SYLACAUGA, Ala. – California-based Hocking International Laboratories has broken ground on an expansion at its Sylacauga plant. Completion is anticipated in October 2019.
Hocking manufactures specialty chemicals out of its headquarters location in San Marcos, CA, Pipestone, MN, and the Sylacauga facility, which opened in 2009.
Today, the Sylacauga site employs 60 people and primarily manufactures fertilizers, adjuvants, pigments, and nitrogen efficiency products. The 84,000 square foot expansion will more than double the size of the Alabama plant and will significantly increase the company’s manufacturing footprint.
The expansion strategically aligns with company growth in agricultural, turf, and ornamental markets.
“We’ve grown beyond our current capacity and building in Sylacauga was an easy choice,” said Doug Hocking, CEO. “It puts us in close proximity to key customers, growing markets, and is optimally located for logistics efficiency.”
The expansion represents an opportunity for Hocking to offer additional services and ultra-efficient manufacturing to its private-label customers. The company is installing high-capacity mixing tanks and automated fill lines in the new facility, and is expanding its R&D and quality control lab services at the current site.
The company has not released an estimate for the number of new jobs that the expansion will create. However, Hocking continues to post job openings for production, quality control, and other manufacturing-related positions at www.hockingintl.com/careers.
