Industryweek 25430 Dow In Louisiana 1 1

Dow Dedicates $2 Billion Manufacturing Investments in Louisiana

Oct. 30, 2017
Dow’s operations in Louisiana employ more than 6,000 who produce over 100 basic and specialty chemicals.

Last week Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards presided at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for $2 billion in new chemical manufacturing investments by The Dow Chemical Co.

In doing so he pointed out how important the company is to the local economy. "Dow’s operations pump more than $1 billion into the state’s economy each year through payrolls, taxes, business purchases and community contributions,” Edwards said. 

Dow’s new expansions, located in Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes, include construction of two new polyolefin plants designed to produce next-generation synthetic rubber and high-performance polyethylene, along with 1 million square feet of warehousing.

The investment also includes boosting Dow’s ethylene capacity; a new command center for the company’s hydrocarbons operations; and the restart of an existing ethylene unit in St. Charles Parish.

Launched in 1956 with the purchase of four large tracts in Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes, Dow’s operations in Louisiana now employs more than 6,000 Dow and contract employees who produce over 100 basic and specialty chemicals shipped worldwide from six Louisiana locations.

“The investments we’re celebrating today will be a tremendous part of Dow’s future, and integral to our strategy by expanding our family of high-performance polymers for flexible packaging that our customers are demanding,” said Jim Fitterling, COO of the Materials Science Division for DowDuPont. 

Dow’s operations in Louisiana produce the building blocks for plastics, soaps, detergents, cosmetics, shampoos, pharmaceuticals and other goods. Company officials tied the Louisiana expansion to historical growth in natural gas production from shale gas reserves, with major increases in U.S. natural gas supplies over the past 15 years.

In addition to securing more than 2,500 direct Dow and contractor jobs at the Plaquemine-area operations, the $2 billion in capital investment projects created over 1,200 construction jobs during the past four years.

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Five Ways Aerospace and Defense MRO Can Prepare for the New Normal!

Dec. 6, 2023
The right tools can help A&D suppliers track the essentials & ultimately, boost their margins. Advanced analytics can also help determine the profitability of contracts, drive...

How Manufacturers Can Optimize Operations with Weather Intelligence

Nov. 2, 2023
The bad news? Severe weather has emerged as one of the biggest threats to continuity and safety in manufacturing. The good news? The intelligence solutions that build weather ...

Discrete and Process Manufacturing 2024 Trends and Outlook for North America

Oct. 29, 2023
Manufacturers are reaping the benefits of automation and cloud-based solutions. Discover what is driving today's industry trends and how they can shape your growth priorities ...

See how 3M Enabled B2B Buyers with Trustworthy Self-Service Buying Experiences

Sept. 11, 2023
This one-pager explores the importance of enabling B2B buyers with self-service purchasing experiences that engender trust and provides insights into the steps businesses can ...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!