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This month's Spotlight Company is ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc.

Birdsboro, Pennsylvania
History | Products and Markets | Safety and Environment | Community Involvement

ATOFINA's Birdsboro facility began operations in 1971 as Rilsan Industrial, Inc. The company name was derived from the trade name Rilsan® Nylon 11, after the river "Risle" which flows beside our sister plant in Serquigny, France. Throughout our history, the plant has been an important contributor to the Birdsboro and Berks County economy. Today, our plant employs 94 people and annually contributes more than $7 million to the region's economy.
As part of ATOFINA, the Birdsboro facility plays a key role in a business that reaches throughout the world. ATOFINA Chemicals, Inc. (formerly Elf Atochem North America, Inc.) was formed in mid-2000 as a result of the merger between TotalFina and Elf Aquitaine, Elf Atochem's parent company.

Our Location
 
Our plant is located in the fertile valleys of Berks County, about 50 miles northwest of metropolitan Philadelphia and little more than an hour from the Philadelphia International Airport. Berks County boasts a thriving and diverse manufacturing sector, whose members are drawn to the area by its solid economic base and easy access to transportation. In addition to its proximity to Philadelphia, Berks County's market area places it 97 miles north of Baltimore and 125 miles southwest of New York City. Overnight truck routes give Berks County access to 50% of the U.S. population. The availability of skilled, productive labor at reasonable wage rates has always been an added attraction of Berks County, whose labor force is noted for its strong work ethic.

Our Area
 
Birdsboro, the place we call home, was founded in 1740 and is rich in early American history. Our address on Lincoln Road stems from the location of the "Lincoln Homestead," just walking distance from the plant, which was built in 1733 by Mordecai Lincoln, great-great-grandfather of Abraham Lincoln.


Our area also lays claim to the legendary Daniel Boone. The great American frontiersman was born to Quaker immigrants on a large parcel of land that is still known today as the "Daniel Boone Homestead." Now comprising 579 acres, including seven 18th century structures, the boyhood home of Daniel Boone is a state-owned historic site which also serves as a wildlife refuge.
Our area is also home to the Hopewell Furnace, one of the finest examples of a rural American 19th century iron plantation, founded in 1771 by ironmaster Mark Bird. The Hopewell Furnace was designated a National Historic Site in 1938.
The Birdsboro plant is situated in Exeter Township, one of the easternmost sections of Berks County. This rapidly growing community with a current population of nearly 20,000 boasts excellent schools and easy access to Philadelphia's business district.

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The Birdsboro plant produces Rilsan® Nylon 11 and 12 thermoplastic resins, which are known for their outstanding chemical/abrasion/impact and moisture resistance, dimensional stability and easy processability by a variety of markets. The automotive and trucking industry is one of the major markets for Nylon 11 and 12. They are used for fuel line tubing, fuel fittings, vapor lines, pumps and air brakes. We also produce Copolymer Pebax® resins which are used in such applications as cycling and sport shoes, watch bands, ski boots, golf balls and other recreational products.

It is noteworthy that the Birdsboro facility and its sister plant in Serquigny, France are the only producers of Nylon 11 in the world.

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Throughout the production and distribution process, our plant keeps safety and environmental protection at the forefront. In recognition of the importance of our employees' health and safety, we have established diligent training and monitoring programs. We're proud of the fact that, in early 1998, our plant completed two years without an OSHA recordable injury, the first such accomplishment in the plant's history. Several times, this plant has received the prestigious "President's Platinum Award," presented by ATOFINA's president to plants which set standards in safety excellence. We are also proud that the Birdsboro plant has received multiple honors from both the American Chemistry Council and the Manufacturers Association of Berks County in recognition of its high achievement in employee health and safety. An active Safety Awareness Team, comprised of employees from all areas of the plant, is instrumental in fostering the safety culture of our plant on a daily basis.

The Birdsboro plant participates in the ATOFINA Waste and Release Elimination (AWARE) Program, with an active employee team that identifies opportunities for eliminating waste in production. ATOFINA is also part of Responsible Care®, an industry-wide initiative among members of the American Chemistry Council. Through Responsible Care, our industry demonstrates its continuing commitment to health, safety and the environment.

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As a corporate citizen of Birdsboro, ATOFINA supports a variety of local organizations and events. Through its active Community Relations Team, our plant contributes financially to many worthy causes, particularly those projects which benefit the youth of our community. We are very involved in the activities of our local elementary and high schools, and we strive to promote science and chemistry through participation in National Chemistry Week events, science fairs, sponsorship of educators in annual "Teachers, Industry and the Environment" (TIE) workshops, and hosting a week-long session of the ATOFINA "Science Teacher Program" for elementary school teachers during the summer. Local science teachers spend a week studying experiment kits with the help of a plant scientist. The program is designed to help science teachers expand and enhance their science teaching skills.

A growing number of our employees are donating their time to improve the community in which we work and live. We are especially proud of our "partnership" with a local elementary school in a project called the "Special Friends Program." In this unique program, some of our employees invest their time as mentors to individual students once a week during the school day to help meet their emotional, social and academic needs.

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