COPPERHILL, Tenn. — Intertrade Holdings Inc. on Thursday said it has sold its Copperhill organic sulfonate plant to Pilot Chemical Corp., which will shut the plant down in four months.
“They have purchased our product line and our customer base,” Intertrade comptroller Sandy Forrister said.
She said Pilot and Intertrade have been competitors and that some products made at Copperhill will be new for Cincinnati-based Pilot.
The plant has been open since 1952 to produce sulfonated organics for use in detergents and other products in domestic and international markets.
Pilot Chemical provides the personal care, lubricant, oilfield, emulsion polymerization, textile and agriculture industries with high-quality specialty chemicals, according to company officials.
Vice President Matt Bray said Pilot’s sales are between $100 million and $200 million a year. He said the company has two production plants in Cincinnati and one in Houston, and that negotiations had been going on for months for the Copperhill site.
“The main driver for this acquisition is to add to our line,” Mr. Bray said. He declined to give the purchase.
Ms. Forrister said 40 people work at the Copperhill plant.
She said she doesn’t know how many will stay on after the sale, but Intertrade will continue to have business in the area.
The company has a chemical production and blending operation, and it sells calcine, an iron-rich byproduct of the mining industry. It also operates a water treatment plant.
Copperhill Mayor Herb Hood said the plant’s closing should not affect the city’s property tax collections.
“We hate to see anything close, and especially the loss of jobs,” Mr. Hood said.
Intertrade in the past bought and dismantled a sulfuric acid plant that operated from the early 20th century to 2000. Ms. Forrister said the company will not begin producing acid.
