BioLab celebrated the rebuild of its new trichlor production facility in Westlake, Louisiana, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 2.
The company, which is a subsidiary of KIK Consumer Products, was forced to close its original facility after it was damaged during Hurricane Laura in 2020. The reconstruction cost the company more than $250 million.
“We are delighted to reopen our BioLab facility in time to support the 2023 pool season and to meet our promise to the Lake Charles community to rebuild,” says Michael Sload, KIK Consumer Products CEO. “Our thanks go to our valued stakeholders who have made this milestone possible; from our dedicated employees and trusted retail partners to the entire community at large.”
The new facility has a staff of nearly 80 employees and improved production flexibility, enabling the lab to meet the high demand for pool cleaning products. Additionally, the new facility was built with enhanced safety features, which include an elevated control room, ride-out shelter, improved subcultural ratings and fire detection, as well as a new extinguishing system.
“Our BioLab employees are excited to get back to work and honored to celebrate this moment together with all our stakeholders,” says Don Brunette, plant manager, “We are pleased to be welcoming our team back to our newly rebuilt facility, which is one of the most advanced trichlor production facilities in the world.”
BioLab has been a part of the area’s community for nearly 40 years, with its first facility having been built in 1979, however the loss of the facility had national implications as well, as it was estimated that the Louisiana plant produced 70% of North America’s chlorine products treatments.
