On Friday, Gov. Jack Markell, Sen. Tom Carper and FMC executives and employees marked the 50th anniversary of the FMC Polymer plant in Newark.
The plant produces FMC’s Avicel Microcrystalline Cellulose product, which was created just a few years before the plant’s founding and for five decades has made possible breakthroughs and products in the food, pharmaceutical and biomedical industries. An accidental discovery, Avicel is derived from wood pulp that is now found in baked goods, sauces and dressings, pharmaceutical products, beauty aids, cosmetics, paints, detergents and much more.
The 26-acre facility pumps $23 million into the local economy each year and employs 105 people, 75 percent of whom live in Delaware and nearly half of whom have been with FMC for 20 years or more. DelawareOnline.com reported the plant is undergoing a major expansion with demand strong for Avicel.
“We are incredibly proud of the plant and our employees and their many contributions to our company, our industry and our community,” said plant manager Graham Moore. “You don’t reach milestones like this without a passion for what you do and a constant dedication to innovation, safety and doing the job better. This celebration is a testament to the commitment of the people of our plant, a thank-you to our families and neighbors and an affirmation of our very bright future.”
On Friday, plant hosted a wellness fair featuring health checks, healthy cooking and fitness demonstrations and displays by the Delaware Children’s Museum.
FMC BioPolymer creates ingredients and technical solutions for the food ingredients, pharmaceutical and biomedical markets. FMC Corporation is a diversified chemical company serving agricultural, industrial and consumer markets/In 2011, FMC had annual sales of approximately $3.4 billion.
