BATON ROUGE, La. – Katoen Natie Baton Rouge, LLC has broken ground on a $25 million expansion at the company’s Baton Rouge Polymers Terminal. The project will add a new logistics facility to support Louisiana’s growing specialty chemicals and advanced materials industries, strengthening the Capital Region’s position as a hub for industrial distribution and manufacturing.
The specialty chemicals and advanced materials sectors form a major part of south Louisiana’s industrial corridor, stretching from Baton Rouge through the River Parishes to the greater New Orleans region. These manufacturers supply global markets and depend on consistent regional capacity for storage, processing and distribution.
A study by the Louisiana Transportation Research Center found that the petrochemical products moving through Katoen Natie’s Baton Rouge facilities, including PVC, polyethylene and plastic pellets, also account for a substantial share of containerized cargo at the Port of New Orleans illustrating that Baton Rouge freight flows help drive port activity across southeast Louisiana. Commodities derived from the region’s oil and natural gas sectors represent a significant share of south Louisiana’s downstream energy economy.
22 Potential New Jobs
The company is expected to create 13 direct new jobs, while retaining 29 current positions in East Baton Rouge Parish. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional nine indirect new jobs, for a total of 22 potential new job opportunities in the Capital Region.
“Katoen Natie’s continued investment in Baton Rouge reflects the confidence global companies have in Louisiana’s ability to deliver for the specialty process industries and advanced manufacturing sectors. This project further strengthens our logistics network, creates high-quality jobs and reinforces the Capital Region’s growing leadership in the global supply chains,” said LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois.
The project includes a new 300,000-square-foot warehouse for the storage and repackaging of titanium dioxide (TiO₂), amongst other products, which is produced in Lake Charles and used in coatings, plastics and other industrial applications. The expansion reflects Katoen Natie’s continued investment in Louisiana.
“With this project Katoen Natie reconfirms that Baton Rouge is key within its global network of high end logistics and added value platforms for the chemical industry. Louisiana continues to be a region where chemicals and petrochemicals continue to have and find a home in an ever more challenging global economy,” said Sam Dhollander, Katoen Natie’s president of specialty chemicals.
Construction is expected to be completed by October 2026, with operations beginning the following month.
“This investment by Katoen Natie represents another strong vote of confidence in Baton Rouge and in the Capital Region’s ability to compete and grow. By expanding their operations here, Katoen Natie is strengthening our manufacturing and logistics sector, creating quality jobs, and contributing to the long-term vitality of our regional economy. We’re proud to support their continued success in East Baton Rouge Parish,” said East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards.
Vigilance Required as Petrochemical Industries Expand
An August 2020 spill of plastic-pellet resin into the Mississippi River near the greater New Orleans region highlighted the risks associated with transporting these commodities: a shipping container carrying polyethylene pellets fell into the river, and somewhere between tens or hundreds of millions of the lentil-sized “nurdles” washed onto the banks downstream with no clear lead agency for cleanup.
While the Katoen Natie expansion brings jobs and economic development to southeast Louisiana, operators will need to be vigilant about containing potential hazards such as spills, emissions or leaks. In an industrial corridor experiencing petrochemical growth along with federal and state changes to monitoring regulations, risk management protocols will need to keep pace with this new capacity.
LED FastStart and Source Louisiana
To win the project, the state of Louisiana offered Katoen Natie Baton Rouge a competitive incentives package that includes the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart and a $200,000 performance-based grant to be used for site infrastructure improvements.
“We are delighted to see Katoen Natie make a $25 million commitment to expand their Polymers Terminal in East Baton Rouge Parish. This investment underscores the region's strengths in the logistics and manufacturing industries,” said Lori Melancon, president and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership.
Businesses can register here to be notified about Katoen Natie Baton Rouge, LLC job opportunities, hiring events and news updates. Louisiana businesses can also register at SourceLouisiana.com to enter the pipeline for contract and vendor opportunities with development projects statewide.
About Katoen Natie Baton Rouge, LLC
Katoen Natie provides innovative and tailormade logistic and added value services globally. The group, still privately held, is present in more than 35 countries and employs 20,000 people worldwide. Across its various business units ranging from engineering services over specialty chemicals to art storage & handling, it generates a revenue of more than $3 billion USD per year.
