WILMINGTON, DE – Ashland Specialty Ingredients, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., has completed a 13,000-square-foot expansion of its Macon, GA, facility and moved its Nuosept™ biocides production line to the new space. By moving Nuosept biocide production from Leaside, Ontario, to Macon, Ashland has increased production flexibility and efficiency. The production lines are now fully operational.

“With 11 mixing vessels ranging from 75 gallons to 6,000 gallons and every size in between, we can fulfill most any size order, large or small,” said Chris Kollman, Plant Manager. There are 64 tanks on site, including 30 bulk tanks and 19 3,000-5,000-gallon day tanks, which enable Ashland to store finished product until it is shipped and to free up the mills for additional production. The plant runs three shifts covering 24 hours per day Monday through Friday, and can run Saturday if necessary.

“Biocides volume comes in surges,” added Russell Jerusik, Biocides Product Manager, Ashland Specialty Ingredients. “When we need to produce large volumes, we can use the full plant staff. Conversely, we also have the flexibility to produce very quickly with very little lead time.” That same flexibility, Jerusik said, enables Ashland to produce different blended products and volumes simultaneously and efficiently.

The plant also has a pilot-sized mini-mill to produce experimental batches. The mini-mill helps Ashland innovate and develop new biocides that can then be scaled up to production volumes. The mini-mill also enables technicians to look at variations in the manufacturing process and troubleshoot customers’ production problems.