WAGGAMAN, La. (WGNO) — Gov. John Bel Edwards was in Jefferson Parish today for a dedication ceremony of a $1 billion production plant.
The production plant includes the combined construction of Dyno Nobel’s $850 million ammonia plant with Cornerstone Chemical’s $175 million investment in upgrades and infrastructure.
Incitec Pivot, based in Australia, is the parent company of Dyno Nobel, which developed the plant with an annual ammonia capacity of 800,000 metric tons at Cornerstone Chemical’s 800-acre Fortier Manufacturing Complex on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish.
Construction of Dyno Nobel’s new ammonia plant launched in August 2013, and ammonia production has begun at the facility.
Dyno Nobel estimates construction employment peaked at 1,200 workers. There have been 65 new direct jobs created by the project, with 16 of those employed by Dyno Nobel and 49 by Cornerstone Chemical — all at the Dyno Nobel ammonia plant.
Economic development officials expect the project will result in another 477 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 540 new jobs. Salaries for the new direct jobs will average more than $55,700 per year, plus benefits, and the project will retain 450 existing jobs at the Cornerstone site.