NIAGARA FALLS, NY. — Niacet Corp., which was acquired last summer by Kerry Group, is considering a $48.75 million expansion at its manufacturing plant in Niagara Falls, according to paperwork filed with the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency.
“This specific project is a novel production process utilizing a proprietary new liquid drying technology (NxDT) to more efficiently produce acetate and propionate salt preservatives,” Niacet said in its application for sales tax abatement. “These salts would then be coated or blended with various compounds like acids, oils and anti-caking agents to give them secondary functionality in addition to their inherent preservative qualities.”
Niacet said the expansion would include a 25,000- to 35,000-square-foot plant at its current site in Niagara Falls, as well as a capital investment of $48.75 million. A total of 51 jobs are expected to be created as part of the expansion.
The company currently operates 18 buildings at the Niagara Falls site totaling 125,000 square feet. The company has 102 employees on site.
Niacet is seeking more than $1.5 million in sales and property tax breaks from the NCIDA to facilitate the plant expansion, funds the company claims are necessary to move forward on the project.
The NCIDA board gave tentative approval to the application on May 11, and a public hearing has been scheduled.
Niacet was approved last year for a $13.25 million project to add 3,500 square feet of space on the south end of its property in Niagara Falls to install new chemical processing equipment to produce anhydrous hydrogen chloride, a chemical that is used in the semiconductor, pharmaceutical and technical industries. That project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though, and the NCIDA board took the opportunity at the May 11 meeting to extend the incentive package for six months to give the company more time to complete the project.
