Rhodia has acquired the guar derivatives production unit belonging to Suzhou HiPro Polymers based in Zhangjiagang in Jiangsu Province, China. This Chinese unit will complement Rhodia’s existing global guar derivatives manufacturing footprint with production units located in North America (US), in Europe (France) and in Asia-Pacific (India). This acquisition will enable Rhodia to meet the fast-growing demand for guar–based products in Asia, particularly from the personal care market. In parallel news, Rhodia also is investing in its North American facility in Vernon, Texas to increase its guar derivatives production capacity and improve its competitiveness. This additional capacity will contribute to meeting increasing global customer demand, in particular in the oilfield and gas, and personal care markets. Rhodia’s guar-based range, mainly sold under the Jaguar trade name, is derived from the vegetable and renewable fibers of guar beans. Natural guar-based products are used in the personal care market to provide hair and skin conditioning benefits in shampoo and cleansing products. They are also used as antidrift agents in Rhodia’s patented agrochemical applications and as a thickener in oil and gas extraction.