Georgia Gulf Corporation confirmed November 21 that its Lake Charles, Ga., vinyl chloride monomers (VCM) plant was damaged by a fire on November 10. There were no injuries as a result of the incident.
Georgia Gulf is currently assessing the damages resulting from the incident, as well as analyzing its root cause. The company noted that it will be several weeks before the investigation can be completed and an accurate damage estimate can be established.
The capacity of the VCM plant is approximately 900 million pounds per year. Georgia Gulf also produces VCM at its Plaquemine facility, as well as in a joint venture plant with PPG located in Lake Charles. Both of the other production facilities were not impacted by this incident.
“We have the VCM we need to handle demand in this slower seasonal period,” said Ed Schmitt, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Given what we know today, we expect the Lake Charles plant to be fully operational in advance of the seasonal increase in demand next year.”
Georgia Gulf Corporation is a leading, integrated North American manufacturer of two chemical lines, chlorovinyls and aromatics, and manufactures vinyl-based building and home improvement products. The company’s vinyl-based building and home improvement products, marketed under Royal Group brands, include window and door profiles, mouldings, siding, pipe and pipe fittings, deck, fence and rail and outdoor storage buildings. Georgia Gulf, headquartered in Atlanta, has manufacturing facilities located throughout North America to provide industry-leading service to customers.
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