May 13, 2011
Koch Nitrogen Company, LLC is increasing its local workforce by more than 20 percent as the multi-million dollar modernization of its fertilizer plant here draws closer to completion.
Construction is nearly complete on a new 10,000-square-foot central control facility at the plant, which, along with other new projects totaling more than $20 million, allows the company to increase its workforce at the plant from 105 to more than 130 positions.
“Completion of these projects is good news for Koch and the economy in northern Oklahoma,” said Mike Kleis, Koch Nitrogen Company’s Enid plant manager. “We are adding the new positions in phases as our operations ramp up over the next few months.” The new positions include all aspects of the plant’s operation, including safety, environmental, operations, maintenance, laboratory and administrative functions. Interested applicants can visit kochcareers.com.
The new jobs in Enid are part of a broader growth effort underway for Koch’s fertilizer business, which is adding more than 100 roles to its global workforce, according to Steve Packebush, president of Koch Fertilizer, LLC.
“This modernization of the Enid plant is among many growth projects we have completed or planned,” said Packebush. “Since 2005 through the next few years, we will have spent more than $250 million in our North American plants to improve the overall efficiency and reliability of our production facilities.”
Koch Nitrogen broke ground in July 2010 on the new Enid control center, the first of several planned capital projects at Koch Nitrogen’s largest plant. The new control center will improve communications within the facility by combining three separate control rooms into one, making the plant fully automated, said Kleis.
The addition of the new control center will also have a positive impact on the environment. The advanced technology in the control center will reduce energy and water use at the facility while enhancing overall plant efficiencies and operational reliability, Kleis said.
Koch Fertilizer is the world’s third-largest maker and marketer of nitrogen fertilizer. Each day, the Enid plant is capable of making 3,000 tons of anhydrous ammonia, about 10 percent of U.S. production.