Special Report: Introducing Evonik 1

LAFAYETTE, Ind (WLFI) - We traveled to Evonik's largest US manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama, to learn more about the company that acquired Eli Lilly's Tippecanoe Laboratories.

President Tom Bates said the Mobile chemical manufacturing site started production more than 30 years ago as Degussa. Now, after several expansions and a name change, Evonik produces 4,000 different products.

"It ranges from hydrogen peroxide, to feed additives, to a high performance foam that goes on the space shuttle," said Bates.

Evonik has 14 different production facilities on the 1,800 acre site.

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the products made here that most people would recognize. It is shipped out from the canal to Mobile Bay and on to other parts of the country.

"We were the first producer of hydrogen peroxide to be certified by the coast guard to ship by barge," said Robert Harris, Evonik's Human Resources Director. The facility has its own rail line and utilities. "We treat all effluent from the site before it's released into the canal."

On site, Evonik employees monitor the quality of the discharge. They use sea urchins, a close relative of the starfish, because they are sensitive to changes in the environment.

"They still detect toxins in concentrations lower than some of the best instruments we have at the plant site and available to the industry," said Bob Ridgeway, a Biolab Specialist.

Dugussa/Evonik was one of the first companies to perform bioassays: a technique for determining the concentration of wastewater versus the potential toxicity of a substance by measuring its effect on a living organism. It first used bioassays on the wastewater it returns to Mobile Bay.

Evonik employs around 700 people at its Mobile facility. President Tom Bates said most chemical operators make around $65,000 a year. He said the company is competitive when it comes to salaries for other positions, such as engineers, accountants, and information technology employees. The company has an annual payroll of more than $45 million. It paid $5.7 million in local and state taxes over the last three years.

Like Lilly, the Mobile site has its own emergency responders and vehicles. The company also has a nurse is on duty 24/7 at the plant's medical facility.

Evonik is a member of the FORUM. It is an organization of the major industries located in southwest Alabama. Its goal is to be a local entity that supports their members and coordinates with other groups.

Executive Director Steve Perry said the group created a local emergency response planning committee. 

"If an agency has an issue with a hazardous chemical, they know they can call someone like Evnonik or someone like our organization and members to get expertise on the site within a moment's notice," said Perry.

He said the FORUM has also helped with improved security measures since September 11, 2001.

Alabama State Senator Brooks said he lives a few miles from the plant.

"The company has not been a burden on our community," said Brooks. "Evonik has been a real crucial part of the economic scene for south Mobile county."

Evonik has a community advisory panel made up of citizens who live or work nearby. The panel had a meeting scheduled during our visit, but it was canceled because of a hurricane warning. Ida was later downgraded to a tropical storm.

Evonik's acquisition of Eli Lilly's Tippecanoe Laboratories will be complete by the end of the year.