Calgon Carbon: 2014 Industry of the Year looks to the future at Port Bienville Industrial Park
August 1, 2014
The Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission will award its 2014 Industry of the Year award to Calgon Carbon at the Hancock County Salute to Business and Industry Gala next month. The Calgon Carbon Pearl River facility in Port Bienville Industrial Park is approaching its 23rd year of operation. The 100acre plant began operation in early 1992 and now produces more than 45 million pounds of granular and powdered activated carbon annually. Calgon Carbon invested approximately $16 million in 2012 to upgrade the coal processing and high temperature activation equipment to achieve increased capacity. In 2012 James Lewis returned to Calgon Carbon as the Plant Manager for its Pearl River facility. With seven previous years at the plant, Lewis was happy to return. "I've always had an affinity for Calgon Carbon, and particularly this site. To be part of the significant expansion in 2012 was rewarding, and it will have a positive impact for the company for years to come."
The Pearl River Plant has 43 fulltime employees and is structured around selfdirected work teams. The four production teams, comprised of six production technicians and one laboratory technician, work 12hour rotating shifts; the remaining employees, including maintenance technicians, work Monday through Friday on day shift. Production technicians rotate through all six production jobs and, over time, become expert in all aspects of the production process. The plant supports local United Way and American Cancer Society organizations. Calgon Carbon, based in Pittsburgh, is the world's largest manufacturer of granular activated carbon products made from coal. The Pearl River Plant is the second largest plant in the company and operates the single largest production line. Bituminous coal is trucked to the Port Bienville plant where it is processed into activated carbon used to purify air, water, liquid and gases. It is then shipped to customers in the United States and around the world. Demand for the products has risen due to new environmental standards established worldwide. "Calgon Carbon is a company with a worldwide reach, as its products are widely used in industrial processes around the globe," said Port and Harbor Commission Executive Director Ashley Edwards. "We are very proud to have a company of thi s caliber in Hancock County given their reputation for excellence in their industry. We look forward to continuing to work with Calgon Carbon to find opportunities to grow their presence in our county." Calgon Carbon created granular activated carbon in the 1940s and today remains a leading innovator in creating purification products and processes.