GreenCentre signs on another key global chemical partner

KINGSTON, ON -- GreenCentre Canada has signed on another major industrial sponsor seeking opportunities to adopt Green Chemistry innovations that benefit the environment. 

Stepan Company is a global manufacturer of chemicals used in a wide range of consumer products and industrial applications. It now officially joins GreenCentre’s unique commercialization ‘ecosystem’ for identifying, developing and commercializing promising new green technologies with the potential to transform manufacturing processes in ways that benefit the environment.

Founded in 1932, Stepan now has 14 manufacturing locations worldwide and is a leading producer of surfactants, the key ingredient for achieving the foaming and cleaning qualities of consumer and industrial products such as detergents, shampoos, lotions, toothpastes and cosmetics.  Stepan is also a leading producer of aromatic polyester polyols.  Based in Northfield, Illinois, Stepan has a network of modern production facilities located in North and South America, Europe and Asia, and has more than 1,500 employees.

“This collaboration will enable us to support a highly successful international company in its goal of providing environmentally conscientious consumers with the opportunity to select green products for their everyday household needs,” says Dr. Rui Resendes, GreenCentre’s Executive Director.  “We are very gratified that Stepan sees the value we can offer them in advancing their green agenda.”

GreenCentre Canada brings together leading Green Chemistry researchers from universities across Canada, national and international industry partners, and commercialization experts in a common goal of identifying and developing clean, less energy-intensive alternatives to traditional chemical products and manufacturing processes. GreenCentre’s collaborative commercialization approach includes everything from technology assessment, scale-up and testing to intellectual property protection, business management and financial resources.

“We look forward to participating in this collaboration as part of our company’s long history of creating sustainable and biorenewable surfactant, polyol and food products,” says Rick Tabor, Research Associate at Stepan’s corporate headquarters in Illinois. 

Formed just over one year ago, GreenCentre has been enthusiastically received by both the academic and industrial sectors. GreenCentre has already received more than 80 technology disclosures from Canadian universities and is now negotiating a number of license agreements to bring technologies into the centre for further commercialization.

With today’s announcement, Stepan becomes the eighth company to officially sign a sponsorship agreement with GreenCentre, which already has strong representation from Canadian and international companies, including Fielding Chemical Technologies Inc., Ford Motor Company, NexCycle Plastics Inc., NOVA Chemical Corp., Polycorp Ltd., Pressure Chemical Co. and Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies (VWS).

Through their relationships with GreenCentre, the companies gain one-stop preferential access to Canada’s Green Chemistry discoveries.  They are also given a direct role in assessing new technologies and in advising on the development of those technologies that are brought into the Centre for further development.

GreenCentre is scheduled to open its new state-of-the art lab and scale-up facility later this spring.

Contact:

Mary Anne Beaudette
Director, Communications
GreenCentre Canada
P: 613. 533. 6000 x 78238
E: Maryanne.beaudette@greencentrecanada.com
www.greencentrecanada.com