Contact Us 2810 Gulf States Road Beaumont, Texas 77704 Phone: 409.838.3981 Fax: 409.833.2953

Our Products and Markets

The Beaumont plant produces methyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan, and dimethyl sulfide (DMS). In addition, an acrolein/methylmercaptoproprionaldehyde (MMP) unit was placed in operation in the first Quarter of 2005.

Our products are key ingredients in the manufacture of biodegradable herbicides, pesticides and animal feed supplements. These products are also used in the production of pharmaceuticals, photographic chemicals and circuit boards. Ethyl mercaptan is primarily used as an odorizer for propane gas. The strong odor that ethyl mercaptan adds to propane makes gas leaks easy to detect, protecting homes and businesses. MMP is used in the production of methionine, an essential amino acid and a key component of poultry, swine and ruminant (cattle, sheep, etc.) feed.

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Our History

The Arkema plant in Beaumont began operations in 1975 as part of the Pennwalt Corporation, and joined the Elf Atochem team in 1989. Atofina Chemicals, Inc. was formed in mid-2000 as a result of the merger between TotalFina and Elf Aquitaine, Elf Atochem's parent company.

As part of Arkema, the Beaumont facility plays a key role in a business that reaches throughout the world.

Our Location

Our Beaumont plant in located in the heart of Texas "Golden Triangle," the cradle of America's oil and timber industry.

Although Beaumont's early "boom" years were sparked by the 1901 discovery of the world's first great oil well at Spindletop, the city's economy today is richly diversified, with shipyards, lumber, paper mills, rice mills, chemical and food processing plants and manufacturers of precision medical instruments and industrial equipment. Transportation is a key factor in the area's industrial success, with three deepwater ports, convenient rail and highway access for raw materials and products and a regional airport served by four commercial airlines.

Our Area

Beaumont is the hub of the three county Southeast Texas metropolitan area. From the seashore to the piney woods, Southeast Texas is a unique combination of southern and Cajun culture, spiced by Hispanic and Asian influences.

Our area takes pride in high quality educational institutions and hospitals, a low cost of living with reasonable housing, utilities, and food costs; abundant recreational opportunities that include hunting, fresh and saltwater fishing, golf, sailing, waterskiing, parks and picnicking, and a broad array of cultural offerings, including museums, libraries and a symphony orchestra.

Here in Beaumont, our employees are our most important resource in ensuring a safe and environmentally responsible operation. All Arkema employees go through a wide range of training, both before beginning their jobs and routinely thereafter. We educate out entire staff about their important role in plant safety, stressing responsibility for awareness, observation and action by each individual. Internally, our processes reflect the safety goals outlined by such programs as DNV’s Modern Safety Management (MSM) and OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program. Beaumont Emergency Response Team employees are extensively trained in confined space rescue, first aid, CPR and advanced fire brigade.

Beaumont participates in the Southeast Texas Alerting Network (STAN). The Southeast Texas Plant Managers had a vision of enhancing public communications and response with Hardin, Jefferson and Orange counties. Participating companies are committed to providing open and honest communications to the public, with the primary goal of placing informative messages on the STAN line within the first fifteen minutes of an emergency or high profile event.

Our plant environmental committee also helps to self-monitor our own activities. Through our spill control plan, waste minimization and emergency response plans, Arkema plays an active role in maintaining the high standard for our community. We are dedicated not only to compliance with all environmental laws and regulations, but also to continuous improvement in the areas of health, environment, and safety performance.

As a member of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), we are committed to its Responsible Care^® initiative. The Arkema E³ (Enhancing Environmental Excellence) program, instituted at Arkema facilities, is geared to the reduction of chemical residuals and waste. Since 1996, the Beaumont plant has implemented innovative waste reduction projects that resulted in nearly 90% reduction of waste.

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Community Involvement

As a corporate citizen of Beaumont, Arkema has been an integral part of community planning through the Community Action and Emergency Response (CAER) team and the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). We also support the community through the Beaumont Community Players, Symphony of Southeast Texas, American Heart Association, Texas Beach Clean Up, Labor Day Music Festival, and the City of Beaumont for the Summer Youth Program.

Arkema became a partner with Beaumont Main Street and the National Development Council to restore the popular public areas of the Hotel Beaumont. Arkema matched contributions made by the employees of the Beaumont plant for the restoration of a hallway known as “Peacock Alley”. The Hotel Beaumont’s Peacock Alley holds many fond memories for our employees and their families. The hard work our employees put into raising the funds for its restoration will help ensure that future generations can create new memories.

Arkema has been dedicated to improving educational opportunities for our youth for many years. This is illustrated by our school business partnership with Southerland Head Start. In addition, each summer we sponsor a science teacher workshop that is supported by the Arkema Foundation. Local science teachers spend a week studying experimental kits with the help of a plant employee. The program is designed to help science teachers expand and enhance their science teaching skills.

Listening to the members of our community plays a vital role in our relationship with our neighbors. Our plant sponsors a Community Advisory Panel (CAP), a group of local citizens (neighborhood leaders, stay at home moms, and environmental activists) who help Arkema maintain communications with the businesses and residents in our area. This group meets monthly and guests are always welcome.

Arkema continues to be a leader in the local Stakeholders group. This group was established to maintain an ongoing dialogue with the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood. They are representative of leadership of the political, community, economic, religious, educational, regulatory and the citizens of the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood. This effort was a voluntary undertaking to increase trust and cooperation between industry and the neighborhood.

We also participate in local Environmental Justice meetings, which are supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are held periodically in the Beaumont area. These sessions give us a chance to hear about the activities of other companies, neighborhood groups, and other interested parties.

Arkema and the Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood Association (CPNA) collaborated on a very distinctive aspect of the construction of our new Sulfox Unit. In order for the plant to be built, it was necessary to bring a significant amount of fill material “dirt” into the facility. Although alternatives such as the use of barges were considered, it soon became apparent that the most practical solution was the use of trucks. However, the additional trucks that would be necessary to move this volume of material would increase traffic through the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood.

The CPNA proposed a novel solution to Arkema : Hire us as your contractor, and let us manage the movement of trucks through the neighborhood.

The CPNA agreed to provide the following services, for an agreed-upon fee:

• Flaggers and supervision to direct trucks through the Charlton Pollard neighborhood.
• Quarterly newsletters describing the progress of the project and any issues that arise from it.
• Neighborhood home visits to answer any questions or complaints that may come up.
• A 24-hour information service hotline.
• Assistance as needed, with background checks on Arkema job applicants.

In addition to the contract fee, Arkema also agreed to provide decals with the CPNA logo for all trucks passing through the neighborhood that provide a visual reminder of the partnership between Arkema and the CPNA.

The result? More than 9,000 trucks moved through the Charlton Pollard neighborhood without incident, the CPNA logo has received enhanced prominence, and both Arkema and the CPNA have learned more about each other’s concerns.

We are proud to be a part of the Beaumont community and of the worldwide Arkema family. Arkema is dedicated to the safe manufacture of the highest quality products and of the continuing protection of the environment. We welcome the opportunity to introduce you to our Beaumont facility.

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Press Coverage

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