BEAUMONT, Texas — OCI Beaumont took its first steps toward building a new $1 billion ammonia plant.
The facility will will bring 1,000 construction jobs and at least 70 permanent jobs to the city.
The CEO of OCI Ahmed El-Hoshy says that the company’s focus is on keeping it all local.
“if you don't hire locally, you're just going to bring in people from abroad and they'll stay for a few years and transition off, but having people like their aunts uncles their cousins here loved ones here and they're apart of the community for us we enjoy that," said El-Hoshy.
The ammonia and methanol company first came to southeast Texas in 2011 and since then, they have built two facilities, OCI Beaumont and Natgasoline.
Although production isn’t set to begin until 2025, the company hosted a contractor job fair last month to get a jump start on hiring.
The new facility will produce hydrogen based blue ammonia, which is used to make fertilizer and fuel.
Company officials say that the facility will generate less pollution compared to similar plants.
Beaumont city leaders believe that this partnership is essential to moving the city’s economy forward.
"We ran on economic development, and this is economic development to the tune of one of the largest clean energy fuel plants in the United States,” said Mayor Robin Mouton.
Mayor Pro Tem City Councilman Chris Durio exclaims that he is glad for the folks in southeast Texas in Beaumont they're all going to benefit from this new facility
Although OCI is a global company, El-Hoshy says that choosing to stay in Beaumont only made sense.
"I told the CEO of OCI that my new favorite color is blue and what an awesome gift to Southeast Texas,” said Mouton.
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