Invista, a global manufacturer for chemical ingredients, has opened a $13 million Texas Technology Center in Katy.

The details

The Kansas-founded company produces chemical intermediates, fiber and resin, which are used to make everyday products such as automotive parts, airbags, medical equipment, food packaging, carpet and clothing, according to its website. It was first announced to come to the Houston area in August.

The nearly 40,000-square-foot facility in Katy will employ more than 50 staff members who include engineers and data scientists, according to a Feb. 11 news release on the grand opening. The hub is meant to advance the business' programs with analytical and experimental research projects.

Diving in deeper


The Katy facility will specifically support the production and innovation of its nylon and propylene brands, per the release.

Invista's nylon resins are used in industries such as oil and gas, automotive and consumer electronics, while polypropylene resins help create plastics used for medical applications and food packaging, per its website.

What they're saying

Jerry Grunewald, vice president of research and development, said in a statement he was excited to join the Katy community, especially with the "highly-skilled talent pool" in the city and surrounding areas.
Invista CEO Brook Vickery (center) toured the new Texas Technology Center during its unveiling in mid-February. (Courtesy Invista)
Invista CEO Brook Vickery (center) toured the new Texas Technology Center during its unveiling in mid-February. (Courtesy Invista)
“Katy is an ideal place for our new technology center because it is centrally located amongst our four Texas facilities at Orange, Victoria, Longview and Houston," Grunewald said. "And then the facility itself was perfect for the [research and development] and other work we plan to do here, including on-site customer and third-party collaboration.”


Invista President and CEO Brook Vickery said in the release the Katy facility joins other global centers that foster innovative projects and partnerships.

"I just visited our Asia Innovation Center in Shanghai earlier this year, and the world-class facilities we now have on both sides of the globe have me even more excited about the discoveries and developments our teams are making that will respond to our customers’ needs and drive innovation in our industry,” Vickery said.