With the goal of making locally produced nylon 6 fiber more widely available to Asian mills, Invista announced it will purchase Honeywell's Asia Pacific bulked continuous filament (BCF) fiber business. The deal includes the purchase of Honeywell's Shanghai plant, which produces white dyeable and solution dyed nylon 6 BCF, and processing equipment to make heathered, twisted and heat-set yarns. The purchase is expected to be finalized in early 2007. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Invista, makers of Antron and Stainmaster carpet fiber, said the sale will help "expand the comprehensive portfolio of branded, differentiated and unbranded nylon BCF offerings to customers in this region for the commercial, residential, transportation and rug segments."

"Adding nylon 6 BCF to our product line in Asia Pacific gives us a broader offering for our customers so they have options to select the right product for their end-use applications," said Dilip Kumar, vp of Invista Interiors Asia Pacific.

Invista operates 12 manufacturing plants throughout Asia. According to the company, the purchase of the Shanghai plant is in keeping with efforts to expand in the region.

"Our commitment to growth is clear," said Invista president Alan Wolk. "We will continue to focus tremendous energy on finding even more opportunities to meet the growing needs in China, elsewhere in the Asia Pacific region and around the world."