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;
Sunnen Hauling Company was owned by Joe Sunnen. There were two facilities in Washington, one in Tacoma and one in Seattle. The company's Tacoma site was at 301 East 25th Street; they were fully insured and bonded. View of Sunnen Hauling Company installing a new top on liquid caustic storage tank at Hooker Electrochemical Company; two Lorraine cranes in restricted quarters put eight ton top on tank (T. Times, 1/30/49, p. 17).
Shipping--Tacoma; Moving & storage trade--Tacoma; Storage tanks--Tacoma; Pulleys; Hoisting machinery; Sunnen Auto Freight & Heavy Hauling Co. (Tacoma); Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1940-1950;
Exterior of new anhydrous ammonia plant at Hooker Electrochemical, completed in May of 1952. The ammonia produced here was used by the Northwest's paper and pulp mills and fertilizer and explosive manufacturers. It was shipped entirely by tank car, each car held 26 tons. On completion of the plant, the entire production of 40 tons every 24 hours was already contracted for. The plant was slated for an immediate $6 million dollar expansion that would increase production by half. (TNT 10-19-1952)
Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;
Exterior of new anhydrous ammonia plant at Hooker Electrochemical, completed in May of 1952. Ammonia in gaseous form is composed of three parts of hydrogen to one of nitrogen. In the plant, the hydrogen and nitrogen are mixed in the proper proportion, subjected to 5,000 pounds to a square inch pressure and then sent to a converter and combined to make ammonia. The ammonia is placed in storage tanks outside the plant to await shipment by tank car. (TNT 10-19-1952)
Hooker Electrochemical Co. (Tacoma); Chemical industry--Tacoma--1950-1960;
5 images. Hooker Electrochemical Co. McKim, Mead & White (New York), arch. J.M. Rowland, engineer Austin Co., contr. -built on site of old Foundation Shipyard -180 ft. brick smokestack (200 ft. before the 1949 earthquake) -plant opened 02/16/1929 -name changed to Occidental Chemical Co. in 1982 -purchased by Pioneer Companies, Inc. in 1997 and renamed Pioneer Chlor Alkali -chemical operations ceased 03/15/2002 -demolished in 2008
TDL 06/29/1928 p.1 Hooker plant here assured
TDL 08/02/1928 p.10 Chemical plant construction to start in 30 days
TDL 08/28/1928 p.8 Hooker Company takes out permit to build factory
TDL 09/09/1928 A11 New plants in building race (il under construction)
TDL 12/16/1928 A1 New Tideflat industries aid city's growth (il)
TDL 01/01/1929 p.3 Guardian angel was on the job; iron worker falls 60 feet... T.Times 02/01/1929 Tacoma's newest plant nearly ready (il)
TDL 02/02/1929 p.12 Chemical plant producing now
TDL 02/16/1929 p.12 Hooker plant opens today
TDL 02/17/1929 A2 Open home of new industry at ceremony
TDL 04/09/1929 Sec.III p.5 (ad,il) Gravure Sec. p.5 (il)
TDL 04/29/1930 Hooker Company has model plant
TDL 10/19/1930 A8 Unkempt Tide flat area becomes a beauty spot (il)
TDL 05/26/1931 Sec.III p.5 (ad,il)
TDL 05/06/1934 B7 (cell house to be built by Clark & Early, contr.)
TDL 01/01/1937 p.1 (permit for new smoke stack)
TNT 10/04/1937 p.2 Putting in big plant (hydrogenation plant by McKim, Mead & White, arch.)
TNT 11/08/1937 p.1 $15,000 for new plant (hydrogenization plant by Allen & Early, contr.)
TNT 09/30/1941 p.1 Industry on the march (new firewall and tanks by R.T. Early Co., contr.)
TNT 02/15/1949 A6 (aerial il)
TNT 01/23/1950 p.1 Plant here will expand
TNT 02/14/1950 (aerial il)
TNT 06/22/1950 D3 Hooker plant gets permit
TNT 11/03/1950 p.1 Hooker will erect new $2,000,000 plant (new ammonia plant)
TNT 02/13/1951 Chemical industries make plans to expand (interior il)
TNT 11/29/1951 B4 Hooker Co. announces expansion
TNT 10/19/1952 p.C15 $6,000,000 expansion under way ... (anhydrous ammonia plant by Chemical Construction Corp., arch. and Roy T. Early Co.,contr.) (il)
TNT 03/12/1953 D3 Fall off ladder fatal for man (death of Olaf Boyd)
TNT 05/24/1953 C16 Hooker firm building new power station
TNT 02/4/1954 B2 Hooker sees new growth (aerial il)
TNT 05/17/1954 p.17, 20 Hooker celebrates 25 years of progress in Tacoma (il)
TNT 05/01/1961 p.21 Hooker plant makes new type solvent (interior il)
TNT 05/20/1962 B9 (addition)
TNT 2/4/1967 p.2 Blast levels plant building
TNT 2/2/1969 p.B8 Chemical firm marks 40 years in Tacoma (aerial il)
TNT 08/22/1979 Hooker Chemical celebrates 50 years
TNT 07/08/1982 D11 Hooker changes name without comment (named changed to Occidental Chemical Corp.)