Southern States Chemical’s History

Dating back to 1897, our family owned and operated company has over 120 years experience in delivering product and customer service with unmatched quality and reliability, making Southern States Chemical the premier industrial producer and supplier of sulfuric acid in the Southeast.

1897

Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer Company is founded.

1901

August 29

Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer, Augusta, Georgia, is incorporated by Frederick B. Pope.

1902

After moving the company from Augusta, GA, the Savannah Fertilizer Plant is built and eventually supplied by a chamber sulfuric acid plant, the most advanced technology in the early 20th century.

1940

October 5

Franklin Reed Dulany, A. Douglass Strobhar (President of Southern Fertilizer & Chemical Company), Richard Heard and W. Howard Read purchase Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer. Mr. Dulany is elected Chairman and President.

1965

June 29

Construction begins on the Fertilizer Granulation Plant, which consumes sulfuric acid.

1965

October 18

Sulfuric Acid Contact Plant No. 1 begins production, and the company markets sulfuric acid to the industrial sector for the first time. Previously all of the acid produced was used internally for fertilizer manufacturing.

1969

March 18

F. Reed Dulany Jr. is elected to the Board of Directors.

1969

October 9

Sulfuric Acid Contact Plant No. 2 begins production.

1970

June 30

The Chamber sulfuric acid plants are shut down and replaced by more modern contact process plants.

1982

June 11

Franklin Reed Dulany, Sr. passes away. F. Reed Dulany, Jr. becomes Chairman and President.

1987

August 11

Jack D. Lee is named President of Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer Company.

1996

March 20

Key D. Compton is named President of Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer Company.

1999

December

F. Reed Dulany, III purchases control of the company and is elected President and Chairman of Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer.

2000

January

Southern States Chemical secures an exclusive marketing agreement with Kemira (later Kerr-McGee, and then Tronox Pigments), increasing it's marketable supply to 270,000 tons a year.
Southern States Chemical is formed and begins to market and produce sulfuric acid formerly consumed and marketed by Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer. Dulany Industries is formed to act as the parent company over wholly owned subsidiaries Southern States Chemical, SeaGate Terminals, LLC and Southern States Phosphates and Fertilizer.

2000

March

Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer shuts down fertilizer production.

2001

May 18

Southern States Chemical purchases the Wilmington, NC, sulfuric acid facility from KOCH Sulfur Products. The company now produces and markets approximately 400,000 tons throughout the Southeastern United States. Southern States Chemical enters the import business in Wilmington with the assumption of the lease arrangement (on 15,000 ton tank) with Chemserv Terminals.

2001

November

The Duval tank in Savannah, GA, is rebuilt into a 16,000 ton capacity sulfuric acid import tank, and SSC receives its first vessel from Germany into Savannah in January 2002. Southern States Chemical now has production units and an import terminal in Savannah, as well as production units and an import terminal in Wilmington, NC, thus giving the company unparalleled flexibility to take care of its customers.

2001

December

Southern States Chemical completes its first acid import terminal tank. It can now receive imported sulfuric acid via vessel.

2003

November 26

Southern States Chemical receives ISO 9001:2000 Certification.

2004

March

Southern States Chemical purchases key components and designs of the Baraboo Munitions Sulfuric Acid Plant in Wisconsin, and begins plans to construct a new acid plant in Wilmington, NC.

2005

January

Southern States Chemical gains an increase in acid to market for Kerr-McGee (Formerly Kemira).

2007

October

Southern States Chemical moves key components of the Baraboo plant to Wilmington, NC. The new plant will be built approximately five miles to the West of our existing Wilmington facility, produce 525tpd, and supply excess steam to a neighboring chemical plant.

2008

February

Sulfuric acid experiences an unprecedented worldwide shortage and begins an upward pricing trend. The price of Sulfur and the price of Sulfuric acid reach extremely high levels. This condition will remain throughout the remainder of 2008 until the major worldwide recession finally impacts the market.

2008

May

Southern States Phosphate and Fertilizer purchases seven waterfront acres adjacent to its Savannah facility, thereby creating a 105-acre industrial facility with direct access to deepwater for the construction of a second berth.

2009

September 1

Southern States Chemical receives ISO Recertification.

2009-2010

December

Southern States Chemical breaks ground on the Wilbara Plant in Wilmington, NC on September 10, 2009. SSC announces the new plant operational as of December 15, 2010, at 8:44 pm. Located at 4620 Hwy 421 North in Wilmington, NC, Wilbara solidifies Southern States Chemical’s position as the premier industrial producer/supplier of Sulfuric Acid on the East Coast, producing and marketing 650,000 tons annually.

2013

A new state of the art terminal replaces the Duval tank in Savannah with combined storage exceeding 17,000 tons.

2013

June

Dulany Industries is announced as the winning bidder for the former 1600-acre deepwater Tronox site, including the operating sulfuric acid plant, in Savannah.

2017

October

Dulany Industries announces the acquisition of the former Tronox site now named Seapoint Industrial Complex in Savannah, Ga. This is a 755 acre site with 1 mile of deepwater and an operating 1000 TPD sulfuric acid plant.

2018

July

Construction of Tank #11, a third import tank, is completed, increasing combined import storage capacity to 27,000 tons.

2019

Southern States Chemical now supplies approximately 750,000 tons of sulfuric acid annually to industrial markets in the Southeast.

2019

April

After increasing its import storage capabilities, Southern States Chemical receives its first full vessel, the MTM Fairfield, and imports 20,000 tons of acid in Savannah, GA.

2020

July

Southern States Chemical announces a new sulfuric acid import terminal in Wilmington, NC. This additional import capacity will enhance supply reliability throughout the Southeast and mid-Atlantic regions of service.

2022

April

Southern States Chemical announces the acquisition of an idled sulphuric acid plant in Augusta, Ga. from Chemtrade Logistics and begins operating. The facility enhances the company's reliability of supply, offering a strategic inland production location that can continue operating in the event of weather disruptions at the company's coastal facilities.

2023

Southern States Chemical opens a new production facility in Augusta, Ga., offering a strategic inland location providing rail and truck shipments to customers in Augusta and across the Southeast region.