SNF Polychemie water treatment products are sold to customers around the world
June 30, 2015
SNF Polychemie, the world's leading manufacturer of water-soluble polymers, makes water treatment products at its Hancock County plant that are shipped to users around the world and close to home.
"You will find our potable water treatment products in municipalities like New Orleans, Houston and most major cities," said Jim Bishop, the plant manager. "We also ship to Russia, China, Japan, throughout North and South America, Central America, Australia, Europe and Asia."
SNF Polychemie bought Pearl River Polymers 15 years ago and moved the company from Pearl River County to a 14-acre site in Port Bienville Industrial Park.
The plant operates continuously and is one of the company's sites that make water treatment products. "We are capable of producing 174 metric tons per day," Bishop said. Current employment is 55.
The plant produces a clear liquid product, a little thicker than water, which allows solid particles to coagulate in water so they can be easily removed.
SNF Polychemie is owned by French entrepreneur Rene Pich, who started out 25 years ago working with two friends in his garage in France. Today SNF is a multibillion dollar global company that continues to grow based on world demand for clean water.
The U.S. company is headquartered near Savannah, Ga., and has 5,000 employees worldwide, including 1,500 in North America. It has 10 locations in the United States and eight more around the world. Polychemie makes 1,100 products used in everyday life by 300,000 end-users. They are sold to 30,000 customers in several markets, including oil and gas, oil sands, municipal, resale and distribution, agriculture and mining.
"We are one of the world's largest suppliers of water treatment products used in mining, cosmetics, food and beverage, the medical industry and the oil industry including fracking," Bishop said. "We are a green company, with no harmful environmental impacts."
Bishop said the Hancock County plant has grown 25 percent a year in the last four years he has headed the operation. Polychemie has the ability to ship by rail or truck and has deep water access through the Port of New Orleans for worldwide shipments.
"Most all of our raw materials are supplied either by rail, truck or come into the Port of New Orleans and we ship products by rail or truck as well," Bishop said.