Ascend Finalizes Plans For $175M Project In Alabama

The project will expand production capacity at the company’s Decatur, AL manufacturing facility and construct energy cogeneration units at the site.

Ascend Performance Materials has finalized plans for a $175 million project to expand production capacity at its Decatur, AL manufacturing facility and construct energy cogeneration units at the site.

Ascend Performance Materials Decatur, AL
Ascend Performance Materials’ Decatur facility is one of only four in the world that produces adiponitrile, or ADN, on a large scale. ADN is a chemical building block for a high-performance plastic that is used to produce many common products. (Image: Ascend)

The project will add 10 high-end manufacturing jobs to Houston-based Ascend’s Alabama workforce, which exceeds 400 people. The cogeneration units will reduce emissions at the facility by 60 percent.

In addition, the construction project at the Ascend facility — one of only four in the world that produces adiponitrile, or ADN, on a large scale — will generate 150 skilled jobs by its completion.

“The Decatur community is at the heart of our business,” said Phil McDivitt, Ascend’s president and CEO. “The ADN produced there is a critical building block for nylon 6,6, a high-performance plastic used in a variety of products from life-saving vehicle airbags to high-voltage electrical connectors.”

“Ascend Performance Materials’ facility has been an important part of Decatur’s business community for decades, and I’m pleased to see the company build on the partnership it has formed in Morgan County with this major investment,” said Governor Kay Ivey. “It’s always great to see a world-class manufacturer like Ascend decide to include Alabama in its growth plans.”

Ascend’s board of directors gave final approval for the project, subject to finalized agreements with the State of Alabama, the Morgan County Economic Development Association and the City of Decatur.

“Ascend’s investment will increase the sustainability of its Decatur’s manufacturing facility, allowing it to expand production and substantially reduce emissions,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “That’s welcome news for Ascend’s Decatur workforce, and this project will provide an economic boost for the entire community.”

Ascend’s growth plans underscore the Decatur area’s emergence as a manufacturing center of excellence in the Southeast, according to local officials.

“It is an exciting time for North Alabama, and Ascend’s project shows our area is well poised to support many diverse industries,” said State Sen. Arthur Orr, who serves as chairman of the Morgan County Economic Development Association. “Additionally, because of the large capital investment, this project will mean significant additional revenues for our local schools and governments.”

MasTec Power Corp. will be the prime contractor for the project and plans to begin construction in the second quarter of 2020, with completion set for late 2021.

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