Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Our Facility
Red-Line’s specialty is custom chemical toll blending. The
customer provides the formula, raw materials, and packaging and we mix and
package the finished product.
To better serve our clients’ urgent orders, we have 24
hour production capacity in our facility. We are capable of producing 487,000
lbs per day via our 17 blending vessels.
Our lab is available for making pilot batches and
testing samples before production begins.
At the end of the line, packaging and labeling can
be taken care of in-house in a range of ways to meet the customer’s desires:
tank wagons, tote tanks, drums, pails, etc.
We also have the capacity for roll-through of industry
tank trucks for loading the finished product. Our plant is located
at 2121
Burkett Dr, Rock Hill, SC, a convenient Southeast location less than 20
minutes from Charlotte, NC. We have easy access to the interstate routes
I-77 and I-85. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is just minutes
away, while access to the South Atlantic Deep Water Port (Charleston, SC) is
within 3 hours.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
A History of Family Operation
Red-Line was founded by Jim Oxendine in 1986. Jim was the
eldest of 14 children, raised on a farm in Lumberton, NC. Despite dropping out
of school to tend the farm, at age 19 Jim decided that he wanted to do more
than farm work. He spent many years in the chemical business, filling roles
from pump engineer for an oil company to plant manager for several different
plants.
The Oxendines, 1965
|
With a vast knowledge of technical expertise related to
chemical manufacturing, at age 50 he had a plan to open a toll blending plant
of his own. With a little more than a few stainless steel "bathtub sized
vessels" and a lot of know-how, he was able to use his previous contacts
to find clients for his new chemical manufacturing company.
In the early years, Jim shared an office and a secretary
with Line Chemicals. To help the
secretary handle calls for both businesses, Jim’s phone was red, prompting the
company’s name – Red-Line. The name is now synonymous with the Native American
logo symbolizing the family’s heritage.
Jim Oxendine
|
Jim passed away in 2009, but his family has kept the
business going strong in his memory.
Celebrating Red-Line's 25th anniversary in 2011
|
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Inspections and Safety
We continually prepare for a number of inspections and
external audits. These are welcomed as it only reemphasizes our need to remain
safety-vigilant.
Our district fire inspector conducts quarterly review of our
facility with walk-through inspections. Sprinklers and back-flow devices are
flow-tested once a year; fire alarms are inspected by an outside certified
company quarterly. Respirators are also fit tested and receive an annual
inspection.
All chemical companies must have readily available Material
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Even with our MSDS located on a shared drive, paper
copies are kept updated on the production line for quick access for the kettle
operators. Our vessels, with emphasis on the weld seams, are inspected for
corrosion on a regular basis.
Outside vessel, number 11
|
Drills for emergency evacuation, forklift training, and
hazardous material handling all are completed periodically to remain compliant.
Not only do we follow government regulations, but we also follow voluntary
“good practice” measures with detailed and documented processes for responsibly
managing the logistics associated with the chemical industry.
Forklift equipped with fire extinguisher |
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Compliance and Safety
There are many complexities associated with the compliance
and safety realm. It is increasingly necessary that we routinely review
environmental and workplace safety while adhering to OSHA and SARA reporting
requirements. Our warehouse is specifically designed for safety. In addition
to the obvious eyewash and safety
showers, spill kits, identified noise and hazardous areas, it must also be
designed to ensure waste streams are contained in case of an accident.
Eyewash station in the laboratory |
Different classes of chemicals are segregated so that oxidizers
and corrosives are stored away from flammables. We convey the tenets of
Operational Risk Management (ORM) as an identified regular practice in our
operations. These continual cyclical assessments of risk, controls, and
mitigation serve to strengthen our Safety Program.
Label on bottle of lubricant, shows hazards
|
Monday, October 8, 2012
Our Operations
A chemical manufacturing facility can comprise a spectrum of
services. At Red-Line, we operate in various capacities to service the
chemical industry.
Totes |
At one end of the spectrum, we blend products from customer- provided formulas to predetermined specifications. This necessitates precise calibrated measurement tools to ensure exact standards are met.
Custom formulated chemicals |
At the other end of the spectrum, we provide logistics services that
include direct shipment of tank wagon, totes, containers, and drums of finished
products. When orders are received and processed, shipments are
coordinated with freight carriers ensuring DOT regulations are met for safe
transport of goods. Our factory-pack processes receive bulk chemical shipments
that are repackaged into new containers and labeled. Each step is handled
with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Worker with PPE |
Responding to our customer’s desires, needs, and requests help
us to promote and enforce compliance while optimizing operational processes.
Advocating a strong stance toward safety and compliance helps protect our reputation, minimize our liability, and improve our customer
service while reducing costs.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Red-Line Chemical
At
Red-Line, it is our expressed goal to provide you with the ability to increase
your competitive edge in manufacturing your chemical products.
We
are a Native American, family owned, Small Business Enterprise with ISO 9001-2008
designation, serving our customers with custom chemical blending, chemical
process development, toll blending, pilot batch processing, packaging, and
labeling.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)