Baton Rouge — Gov. John Bel Edwards and SNF Holding Company President John Pittman confirmed the company is investing an additional $375 million to expand its water-treatment and water-conditioning polymer production plant near Plaquemine, Louisiana.
With the investment, the company will retain 390 existing jobs while adding 150 positions with an average annual salary of $87,300, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates that upon full employment of 540 jobs, the project will support 1,400 direct and indirect jobs in Iberville Parish and the broader Capital Region.
“SNF’s Louisiana location has become a major production site for this global leader in water-soluble polymers, and I’m proud to announce the latest milestone of the company’s continued success in Iberville Parish,” Gov. Edwards said. “Recognizing Louisiana as a great state for business, and recognizing our workforce for its skill and talent, SNF is extending its commitment to our state with a major expansion and the creation of new job opportunities for our people.”
At its Plaquemine facility, SNF produces acrylamide monomer and polyacrylamide powders and emulsions. Polyacrylamides are water-soluble polymers that are commonly used to assist in removing impurities from water and in wastewater treatment applications. SNF products also are used to improve the extraction, efficiency, and overall water quality in the oil and mining markets.
With the expansion, the company will add additional polyacrylamide powder and emulsion lines, one additional acrylamide monomer production line, and new purification equipment. Additionally, the company will develop infrastructure and logistics capabilities to support the increased manufacturing capacity at the site.
“Since 2011, SNF has invested heavily in our Plaquemine, Louisiana, site and we continue to expand each year,” Pittman said. “Plaquemine is a strategic location for SNF globally and is driven by the availability of quality labor, access to key raw materials, proximity to our growing oil and gas markets, and favorable parish and state business climates. We are pleased with our choice to invest and grow with Louisiana.”
Located along the Mississippi River south of Plaquemine, SNF’s additional investment will expand production at its 1,000-acre site, which is the largest site by acreage in the SNF global portfolio. SNF announced its first investment of $350 million in Iberville Parish in June 2009, with the current polyacrylamide powders facility built in stages over the succeeding years.
SNF Holding Company is the U.S. subsidiary of SNF Floerger, based in Andrézieu, France. A global leader in polyacrylamides, SNF Floerger operates 20 state-of-the-art production facilities in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, seven of which are major plants. Two of those major plants are located in the U.S. – the facility in Plaquemine, Louisiana, and one in Riceboro, Georgia.
“SNF is an important addition to the economy in Iberville Parish and Louisiana for both job creation and capital investment,” said Iberville Parish President Mitch Ourso. “Iberville Parish congratulates SNF on their expansion project announcement and is glad they are a member of our great Iberville Parish manufacturers.”
Louisiana’s SNF facility faced competition for capital spending within the company from other company sites in Brazil, India, and China. To demonstrate Louisiana’s long-term commitment to the development of the SNF site in Iberville Parish, the State of Louisiana offered an incentive package that includes the services of LED FastStart®, ranked as the No. 1 state workforce training program in the nation for the past 10 years in a row. The package also includes a Retention and Modernization Tax Credit of up to $2.2 million, as well as a performance-based forgivable loan from the Economic Development Award Program of $1.5 million for infrastructure improvements. Additionally, SNF is expected to participate in Louisiana’s Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programs.
“The BRAC team was excited to work with our partners in Iberville Parish to support the SNF expansion and bring these 150 new jobs to the Capital Region,” said President and CEO Adam Knapp of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. “SNF announced its first Capital Region project in 2009, and we are thrilled to see them continue to reinvest and move forward with another incredible project. This new expansion illustrates an exciting manufacturing renaissance that is underway in 2019, with massive levels of new investment and job creation.”