CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES IN NORTH CAROLINA IN 1922 

 By Frank C. Vilbrandt 



A sudden metamorphosis has occurred in North Carolina within 

 the past decade, by which the state has moved from the twenty-third 

 to the tenth place in value of its industries. Many factors have con- 

 tributed to this development, no single condition being alone respon- 

 sible. In this sudden development the chemical industries have main- 

 tained their balance, contributing as much to the progress as the two 

 leading industries, cotton and tobacco, and more than the others. 

 With the phenomenal development of the chemical industries during 

 the past decade and the present outlook of the industries, 1930 

 should place North Carolina in the ranks of the leading chemical 

 states of the Union. Agriculturally the state ranks fourth, due to its 

 enormous acreage in cotton and tobacco ; this position in agriculture to 

 some extent regulates the state's chemical position inasmuch as the 

 raising of such crops imposes a heavy demand upon the chemical in- 

 dustries for fertilizers, and the by-products yield a very productive 

 source of raw materials for chemical treatment, viz., cotton-seed oil. 



Compilation of data from the reports of the Department of Print- 

 ing and Labor (1900-1922) show that the chemical industries are al- 

 most on a par with the tobacco industry, in which the state leads the 

 world. In 1922 there were 361 operating chemical plants of more or 

 less importance employing 11,338 people, who produced $206,640,000 

 worth of products on an estimated capital investment of $119,646,000. 

 The 450 cotton mills throughout the state employed at the same time 

 73,600 people yielding $285,000,000 of products on a combined capital 

 investment of $200,000,000. In 1910 there were but 162 chemical 

 plants with a capitalization of $11,525,000, a plant valuation of $10,- 

 200,000 and employed 5,853 men. Data for value of products at that 

 time cannot be secured so a comparison of productivity must be 

 omitted. 



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