Stepan to close capacity

Stepan is close its site Fieldsboro, New Jersey, site in response to continued lower demand in commodity surfactants for laundry detergents. It will also decommission “select assets” at Elwood, Illinois, and Stalybridge, UK, “to optimise network utilisation”. All this should be completed by mid-2026.

The moves are part of Project Catalyst, a newly launched operational and efficiency plan that aims to deliver about $100 million in pre-tax savings over the next two years. Stepan described this as a key part of its “commitment to optimising its global manufacturing footprint, driving shareholder returns and building a foundation for sustainable growth”.

“Project Catalyst is designed to partially offset inflationary pressures and other headwinds, while enabling us to maintain the resources and flexibility needed to deliver exceptional service and value to our customers,” stated CEO and president Luis E. Rojo (pictured).

The operations of the affected will be consolidated into the company  network. Stepan expects to incur $70-80 million in restructuring charges in 2026 from asset write-downs, decommissioning costs and other related expenses. Most of this ($52-62 million) will be taken in Q1

This all follows on from the sale of the Philippines and Lake Providence sites at the end of 2025. Stepan added that it is continuing to evaluate additional footprint optimisation initiatives to further strengthen its competitive position.