Superior Graphite started construction on an expanded new Specialty Carbon Plant adjacent to one of the company's existing manufacturing facilities in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

According to company officials, this expansion is tied to the rapidly developing demand for high purity materials, and will serve to satisfy Superior Graphite's customers' growing needs.

Superior Graphite provides continuous electro-thermal treatment/purification of graphite and carbons, advanced sizing, and custom-mix technologies for energy/thermal management, metallurgy, friction, drilling material additives, non-oxide ceramics, and polymers/CASE materials.

Expansion of the 100-year-old company consists of construction of the new Specialty Carbon Plant and extension of existing warehouse facilities. The plant will perform high-temperature purification of specialty carbons and graphites, and is designed to meet the increased demand for synthetic and natural high-purity materials.

"This is an exciting time and a timely investment into our 2nd century of business," said Edward Carney, President & CEO of Superior Graphite. "We are proud to continue to invest in a state that has been so welcoming to us since 1977. We especially look forward to meeting our customers' growing demands for high volume, ultra-pure materials ."

The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018, with production starting in the first quarter of 2019. Once the facility is fully operational, it will employ 20 people, thus creating new high-tech local jobs, mainly in engineering.