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