Mancuso Chemicals facility in Ontario, Canada (Photo from Mancuso Chemicals website)
- The international chemical producer will bring 17 jobs to Clarke County.
Since its establishment 40 years ago, Mancuso Chemicals has grown into a global juggernaut in a niche market with a business model that is 100 percent reliant on scientists, engineers, and field specialists advancing scientific research.
From its base in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, the tightly knit core of 55 employees lives by the mantra that “research is … to think what nobody else has thought,” said by Nobel Prize winner Albert Svent-Gyorgyi.
The privately held company, which has annual revenues of $15.6 million, is making its first significant investment— $5.52 million — in the South – Mississippi to be exact.
The Clarke County project will establish a logistics distribution center in Pachuta to import products from its facilities in Canada and Peru, creating 17 jobs over the next five years.
“The Mississippi Momentum is real, and not only does it show no signs of slowing down, it’s picking up speed,” said Governor Tate Reeves in a statement, adding that Mancuso Chemicals’ announcement “is certainly something to celebrate!”
“Each economic development success lets the world know something special is happening here,” he said.
Mancuso Chemicals makes foundry resins, tin and steel mill chemicals, automotive fluids, and polyester and alkyd resins for the coatings industry. It has one wet chemistry/steel products lab, two alkyd labs, and four foundry labs to service operations in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru.
“This strategic investment and long-term commitment to developing the site in Mississippi was made easier by the clear support that the state and county showed to welcoming us in this area,” said Antonio Mancuso, president of Mancuso Chemicals Ltd. “We intend to make use of the impressive local infrastructure available to help us efficiently move our products in and out of the state and to become a respected part of the local business community.”
The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is providing assistance by way of the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive (MFLEX) program.
“When companies are making site decisions, they’re thinking about speed, risk, cost, and everything you can’t see on a spreadsheet. Mississippi delivers on all of it,” said MDA executive director Bill Cork. “We’re not just talking about progress. We’re proving it to the world, deal after deal.
“Mancuso Chemicals choosing Clarke County is one more example that Mississippi isn’t just some small state—we’re competitive, we’re aggressive, and we know how to get deals done,” said Cork. “This project brings jobs, tax revenue, and momentum to a part of the state that’s ready to grow.”
Clarke County, which is part of the Meridian MSA, and the village of Pachuta, population 207 in the 2020 census covering 2.4 square miles, also provided financial assistance to the deal.
Lorenzo Carter, president of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, extended heartfelt gratitude to Mancuso Chemicals for choosing Clarke County as the location for their first facility in the U.S.
“We recognize the company had many options available, and we’re genuinely honored and excited by your decision to invest in the Village of Pachuta,” said Carter.
Mancuso said the company’s slogan of Northern Chemistry. Global Reach. Universal Responsibilities. “takes a giant step forward with this announcement.”
