History
Location Key for Timeline Below:
Chesterfield Plant
Frankford Plant
Hopewell Plant
Pottsville Plant
Hopewell & Frankford Plant
PRE-1950s
The foundational years of AdvanSix established a deep commitment to innovation that pioneered the synthetic Nitrogen fertilizer industry and created a culture of step-change growth and operational stability that are still at the core of who we are today. Plants were constructed to meet customer needs for key products and reliable supply, and focused product development continued to race forward.
The H.W. Jayne Company started operations as one of the earliest American producers of coal chemicals. Jayne Company was absorbed by Barrett Manufacturing Company in 1896.
Constructed first synthetic Sulfonation Phenol Plant. The Barrett Manufacturing Company incorporated into Allied Chemical Corporation.
Hopewell site purchased by Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation.
Start-up of the second commercial Ammonia Plant in entire Western Hemisphere in Hopewell (expanded in 1932). Start-up of the Powerhouse (still in use), catalyst building, main lab, pier, River Water Pump House (still in use) and low-pressure nitric acid production.
Started sodium nitrate production at Hopewell. Put second synthetic Sulfonation Phenol Plant at Frankford into operation.
Expansion of high-pressure nitric acid production, Ammonia Plant and Pebbled Ammonium Nitrate Plant.
1950s
This era saw growing customer demand, thanks in part to new production processes such as caprolactam via rashig technology, ammonium sulfate production, and synthetic phenol via a new cumene process. It was a period of constant construction and expansion, specifically at the Chesterfield nylon production facility.
Initiated production of synthetic phenol by new cumene process.
Built Allied Chemical and Dye Hopewell Caprolactam Plant.
Built Chesterfield Plant; began producing nylon with individual batch reactors.
Allied Chemical and Dye becomes Allied Chemical Corporation.
1960s
Ongoing innovation to meet an ever-growing global market led to a decade of expanding capabilities, such as the fiber and polymers lab in Colonial Heights, Virginia. New plants were put into operation while others increased their capacity to meet escalating demand in nylon markets for tire cord and carpet fibers.
Put second synthetic Cumene-Phenol Plant into operation.
Pottsville Operations commence with nylon extrusion capabilities.
Initiated third synthetic Cumene-Phenol Plant operation.
Kellogg Ammonia Plant replaces original (1929) ammonia plant. The Hopewell Ammonia Plant was fourth Kellogg plant built in the United States, and is oldest plant of its type still operating in the U.S.
Chesterfield Plant expands capabilities to add nylon produced at site for tire cord and carpet fiber. Compounding operations start to produce plastic from waste generated by fiber manufacturing.
1970s – 1990s
As the company developed exciting new products like Anso-Nylo, Aegis® MBM for carpet fibers and Capran® films – and introduced more efficient process technologies --customers were also finding more uses for these products. This led to an era of significant growth not only in production capabilities, but also in the portfolio of product offerings for films and packaging.
Chesterfield converts batch reactors to continuous trains.
Hopewell installs first ammonium sulfate draft tube baffle crystallizer.
Installed Area 7 Caprolactam and the first caprolactam flaker (FL-1).
Process developed for improving quality of carpet fiber; introduced Anso-Nylon product.
Introduction of Pottsville MD Orientation (MDX) and the Capran® Films, blown nylon extrusion, N-8 and Oxyshield® product lines.
Frankford expansions take plant to high rate/yield phenol, including high-purity phenol. Chesterfield installs A Train vacuum technology.
Company expands into the Chesterfield Plant Films and Packaging business, as well as engineered plastics for use in automotive and other industries.
Chesterfield D Train expansion followed by implementation of automated process controls technology.
Sunoco Chemicals purchases Frankford Plant.
2000 – CURRENT
Today, we maintain our original commitment to innovation, growth and stability, expanding in all areas of the business, such as launching Sulf-N® mid-grade fertilizer, Aegis® resins for wire and cable applications, and EZ-Blox™ anti-skinning agent for paints and coatings. We have a clear focus on meeting the needs of an established yet dynamic global market and emerging countries. The business has invested in an applications lab in Shanghai, a Center of Excellence in Colonial Heights and new pilot lines for accelerated product development. In 2016, the company became AdvanSix, a fully integrated manufacturer of nylon 6 resins, chemical intermediates and ammonium sulfate fertilizers. The company serves a variety of customers in more than 40 countries.
AlliedSignal becomes Honeywell International.
Ammonium Sulfate Area redesign and simplification of screening system with mid-grade product capability.
By 2007, realized Chesterfield D, A and D0 train melt filtration and carpet fiber conversion.
Cyclohexanone distillation column installed and started up.
Frankford Plant purchased by Honeywell Inc.
Hydroxylamine installation of first Selective Catalytic Reduction NOx abatement on B Train.
Chesterfield E Train Copolymer Expansion. Today, plant is the largest producer of merchant nylon 6 resin in the United States.