Cabot Confirms Safety of its Employees in Japan

Cabot Corp. confirmed the safety of all its employees in Japan and said that its facilities have sustained only minimal physical damage.

“We have a strong presence in Japan,” said Patrick Prevost, Cabot’s president and chief executive officer. “We are deeply concerned for the people of the region and are committed to providing support where we can.”

Cabot’s two primary materials produced in Japan are carbon black and tantalum. Cabot operates carbon black manufacturing facilities in Chiba and Shimonoseki, a tantalum powder facility in Aizu, and business offices in Toyko and Osaka.

After securing the safety of its employees, Cabot is now focused on taking care of its customers, Prevost said.

The company’s facility in Shimonoseki continued production, while its plants in Aizu and Chiba lost power and operations were temporarily suspended during the quake. Both facilities are able to manufacture, however supply chain and infrastructure disruptions over the coming weeks are likely to impact their ability to operate in the near term.

The situation is very dynamic and transportation and infrastructure disruptions remain a concern, Prevost said. “We take pride in being a reliable supplier, especially in times of crisis. We are working closely with our customers and suppliers and will continue to do so over the coming weeks.”

ABOUT CABOT CORPORATION

Cabot Corporation, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, is a global specialty chemical and performance materials company. Cabot’s major products are carbon black, fumed silica, inkjet colorants, aerogel, capacitor materials, and cesium formate drilling fluids.

[mappress]

Source: cabot ,March 18, 2011;