This month's Spotlight is SSM Engineers and Consultants.

Birdsboro, Pennsylvania

Our History | Our Products and Markets | Commitment to Safety and the Environment | Community Involvement

1112 Lincoln Road
Birdsboro, PA 19508
Phone: 610-582-1551
Fax: 610-582-0113

Our History

Arkema’s Birdsboro facility began operations in 1971 as Rilsan Industrial, Inc. The company name was derived from the trade name Rilsan® Nylon 11, after the river "Risle" which flows beside our sister plant in Serquigny, France. Throughout our history, the plant has been an important contributor to the Birdsboro and Berks County economy. Today, our plant employs 96 people and annually contributes more than $7 million to the region's economy.

As part of Arkema, the Birdsboro facility plays a key role in a business that reaches throughout the world. Arkema Inc. (formerly ATOFINA, Inc.) was a name change that occurred in October 2004.

Our Products and Markets

The Birdsboro plant produces Rilsan® Nylon 11 and 12 thermoplastic resins, which are known for their outstanding chemical/abrasion/impact and moisture resistance, dimensional stability and easy processability by a variety of markets. The automotive and trucking industry is one of the major markets for Nylon 11 and 12. They are used for fuel line tubing, fuel fittings, vapor lines, pumps and air brakes. We also produce Copolymer Pebax® resins which are used in such applications as cycling and sport shoes, watch bands, ski boots, golf balls and other recreational products.

It is noteworthy that the Birdsboro facility and its sister plant in Serquigny, France are the only producers of Nylon 11 in the world.

Commitment to Safety and the Environment

Throughout the production and distribution process, our plant keeps safety and environmental protection at the forefront. In recognition of the importance of our employees' health and safety, we have established diligent training and monitoring programs. We're proud of the fact that we have not had an employee lost time injury in four years. Several times, this plant has received the prestigious "President's Platinum Award," presented by Arkema’s president to plants which set standards in safety excellence. We are also proud that the Birdsboro plant has received multiple honors from both the American Chemistry Council and the Manufacturers Association of Berks County in recognition of its high achievement in employee health and safety. An active behavioral-based safety process, comprised of employees from all areas of the plant, is instrumental in fostering the safety culture of our plant on a daily basis.
The Birdsboro plant is an active participant in E3 (Enhancing Environmental Excellence), a corporate initiative to optimize environmental management within the manufacturing structure, minimize the impact of our operations on the surrounding environment, and pursue long-term sustainable strategies for maintaining environmental excellence. Our focus is to reduce waste, emissions, and discharges and to improve efficiency in energy usage. Arkema is also part of Responsible Care®, an industry-wide initiative among members of the American Chemistry Council. Through Responsible Care, our industry demonstrates its continuing commitment to health, safety and the environment.

Community Involvement

As a corporate citizen of Birdsboro, Arkema supports a variety of local organizations and events. Our plant contributes financially to many worthy causes, particularly those projects that benefit the youth of our community. We are very involved in the activities of our local elementary and high schools, and we strive to promote science and chemistry through participation in National Chemistry Week events, science fairs, sponsorship of educators in annual "Teachers, Industry and the Environment" (TIE) workshops, and hosting a week-long session of the Arkema "Science Teacher Program" for elementary school teachers during the summer. Local science teachers spend a week studying experiment kits with the help of a plant scientist. The program is designed to help science teachers expand and enhance their science teaching skills.

A growing number of our employees are donating their time to improve the community in which we work and live. We are especially proud of our "partnership" with a local elementary school in a project called the "Special Friends Program." In this unique program, some of our employees invest their time as mentors to individual students once a week during the school day to help meet their emotional, social and academic needs.