BioLab celebrated the rebuild of its new trichlor production facility in Westlake, Louisiana, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 2. The company, which is a subsidiary of KIK Consumer Products, was forced to close its original facility after it was damaged during Hurricane Laura in 2020. The reconstruction cost the company more than $250 million….
After several months of assessing, removing and attempting to salvage structures, and some intensive planning to optimize future operations, the BioLab team started the reconstruction of its Lake Charles, Louisiana, plant. KIK/BioLab executives and local officials, including Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, gathered on June 30 to break ground and officially kickoff this phase of…
As difficult as it was to find certain essential supplies early in the pandemic, pool pros might dare say now that it’s even harder to find pool equipment. “It’s just like toilet paper — once one person starts buying it, they start stocking up on it,” says Jon Krawczyk, owner of Superior Pools of Southwest…
Ever since Hurricane Laura damaged the plant in Louisiana last August, BioLab management knew they would have a challenge on their hands — not only with replacing the supply of trichlor the plant produced, but also with the added demand for chlorine products from consumers staying at home. “We are actively working to rebuild our…
The August fire at the BioLab plant in Westlake, Louisiana, did not cause the current chlorine shortage in the industry, but it certainly contributed to it. Since the beginning of the pandemic and subsequent shutdown, the pool industry has been grappling with shortages of all kinds, including building materials, supplies and labor. With many consumers…