Contact Us

SINCE

1967

WHAT WE DO:

Based in the Sasolburg industrial hub, The Synthetic Latex Company (SLC) has over the past half century played a pivotal role in South Africa’s chemical industry.
SLC specialises in the production of latex polymers for the coatings, construction, paper & board and carpet & textile industries, as well as hand sanitisers and Pothole Fix – at all times placing a high premium on environment, health and safety.
Striving to be continuously innovative, the SLC portfolio has evolved considerably the past few years, with the business branching out into chemical distribution, integrated warehousing, industrial cleaning, toll manufacturing, bulk storage and dust suppression.
More recently, the company has tapped into the worldwide coworking phenomenon by setting up WorkZone@SLC, which offers prime coworking space to freelancers and remote workers, while another exciting initiative, The Shared Services Company (SSC), provides a diverse range of essential corporate services, including occupational healthcare, to entrepreneurs and SMEs.
innovation is the name of the game.

History

The Synthetic Latex Company was established in 1967 as a joint venture with Revertex SA, incorporating styrene butadiene latex manufacturing technology from Doverstrand, Reichold, Synthomer and Yule Catto in the UK.
The company merged with Sentrachem, which was bought by Dow Chemicals in 1997. The divestiture of Sentrachem from Dow Chemicals in 2003 resulted in a management buyout and the establishment of Karbochem Holdings, which wholly owned The Synthetic Latex Company (Pty) Ltd. and Karbochem (Pty) Ltd.
In 2017, SLC celebrated 50 years of latex manufacture and was purchased from Karbochem Holdings by management and other business associates, positioning SLC as a totally independent company.

Quality & Environment

The Synthetic Latex Company is committed to achieving and maintaining products of the highest quality.
This is accomplished via fully facilitated quality control, research & development and application testing laboratories, to ensure a high standard on product quality and consistency throughout.
Stringent automated process control technology ensures the safe manufacturing of SLC’s high quality, consistent products.
The company also places a high premium on environment, health and safety, aiming continually to manufacture low VOC products. Responsible manufacturing guarantees a sustainable future and illustrates SLC’s commitment to being accountable and environmentally friendly.
In addition, global “best practices in process safety standards” ensure a safe working environment.
SLC is ISO 9001 certified.

Research & Development

The Synthetic Latex Company embraces innovation and development.
As such, SLC continuously improves existing product ranges, and have developed various specialised emulsions with in-house technology for new and existing markets competing at the highest performance levels.
SLC applies the latest innovation and technology to its products, leveraged by industrial liaison partners. All newly developed products are tested in application laboratories.
A good example is the coating laboratory, which has developed into a fully facilitated application testing centre, equipped to test polymer emulsion properties and paint performance. This facilitates effective product development and new products that meet customer performance requirements.

Sustainability

SLC undertakes to continuously manufacture products through economically-sound processes that minimize negative environmental impacts, while also conserving energy and natural resources.
For instance, we save water through our efficient effluent and water waste system, while waste material is also put to excellent use and has led to SLC’s highly effective Pothole Fix.
The SLC Pothole Fix is manufactured from a polymer by-product, otherwise destined for landfill, which, together with waste, aggregates for the instant and easy repair of medium-sized potholes.
Besides helping to improve the condition of roads in the Vaal Triangle, all proceeds from the sale of SLC Pothole Fix is donated to charity.
Sustainable manufacturing enhances employee, community and product safety.