LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — After 75 years in Lockport, VanDeMark Chemical is set to permanently close its One North Transit Road plant on May 25.
In total, 69 workers will lose their jobs when the location closes for the final time this spring.
Lockport Mayor John Lombardi told me he only learned about the closure of the Niagara County business on social media. VanDeMark had been a staple in the area since 1951.
“At this time, the City of Lockport and the Mayor's office are saddened by the communication that I received that Vandemark Chemical, after over 70 years, is closing its doors locally. I would like to think that we may have been able to assist in maintaining the local jobs if we were aware of the situation. I personally had to hear of it on social media. I have to believe that it was a corporate decision, and any communication from my office to them may have been fruitless.”
WATCH: VanDeMark Chemical set to close plant in Lockport on May 25
According to the VanDeMark Chemical website, it is “a leading producer of specialty chemical intermediates and additives…VanDeMark offers unequaled expertise in phosgene and associated chemistries.”
Phosgene is a gas, the American Chemistry Council says is “essential in the manufacturing of products used in everyday life,” important in the manufacturing processes of things like insulation foam, polycarbonate plastics, pharmaceuticals and more.
VanDeMark has a subsidiary company in Northern Hungary named FramoChem. I’ve repeatedly asked both businesses if VanDeMark is moving operations to Europe, but that question has not been answered.
