Overview
Westlake Corporation is a global manufacturer and marketer of housing and infrastructure products and performance and essential materials. Its two core businesses are Housing and Infrastructure Products, which includes products such as siding, roofing, windows, PVC pipe and fittings, and Performance and Essential Materials, which makes chemicals and materials including polyethylene, PVC, chlorine and epoxy resins.[1][2][3][4]
The company operates across North America, Europe and Asia, with 64 owned or leased manufacturing facilities reported in its 2025 annual filing. Westlake describes its purpose as “Enhancing Your Life Every Day” and reports approximately 15,000 employees.[5][6][7]
Westlake reported net sales of $11.170 billion for fiscal 2025.[8] [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][5][6][7]
Products & services
Westlake’s Housing & Infrastructure Products include residential and light-commercial building products such as siding, trim and mouldings, masonry veneer, roofing, vinyl windows and outdoor-living products. Named products include Celect® Cellular Composite, TruExterior® and Cedar Renditions™ siding; Cultured Stone®, Eldorado Stone® and Versetta Stone® veneer; DaVinci® composite roofing; and Zuri® Premium Decking. The portfolio also includes installation tools and non-wood shutters and accessories.[3][9][10][11][12][13][14]
Infrastructure offerings include PVC and specialty pipe, fittings and polymer compounds. PVC pipe is available in ½–36-inch diameters and gasketed, solvent-welded or restrained-joint configurations for applications including water and sewer, plumbing, industrial drainage, electrical conduit and irrigation. Certa-Lok® and Certa-Lok CLIC® use restrained joints designed for rapid assembly; AquaMax® molecularly oriented PVC is described as using less PVC than conventional pipe while targeting higher performance. Westlake also offers a specialty high-rise drainage, waste and vent system with low-smoke and flame properties. Its custom polymer compounds are formulated to customer specifications for rigid or flexible applications and can be processed by extrusion, injection molding, blow molding or calendering.[15][16][17]
Performance & Essential Materials products include polyethylene, ethylene and co-products, PVC, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), ethylene dichloride (EDC), chlorine and caustic soda, chlorinated derivatives and epoxy resins. Reported annual production capacities include 4,820 million lb of ethylene, 6,670 million lb of chlorine, 7,510 million lb of caustic soda, 7,630 million lb of VCM, 980 million lb of specialty PVC, 5,520 million lb of commodity PVC, 1,500 million lb of LDPE and 1,070 million lb of LLDPE.[4][18] In FY2025, Housing & Infrastructure Products generated $4.148 billion, or 37.1%, of net external sales; Performance & Essential Materials generated $7.022 billion, or 62.9%. The company does not disclose revenue shares for individual branded products.[19] [3][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][4][18][19]
Geographic presence
Westlake’s operations span North America, Europe and Asia. Its Performance and Essential Materials operations include facilities in the United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, South Korea, China and Taiwan. The company’s Housing and Infrastructure Products segment reported 64 manufacturing facilities across North America, Europe and Asia at year-end 2025.[20][2]
In FY2025, net sales to external customers totaled $11.17 billion. By customer location, 71.2% came from the United States, 7.0% from Canada, 5.2% from Germany, 1.7% from Mexico, 1.5% from China, 1.4% from Brazil, 1.3% from Italy and 1.1% from France; the remaining 9.7% was reported as “Other.” [21]
Westlake’s principal executive offices are in Houston, Texas. The company reported 15,000 employees at year-end 2025, but the available information does not provide a geographic breakdown of its workforce.[22][23] [20][2][21][22][23]
Business segments
Westlake reports two segments. **Housing and Infrastructure Products (HIP)** includes residential building products such as siding, trim, mouldings, stone, roofing, windows and outdoor-living products, as well as PVC pipe, fittings and polymer compounds. Its pipe products serve water and sewer, plumbing, industrial, conduit and irrigation markets. HIP contributed approximately **37% of FY2025 consolidated net sales** ($4.148 billion of $11.170 billion).[2][15][19]
**Performance and Essential Materials (PEM)** produces and sells polyethylene, ethylene and co-products, PVC, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), ethylene dichloride (EDC), chlorine, caustic soda, chlorinated derivatives and epoxy resins. PEM contributed approximately **63% of FY2025 consolidated net sales** ($7.022 billion of $11.170 billion). These percentages are based on net sales; Westlake also evaluates segment performance using income from operations.[4][19][24] [2][15][19][4][24]
Company history
Westlake was founded in 1985 by T. T. Chao and his sons James and Albert; operations began the following year, when its first polyethylene plant started production in Lake Charles, Louisiana. [Westlake’s history](https://www.westlake.com/about/) [20th-anniversary account](https://www.westlake.com/westlake-chemical-celebrates-20th-anniversary)
The company expanded into vinyls and integrated chemical production in the early 1990s, acquiring a vinyl chloride monomer plant in Calvert City, Kentucky, in 1990, then starting an ethylene plant in Lake Charles and acquiring a Calvert City PVC plant in 1991. In 2004, Westlake became publicly traded and acquired Bristolpipe assets, extending its business into pipe products. [Westlake’s history](https://www.westlake.com/about/) [20th-anniversary account](https://www.westlake.com/westlake-chemical-celebrates-20th-anniversary) [Bristolpipe acquisition](https://www.westlake.com/westlake-chemical-corporation-closes-purchase-net-assets-bristolpipe)
Westlake broadened its reach through acquisitions, including CertainTeed’s PVC pipe, fittings and foundations business in 2013, Vinnolit in 2014, and Axiall in 2016. In 2021–22, it acquired Boral’s North American building-products businesses and Hexion’s global epoxy business; in February 2022, it changed its name from Westlake Chemical Corporation to Westlake Corporation. [CertainTeed acquisition](https://www.westlake.com/westlake-chemical-closes-purchase-certainteeds-pvc-pipe-fittings-and-foundations-business) [Vinnolit acquisition](https://www.westlake.com/news/westlake-chemical-closes-purchase-vinnolit-holdings-gmbh) [Axiall acquisition](https://www.westlake.com/westlake-chemical-completes-acquisition-axiall-corporation) [Boral acquisition](https://www.westlake.com/news/westlake-chemical-corporation-reports-third-quarter-2021-results) [Hexion acquisition](https://www.westlake.com/westlake-completes-acquisition-epoxy-business) [Name change](https://www.westlake.com/westlake-chemical-corporation-change-name-westlake-corporation)
In July 2024, Jean-Marc Gilson became President and CEO, succeeding Albert Y. Chao, who had led the company as CEO since 2004 and became Executive Chairman; James Y. Chao became Senior Chairman. [2025 annual report] [25][26][27][28][6][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]
Sources
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