Public Companies". Forbes.
- Editorial, Reuters. "${Instrument_CompanyName} ${Instrument_Ric} Company Profile | Reuters.com". U.S. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
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has generic name (help) - Larino, Jennifer (23 October 2014). "Westlake Chemical to spend $330 million on ethylene plant expansion in Sulphur". Times-Picayune. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- "Merger proves the right formula for Westlake Chemical - HoustonChronicle.com". www.houstonchronicle.com. 2018-06-07. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
- "Merger proves the right formula for Westlake Chemical - HoustonChronicle.com". www.houstonchronicle.com. 2018-06-07. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
- Boral agrees to sell its North American building products business Boral June 21, 2021
- "Westlake Buys Boral's Building Products Arm for $2.2 Billion". Bloomberg News.
- Askelson, Kristin (26 January 2022). "At least six people injured in Westlake Chemical plant explosion". The Acadiana Advocate. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
- Mitchell, David (10 March 2019). "A detailed look at Westlake Chemical plant in Geismar's string of accidental leaks". The Acadiana Advocate. Retrieved 27 February 2022.