BioLab Begins Rebuilding Plant

Welcome news for the pool industry, BioLab’s Lake Charles, La. plant is currently being rebuilt almost a year after it was damaged by a terrible fire.

At a ceremony attended by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and work crews broke ground on the facility in late June.

A fire caused by Hurricane Laura rendered the plant completely inoperable in August of 2020. The BioLab factory was brought to the forefront of the national eye, as it quickly became apparent that the plant was a key source of the stabilized chlorine product trichlor. Experts quickly realized that its closure would greatly contribute to a considerable sanitizer shortage during the unprecedented COVID demand.

Officials from BioLab/KIK stated the company intends to make renovations to the site to optimize their investment.

“The $170-million investment that KIK is going to deliver on will improve and make this facility more efficient and flexible,” said KIK CFO Stephen Jackson. “It will be a state-of-the-art plant that will significantly increase our capacity.”

The plant is expected to reopen in early 2022, according to the manufacturer. “The shortage resulting from the shut-down of tour facility is impacting pool retailers and pool owners across the country and they are eagerly awaiting our plant to be operational and to fill the gap,” said BioLab President Jon Viner.

This news bodes well for the pool industry who have been beleagured with shortages this pool season and have faced rising prices from distributors. The reopening of the BioLab plant should move distribution channels towards equalizing prices on dry chlorine goods in time for the summer 2022 pool season.

Featured Image Credit: KLAX ABC News