Clariant Corporation has announced plans for a $50 million expansion at its Mount Holly plant to produce a special additive which will provide Tide With Bleach detergent with whitening and disinfecting properties. The expansion, which includes building and equipment, is one of the largest in Gaston County history.

"When you look at the current economic climate, I feel fortunate Gaston County got it," said Donny Hicks, executive director of the Gaston County Economic Development Commission. "A lot of companies are not making expansions at this time."

A $58 million expansion at Parkdale Mills in 1995 and $30 million one at Firestone Fibers & Textile Co. in 1992 are among the county's largest plant expansions, Hicks said.

James Covill, Clariant’s director of the Functional Chemicals, said that during the peak time of the1980s, more than half of what the Mount Holly plant produced went to the textile industry. "Today, it’s less than 10 percent," Covill said. He added that the project would double the output of finished product coming out of the complex, located on a 43-acre site.

According to Covill, 40 people have already been hired for the new project, which means 200 employees total. The new site includes a chemical processing structure, loading and unloading areas for both rail and trucks, storage tanks and silos, and containment dikes and wastewater treatment facilities.

"Our water treatment is self-contained, so Mount Holly gets all our water back," Covill said, "and even though we’re doubling production, it will create only a 4 percent increase in air emissions."

The Gaston County site was chosen instead of locations in five states, Europe and Mexico. "The key ingredients were timing … logistics and cost … skill sets … and what infrastructure was available," Covill said. "We found the Mount Holly plant met all these needs. We were able to achieve very rapid development, both from the engineering and technical side, but also with the local agencies to get permits and code approvals and so forth."

Chuck Elliott, chairman of the Gaston EDC, credited a number of key players. "It’s not just one person," Elliott said. "It’s the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Charlotte Regional Partnership, the county, the various cities, the utility company, the railroads, the private developers we worked with, to function as a team. And the permitting, that is a big thing. … When you can get over these hurdles, it makes life a lot easier, a lot smoother."

"People put their priorities on it," Covill said. "Because of the fast track we’re on, this project should be completed in 18 months."

Mount Holly City Manager David Kraus said the expansion "pretty much guarantees that one of our strong corporate citizens is going to stay and become more vibrant. It just really solidifies that end of town. With all the closings of other plants and mills, it’s nice to have someone who’s actually expanding. And it’s a product line that’s not going to go anywhere."

Other chemicals produced at the Mount Holly plant include additives for personal care products ranging from hair conditioners to skin cleansers. The plant also makes aircraft wing de-icers; preservatives used in disinfectants for personal care and industrial applications; textile chemicals; and oilfield products.

Based in Switzerland, Clariant's U.S. headquarters is in Charlotte. With worldwide sales of $6.3 billion, Clariant's goal is to broaden its North American market to become No. 1 in the specialty chemicals market.

This article was based on news stories in the Gaston Gazette, The Charlotte Observer and other sources.