The Sherwin Alumina plant in Gregory, near Corpus Christi, which has operated for 62 years turning bauxite into alumina. Courtesy photo
The Port of Corpus Christi recently bid $55 million to buy the Sherwin Alumina Co. plant near Gregory. The plant closed in August after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The bid for both the property and equipment was filed Dec. 8 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Corpus Christi. The 450 employees who were locked out of the plant for 18 months because of a labor dispute officially lost their jobs along with 300 replacement workers who had been hired.
The Gregory plant opened in 1953, turning bauxite into alumina, a material used in producing aluminum. After years of expansion, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2016.
The port made an earlier bid for the property in April, but Corpus Christi Alumina bought the company instead. A winning bid of $54 million was accepted from Glencore, the parent company of both Sherwin Alumina and Corpus Christi Alumina.
The plants closed its doors five months later and is liquidating its assets to help pay off accrued debt.
The port’s bid includes a pipeline and three of four red mud beds at the Copano Disposal Facility. The mud beds, which were used for waste disposal, would be placed into an environmental trust after the purchase. The beds are considered a threat to Copano Bay wetlands because they could adversely affect whooping cranes, shrimp and oysters.
The Sherwin Alumina plant and red mud beds are separated by 11 miles. The plant is located on Texas 361.
According to a spokesperson, the port has no immediate plans for the property, which would most likely be used to attract new tenants.
