Arkema's Genay site
The Arkema platform in Genay is made up of a production unit and an R&D center. These two entities work together to optimize the manufacturing of rheological additives, used in water-based formulations, in particular for paint, paper, and detergents.
The platform in Genay was created in 1971. Twenty years later, it was fully integrated into the Swiss group OMYA, which is still one of our privileged customers to this day. In 1996, the site acquired a new dispersing agent manufacturing workshop.
The site in Genay became a full Arkema subsidiary in October 2007, five years before increasing its thickening agent production capacity through debottlenecking. The 12 hectares of the platform are located in Genay, north of Lyon, in the dynamic Rhône-Alpes region.
Coatex Genay includes:
-
A production unit
-
Coatex headquarters
The Genay production unit
With a total workforce of between 230 and 250 people, the platform in Genay exports 70 to 100 kt of finished products, 90% of which are for international markets.
The plant’s core business is the production of rheological additives for formulations in the aqueous phase. The Group is also one of the world’s flagships for such products. Its creations are used in various products: suspension of minerals in water for Rheosperse™, modification of rheology and water retention for coating colors thanks to Rheocoat™ and Rheocarb™, in the composition of dispersing agents in paper for Topsperse™, and as additives for aqueous paints for Rheotech™, Coapur™, Ecodis™, and Coadis™.
Other products are used in building materials, industrial specialties, water treatment, ceramics, and detergents.
Always at the forefront in terms of safety and the environment, the Genay site is certified ISO 9001, 45001, 50001 and ISSC+.
The Genay site seen from the sky
The Genay site seen from the sky
The Genay site
A showroom for our customers and visitors
As part of our efforts to showcase our industrial expertise and strengthen our ties with our partners, we have created a showroom at our Genay site. This space has been designed to offer our customers and visitors an immersive experience in our world, through a hands-on presentation of the products we manufacture locally.
The showroom is much more than just an exhibition space: it is a place for sharing, discovery, and discussion. It reflects our commitment to innovation, quality, and performance, while highlighting the skills of our teams and the technologies we have mastered.
Discover Arkema products
Part of the showroom is dedicated to showcasing Arkema Group products. You will find a representative selection of our innovative solutions in the fields of specialty chemicals and advanced materials. These products illustrate our ability to meet today's industrial challenges, particularly in terms of sustainability, performance, and safety.
Community Involvement
As part of the Common Ground® program, the site in Genay conducts awareness-raising actions for elected officials, residents, and school groups.
Included activities:
-
Discovery of the factory and laboratories by polymer science students from Lyon 1 University, final-year students from Notre Dame de Bellegarde high school in Neuville-sur-Saône, and students from the Plateau Nord Val de Saône local employment agency.
-
Site visits and analyses by chemical engineering students from the CPE Lyon engineering school.
-
Visits to neighboring companies in the industrial zone via Alynovals.
-
Site visits by teachers during the Teachers in Business program in partnership with the CGénial foundation.
-
Presentation of careers at the Mondial des Métiers (Lyon)
-
Participation in the purchase of a minibus for transporting senior citizens in the municipality of Genay.
-
Sponsorship of the women's teams of the C.S.R. football club.
Genay site in key figures (2024)
|
Number of employees |
243 |
|---|---|
| Industrial safety | 0 accident |
|
Certifications |
ISO 9001: Quality management |
Under the provisions of decree No. 2019–15 of January 8, 2019, aimed, in particular, at eliminating the differences in compensation between men and women, the Arkema site of Genay, with more than 230 employees, achieved a result of 88 out of 100 for the reference year 2024.