BELLE, W.Va. — Atlanta-based chemical manufacturer Arclin has announced the acquisition of the Belle Chemical Company in Kanawha County.
In a Wednesday news release announcing the purchase, Arclin said the purchase will expand their capabilities in North America and is viewed as a key step in the company’s strategy toward expanding its product presence into markets adjacent to is core chemistries and business.
Arclin make polymers and engineered products used in a variety of industrial applications. The materials are commonly used for products in the construction, agriculture, transportation infrastructure, weather and fire protection sectors.
“The addition of the Belle Chemical business, which is operated by a great team in West Virginia, is an exciting opportunity for Arclin,” said Bradley Bolduc, President & CEO of Arclin. “Arclin has a strategy to diversify our product offerings into markets that are related to our core chemical competencies. The addition of the Belle Chemical business will provide further diversification into water treatment, health care, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, oil & gas, and electronics, all areas we are excited about in the future.”
The Belle operation, located at the former Dupont plant along the Kanawha River in the community of Belle in Kanawha County employs 60 people. Bolduc called those 60 workers the most impressive part of the operation.
“One of the things that impressed us the most about that location and the business were the folks who’ve gone through a lot of change in the last several years. Like we would expect in our culture, they pulled up their boot straps and went to work. They turned things around for the business and the location. We love that probably the most out of everything we saw there,” he explained.
Bolduc added, the employees in Belle can rest assured their jobs are safe–and Arclin hoped to add more staff moving forward.
“Our goal is to grow this business and growing typically means you’re going to need more people, qualified people, good, hard working folks and we believe that’s what we got at Belle with the acquisition, so we’re excited,” he said.
“The sale of the Belle Chemical Company to Arclin was a logical next step for the business as Belle Chemical Company transitions to a growth company,” said Belle Chemical Company Plant Manager Alicha Hunt in the press release. “Belle’s customers will benefit from Arclin’s breadth of expertise in chemical manufacture and distribution and interest in rapid deployment of resources in support of the growth strategy.”
Officials said the transition is already underway and they anticipate no issues. The company began operating as Arclin Amines earlier this month. The West Virginia plans is now one of 12 Arclin facilities across the United States and Canada.