The Chemical Industry in North Carolina
T
HE value of the chemical industries to North Carolina has frequently been overlooked, and yet they have been for 35 years one of the five leading indus tries in the State. The chemical industry in the South is in a large measure dependent on natural re sources, such as cotton and forest prod ucts. The growth of this industry in the State is shown in Table 1. T A B L E I.
The fertilizer industry has developed in response to the demand of the southeastern market. Five of the Southern states (North Carolina, South Carolina, Ala bama, Georgia, and Florida) use more than 50 per cent of all the fertilizer consumed in the United States, and, since fertilizer is a bulk product, heavy for its value, most of the important mixing plants are located in this region, close to
GROWTH o r THE C H E M I C A L I N D U S T R Y , 1 9 0 0 - 1 9 3 3
YEAR
No. PLANT»
\ V AGE KAHNERM
WAGES
V A L U E OF PRODUCT»
1900 1910 1920 1930 1933
39 127 156 159 140
991 2309 4932 3979 2965
S 242.387 Unreported 4.040.000 2.960.520 1.401.439
$ 4.174.496 15.663.000 80.950.000 44.931.673 23.007.943
FIGURE 1, ABOVE.Co.'aSEVERAL OF THE VICK CHEMICAL LABORATORIES
AND WAREBOt'SEA AT GREENSBORO, N. C. LEFT FORBOROCND SHOWS A COMPANY CLUBHOCBE, WHICH HOUSES A CAFETERIA., SOCIAL ROOMS, LOCKERS, AND SIMILAR EQUIPMENT POR EM PLOYEES. ADJOINING I T ARE TENNIS COURTS, A BASEBALL DIAMOND, AND OTHER RECREATIONAL FACILITIES. FIGURE 2, CENTER. MILLS NO». 1 AND 4 OF THE ERWIN COTTON MILLS Co., DURHAM, N. C , SHOWING SEW ING ROOM AND BLEACOERY. FIGURE 3, LOWER. ETHYL-DOW CHEMICAL Co.'β PLANT AT WILMING TON, N. C.
78
V A L U E A D D E D BY MANUFACTURE S
696.233 4.051.000 20,949.000 12,171.761 9,978.035
the area devoted to the cultivation of staple crops. In 1934, the North Carolina fertilizer industry used from the commercial fish eries of the State appro dmately 8000 tons of fish scrap and over 400,000 gallons of acidulated fish oil, worth almost $700,000. Other states supplied almost an equal amount of fish scrap. Other products used were phosphates, cottonseed meal, lime, and sulfate of ammonia, tankage, bone meal and blood, sulfur, nitrate of soda, cyanide, castor pomace, and pyrites. The industries manufacturing cotton seed oil and meal form the second im portant division of the chemical indus try. There are at the present time ap proximately 44 cotton oil establishments in North Carolina, with the largest plants located in Charlotte, Raleigh, and Goldsboro. There were 279,000 tons of cotton seed produced in North Carolina in 1934. A good portion of this seed was processed locally and from it cottonseed oil and meal were manufactured. Thousands of tons of cottonseed meal are used annually in North Carolina as fertilizers and animal feed. The manufacture of patent and pro prietary medicines has enjoyed consider able expansion during the past two dec ades. This industry is the third ranking division of the chemical industry with lead ing production centers at Raleigh, Dur ham, and Greensboro. The Vick Chemi cal Co., one of the largest makers of aids in the prevention and treatment of the common cold, has several laboratories and warehouses at Greensboro, N. C , as shown in Figure 1. The newest laboratory at Greensboro, Figure 6, is devoted exclusively to the
FEBRUARY 20, 1937
NEWS EDITION
79
0?
•au *3^ FIGURE 4.
manufacture of medicated cough drops. This laboratory is claimed t o be the most modern of its kind ever built. I t has moisture-proof walls, treated concrete floors, double windows, steel doors, a n d a 2-inch cork-insulated roof. Two a n d a half million cough drops can be produced here every 8 hours. Other important chemical industries in North Carolina are engaged in the manufacture of tanning materials, illuminating and heating gas, and rayon.
