US specialty chemicals manufacturer Stepan said Wednesday it has completed the expansion of its surfactant plant in Brazil, and expects sales volume to ramp up in the second and third quarters of the year.

“We see excellent opportunities in the region, and feel we have significantly improved our presence,” VP and CFO James Hurlbutt said during the company’s first quarter conference call.

Stepan acquired the plant, located in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, from a subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch cosmetics, foodstuffs and domestic goods firm Unilever in 2004.

“We are the newer entrant into the market,” Hurlbutt said, “and as we push out into the market, we are picking up business in a growing market and increasing our presence.”

Overall, Stepan’s sales rose by 25% to US$423mn in Q1, due mainly to higher selling prices in response to rapid inflation in raw material prices. Earnings per share fell 11% as a result of higher raw material costs and the company’s investments in faster growing markets, such as Brazil.

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