The Obernburg plant was founded in 1924 by Vereinigte Glanzstoff-Fabriken AG as production plant for textile viscose. Within a short period of time, the site grew into one of this corporate group's most important plants. Production of the technical viscose fiber Cordenka® was launched in 1938; this material was and still is one of the vital reinforcement materials for high-speed tires.
Since the 1950s, the site had been intensively expanding capacities and installing new production lines for synthetic yarns such as polyamides and polyester as base material for safety belts, airbags, awnings, sails, ropes and nets, earthwork and drainage systems as well as other chemical and medical products and by the turn of the millennium had grown into the largest group plant. It is today still Europe's most diversified and most important chemical fiber production site.
The significance of the Obernburg site for the entire group is underlined by the corporation's own research institute installed here after 1945 and today staffed with approximately 300 scientists and researchers as well as the main consulting engineers office.
After the name of the parent group had been changed several times - from Glanzstoff, ENKA to Akzo, Akzo Nobel and Acordis - the production plants gained independence in 2002 and the site was gradually converted into the Industrie Center Obernburg as we know it today.
Established plant structures were dissolved in 2002, and all technical, analytical and administrative functions as well as infrastructural installations at the site such as power generation and distribution, fire brigade and site security were pooled in the operating company Mainsite GmbH Co.KG, aka Mainsite.
As owner of the 176-hectare terrain, Mainsite is engaged in consistent and future-oriented development of the site and provides customized industry services to businesses based here as well as customers outside the ICO.