FIGURE 5.
CHAMPION PAPER AND F I B B B CO., CANTON, N.
TABLE II. DIVISION
DIVISIONS OP THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY, WAGE NUMBER PLANT» EARNERS
Fertilisers Gas, illuminating and heating Oil cake and cottonseed Patent and proprietary medicine Tanning materials, etc. TOTAL
WHICH MAINTAINS FOUR DISTINCT TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY CONDITIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY INSIDE THE BUILDING.
VALUE OP PRODUCTS
BY
VALUE ADDED MANUFACTURE
1354 246 974 229 162
$ 534.374 287.356 322.926 161.920 94.863
S 9.197.123 2,472.617 6.162,876 4,403.824 771.503
$2.438.140 1.839.742 1.838.262 3.532.981 328.910
140
2965
$1.401.439
$23.007.943
$9,978.035
t h e cigarets; 30 per cent of t h e smoking and chewing tobacco; and 10 per cent of the small cigars. N o r t h Carolina ranks first in the number of cotton mills, in the number of cotton spindles in place, in t h e consumption of cotton, in t h e manufacture of cotton goods, and in t h e production of hosiery (quantity). Cannon Mills Co. is the largest producer
FICAL GURECo.'s6. GREENSBORO. VICK CHEMI NEWEST LABORATORY, N.GHTC.OFISTHEATTHESPECI EXTREME RICON EVAPORATOR AL AIRDITIONI N G SYSTEM
1933
WAGES
57 25 41 12 5
CANNON MILLS CO., KANNAPOLIS, N. C.
Important establishments in the chemical industries of the State appear periodically. T h e Ethyl-Dow plant a t Wilmington, which extracts bromine from the sea water, is one of t h e latest industries to be established. This plant now grovides more t h a n half of the "ethyl fluid" universally used in gasoline mixtures to improve gasoline motor operation. T h e divisions of the chemical industry in North Carolina and their relation to t h e industry a s a whole are shown in Table I I . Since N o r t h Carolina is t h e leading s t a t e in t h e production of soy beans, there is an excellent opportunity for t h e development of industries for processing this crop. T h e State is also fortunate in having the t y p e of climate and soil t h a t is conducive to t h e growth of peanuts, t h e processing of which further adds to her numerous industrial activities. North Carolina ranks first among t h e States in t h e value of manufactured tobacco, producing a b o u t 70 per cent of
C.
of household textiles in t h e world. Only two, Nos. 1 a n d 4, of t h e Cannon-owned or controlled plants which operate a total of three-quarters of a million spindles a n d 12,000 looms are located in Kannapolis. T h e remaining plants a r e scattered throughout t h e South. P l a n t N o . 1 has over 58 acres of floor space; furnishes employment on a n average to between 9000 and 10,000 people; a n d consumes about 500 bales of cotton weighing 500 pounds each o r over 250,000 pounds daily. While Cannon towels a n d Cannon sheets a r e t h e leading products m a n u factured by Cannon Mills Co., other Cannon products include bedspreads, drapery fabrics, t h e infant's line of towels, wash cloths, blankets, sheets, pillow cases, etc., a n d a complete line of women's full-fashioned silk hosiery. T h e Erwin C o t t o n Mills Co., D u r h a m , N. C , founded in 1892 by W. A. Erwin, now deceased, owns and operates six mills with two bleacheries and two d y e plants, and employs approximately 5300 people. In addition t o the mills shown in Figure 2, Xo. 6 mill is located in D u r h a m , and also manufactures wide sheetings, sheets, a n d pillow cases. Mills Xo. 2 and Xo. 5 a r e located a t Krwin, N. C , and make indigo blue denims. N o . 3 mill, at Cooleemee, X. C , manufactures o u t ing and interlining flannels, tickings, a n d coverts. T h e headquarters and t h e buying offices of the company are in D u r h a m . T h e C a n t o n Division of T h e Champion
