4th March 2026, Hull
As part of our Customer Intimacy Journey, John Simpson, ECIA Managing Director, was pleased to spend time at INEOS Acetyls in Hull on the east coast of the UK. The site is Europe’s largest producer of acetic acid, acetic anhydride and ethyl acetate, and home to the business’s global technology development and support team. With more than a century of manufacturing history, the operation sits within the 370‑acre px Saltend Chemicals Park — a cluster of chemical and renewable energy businesses. Its proximity to the Humber port complex, one of Europe’s busiest, enables efficient distribution across the region and abroad.
The INEOS Acetyls site has been a NAECI Category 2 Repair and Maintenance Site since 1998. With around 280 INEOS employees and 100 term contractors on site each day, rising to around 450 during TAR events, this is a significant industrial hub.
John met with Bilfinger representatives to discuss on‑site challenges and best practices for addressing skills shortages and improving productivity that can be scaled across similar sites.
John adds: “In my discussions with INEOS representatives, I heard first‑hand about the barriers to productivity they face and the strategies they are developing to ensure their operations remain sustainable, future‑ready and impactful for the local community. Their commitment to maintaining an excellent health and safety record was clear. I was also pleased to hear that NAECI continues to be a trusted framework of choice for everyone involved on site, with a shared focus on strengthening long‑term industrial relations.”