Expansion continues at the Hooker Electrochemical Company's Tideflats plant in August, 1951. Steel reinforcing and footing for a new building are being installed. Hooker began operations in Tacoma in 1929 and constantly remodeled and expanded in order to handle their growing business. Along with Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company of Washington, Hooker supplied the Pacific Northwest pulp and paper industry with caustic soda and chlorine. Hooker tank cars can be seen in the photograph's background; they were one method of shipping Hooker products to their customers.

Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1950-1960; Railroad tank cars--Tacoma--1950-1960;

A close-up of insulated caustic evaporation tanks and piping at Hooker Chemical. The Tacoma plant was expanded in 1950 and was fully operational by Januray 1951. The increase in production helped the company meet enlarged requirements of its current customers and to supply several important new consumers with caustic soda and liquid chlorine. (Hooker Electrochemical Company Annual Report, 1950)

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);

Hundreds of electrolytic cells, in row after row, work 24 hours a day at Hooker Electrochemical producing the basic ingredients of all Hooker Chemicals. In each of the Hooker cells, under the action of direct electric current, salt and water are broken down into a constant flow of caustic soda, chlorine, and hydrogen. Many other large producers of chlorine were licensed to use the Hooker cels in their own plants. Thus Hooker Cells, continually improved in design and efficiency, accounted for nearly half of all the chlorine produced in the United States. (Hooker Electrochemical Company Annual Report, 1950)

Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma);