ExxonMobil completes major investment at Newport plant, Wales

• Specialty thermoplastics help reduce vehicle and consumer product weight, leading to improved fuel efficiency and higher performance
• Expansion increases global manufacturing capacity of Santoprene™ by 25 percent
• Two new production lines add 35 full-time jobs at Newport plant

NEWPORT, WALES, UK – ExxonMobil has completed a major expansion of its specialty elastomers manufacturing plant in Newport, Wales, which doubles the plant’s manufacturing capacity and increases global manufacturing capacity of Santoprene™ thermoplastic elastomers by 25 percent.

“ExxonMobil’s high-performance plastics help make automotive and consumer products lighter, resulting in improved fuel efficiency and higher performance, compared with products made with traditional materials,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company.

Santoprene™ thermoplastic elastomers are engineered to perform like vulcanized rubber, and can be re-used and re-engineered, leading to reduced shipping weights, improved recycling capabilities and more-sustainable manufacturing.

The project created approximately 35 full-time production jobs and supported 130 jobs during construction.

“ExxonMobil has invested substantially to develop our production capacity in Newport,” said Tom Van Nuland, AES plant manager. “We are delighted to have both lines on-stream and performing as planned. The decision to invest in the Newport plant, and the quality of the output from the new production lines reflect well on the excellence of our workforce from this part of Wales.”

Welsh Government Economy and Transport Minister Ken Skates said: “It is pleasing to see ExxonMobil’s investment at its Newport plant creating 35 new jobs and providing a welcome boost to the Welsh economy. Investment like this not only supports the industry, but also provides a vote of confidence to manufacturing in South Wales. As we prepare to leave the European Union it is more important than ever that industry looks to innovate, invest and increase productivity wherever possible.”

The investment was carefully planned to enable production on site to continue safely as normal throughout the construction phase. Safety is our top priority and the project was completed with a total of more than one million hours worked without a single ‘worse than first aid’ incident.

In recognition of the expansion project’s exemplary safety record, the Newport site has raised around £17,000 for four charities: the Sparkle children’s charity, the Lily Foundation, Oliver’s Journey and the Greenfields School.

ExxonMobil also manufactures Santoprene™ in Pensacola, Florida.

Notes to Editors:

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy providers and chemical manufacturers, develops and applies next-generation technologies to help safely and responsibly meet the world’s growing needs for energy and high-quality chemical products. For more information, visit www.exxonmobil.com or our UK site www.exxonmobil.co.uk.

The terms, “we,” “our,” "ExxonMobil Chemical," or "ExxonMobil" are used for convenience, and may include any one or more of ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, or any affiliates they directly or indirectly steward. The ExxonMobil Logo, the Interlocking X Device, ExxonMobil, and Santoprene are trademarks of ExxonMobil.