LG Chem, South Korea’s leading chemicals company, announced on Thursday the official opening of its new Customer Solution Center in Ravenna, Ohio, as part of its strategy to expand its presence in North America.

The 8,300-square-meter, three-story facility is designed to provide comprehensive technical support to customers across the region, including product development, quality enhancement and productivity enhancement for LG Chem’s customers and suppliers.

The center, which began construction in September 2021 with an investment of approximately 70 billion won ($52 million), is equipped with mass-production extrusion and injection machinery. The company said it will work closely with LG Chem's acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) compound plant, which began full-scale operation in Ohio in May.

The North American market, representing 10 percent of global ABS demand, is a key growth area for LG Chem. The region has a preference for local suppliers alongside an increasing demand for high-value ABS materials known for their exceptional heat and weather resistance.

Ohio’s strategic location and excellent logistics make it an ideal hub for the company to enhance customer responsiveness and its presence in North America, according to LG Chem.

“We believe our customers are at the core of our business,” LG Chem CEO Shin Hak-Cheol said at the grand opening, where key executives including Noh Kug-Lae, Head of Petrochemicals at LG Chem, and Frank Seman, Mayor of Ravenna attended.

“We are committed to improving, inspiring and transforming the lives of our customers in every possible way.”

With the addition of the Ohio facility, LG Chem now operates CS centers in four key regions -- South Korea, China, Europe and the United States -- working towards solidifying its global customer support network.