ELGIN, IL - DSM Desotech Inc. announced the construction of a manufacturing facility in China to produce UV-cure materials for the fiber-optic cable market. The manufacturing operation, DSM Desotech Specialty Chemicals (Shanghai) Ltd., is scheduled to begin operation late this year, the company said.

The plant will be the fourth manufacturing facility for DSM Desotech, which also operates production sites in Stanley, NC; Hoek van Holland, The Netherlands; and Tsukuba, Japan. The Tsukuba site is part of Japan Fine Coatings Co. Ltd., a joint venture of DSM and JSR.

DSM said the expansion in China is a response to growth in the country's fiber-optic and cable market. The company in 1999 opened its first local sales office in Shanghai, then opened a technical service center and distribution center in 2003.