NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI DAILY JOURNAL
By Carlie Kollath
Thursday, November 1, 2007
CHEMICAL MAKER PLANS TO BUILD PLANT IN NETTLETON
Specialty chemical manufacturer Rite-Kem said Wednesday it will open a plant in Nettleton that has the potential to employ 150 people over the next five years.
Rite-Kem has a plant in Tupelo, but President Mark Lovil said the company is expanding its metal division and has run out of room. With the announcement, the metal division will stay in Tupelo and the chemical manufacturing facility will move to Nettleton. Rite-Kem currently employs 21.
The announcement represents a $2 million investment, Lovil said, and will grow the current volume 10 times. A specific location has not been disclosed but Nettleton Mayor Brandon Presley said the company is looking at a 50,000-square-foot building on eight acres. ...
The tentative site also is 11 minutes from its Tupelo plant.
Rite-Kem primarily contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. General Service Administration and the U.S. Defense Service Administration. The company produces about 300 products including degreasers, disinfectants and a flight deck cleaner. Lovil said most of the company’s chemicals now to go Iraq. Rite-Kem also makes nonhazardous fire ant killer for the Lee County government. The company’s products are not sold at retail locations.
Lovil said he hopes to open the plant in late spring or early summer to initially employ 20-30. He expects the employment numbers to grow by 2012.
“This is a bright, bright light for the city of Nettleton,” Presley said. “This is a good diversification for a city that’s so heavy in furniture.”
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