A Mississippi chemical products producer plans to invest $34 million to expand and upgrade its Tuscaloosa, Ala., facility, a project that will create seven new jobs with salaries averaging $45 per hour.
Southern Ionics first opened its Tuscaloosa plant in 1995, and today manufactures sodium bisulfite, a product used as a reducing agent, antioxidant and preservative in water treatment, chemical manufacturing and food processing.
Although headquartered in West Point, Miss., the company was started in Milton Sunbeck's Mobile, Ala., garage in 1980. 45 years later, it employs more than 350 people manufacturing and distributing chemical products throughout North America. Its facilities can be found in several states.
Sundbeck still serves as board chair and CEO of Southern Ionics.
The new investment will be used at the company's plant at 5410 Reichhold Rd. in the Holt region of Tuscaloosa to upgrade equipment, add a new product line, expand production and enhance safety and efficiency, the Tuscaloosa News reported Sept. 26.
Southern Ionics has operated at the site since 1994.
"We are pleased to make this investment and look forward to growing our business at Tuscaloosa," Joe Stevens, president and chief operating officer of Southern Ionics, said in a company news release. "Our sulfur chemicals business serves industries that improve everyday life with uses in municipal water and wastewater treatment, pulp and paper production and chemicals manufacture. The addition of sodium metabisulfite is a natural extension of our sulfur chemicals business that strengthens our product offering for applications in the food, animal feed, chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries.
He added that there is a shortage of sodium metabisulfite manufacturing capacity to adequately supply the North America market, a fact which Stevens said forces users to rely upon imported products.
A larger sulfur chemicals manufacturing facility in the Alabama city should allow Southern Ionics to ramp up its production capacity and make infrastructure improvements, in addition to meeting its sodium metabisulfite production goals, he asserted.
"We've been proud to operate in Tuscaloosa for many years, and this expansion represents our confidence that we can continue to be successful here," Stevens said. "We appreciate the partnership we've experienced in Tuscaloosa and look forward to continued growth."
Tuscaloosa County Benefits From Manufacturer's Investments
The new factory expansion is expected to begin in October 2025 and will build on the footprint of the existing plant. Company officials expect the updated facility to be in full operation by the second quarter of 2027.
"This expansion brings high-quality jobs and significant investment to our community," Steven Rumsey, chair of the Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA), said in the news release, "and highlights what makes Tuscaloosa special: our skilled workforce, supportive leadership and a community that values both business success and quality of life."
Tax abatement packages were approved during the TCEDA's September 2025 board of directors meeting. As a result, Southern Ionics will receive abatement of non-educational sales and use taxes to purchase equipment and building materials during the upcoming construction.
For up to 10 years, the company also will receive abatement of non-educational ad valorem taxes on specific real and personal property. Those abatements could reach about $1.7 million, according to TCEDA estimates.
During its first 10 years of operations, the expanded Southern Ionics plant should contribute more than $830,000 in property tax revenue from the initial investment for education, the Tuscaloosa News noted.
TCEDA believes the project's tax contributions could reach more than $3.2 million from the manufacturer and from direct employee spending during its first 20 years.
A larger sulfur chemicals manufacturing facility in Tuscaloosa should also allow Southern Ionics to ramp up its production capacity and make infrastructure improvements, in addition to meeting its sodium metabisulfite production goals.
Along with sodium bisulfite, Southern Ionics produces sodium thiosulfate and sodium sulfite solutions from facilities located in Pasadena, Texas, Williamsport, Md. and Tuscaloosa. In addition, it is a leading producer of aluminum and ammonium chemicals.
