Ellen Kullman, DuPont Chair and CEO, was the headline speaker at the DuPont Kinston plant’s celebration of 60years of operations in Lenoir County on Tuesday. About 110 people — including employees, retirees, community leaders and special guests — attended the celebration, which was held on the plant premises.
“This is a great day for DuPont, a great day for Kinston and a great day for this community and the state of North Carolina,” Kullman said. “Operating a manufacturing plant for 60 years is a major accomplishment.”
She expressed appreciation to the community residents and leaders, state and local elected officials who have supported the site in various ways during the six decades in Lenoir County.
“Every DuPont business is supported by one or more of DuPont’s three strategic ‘pillars’ of scientific capability: agriculture and nutrition, industrial bioscience, and advanced materials,” Kullman said. “In each of those fields, we are a world leader with results to show for it. The Kinston site plays a large role in supporting our industrial bioscience business. The work of this site enables us to offer bio-materials to the world through our DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer.
“In fact, Kinston is the only DuPont site in the world that produces Sorona polymer.”
Jim Collins, president of DuPont Industrial BioSciences, also spoke at the event
“The heart of our biomaterials business is DuPont Sorona polymer,” he said.
He told Kinston employees their contribution goes beyond manufacturing in that they have a direct impact on customers as a result of the Kinston product’s quality and reliability.
“Day in and day out, your hard work keeps production lines running smoothly and product flowing,” Collins said.
Harold Thomas has been Kinston plant manager since 2004 and at the site 44 years.
“This celebration is a tribute to DuPont innovation and the local and state leaders who have supported us over the years,” Thomas said.
He said it was the innovation of Sorona polymer that breathed new life into the plant and is allowing it to grow.
Lenoir County Economic Development Director Mark Pope said DuPont has always been an important industrial partner of the community. He said Kullman coming to the anniversary celebration reinforced the collaboration between DuPont, the state of North Carolina and Lenoir County.
“It’s very exciting to have the DuPont CEO here,” Pope said. “That makes a strong statement about the positive partnership we have.”
Sorona polymer was first commercially produced at the Kinston site on September 5, 2000. In November 2005, DuPont announced the expansion of its Sorona polymer production operations at Kinston. The Sorona capacity expansion project was initiated in April 2007.
In July 2007, DuPont began production of Sorona renewably sourced polymer at Kinston, when it introduced Bio-PDO to the polymer production process.