Home   COMPANY   INFO PRODUCTS         CUSTOM MFG   CONTACT   COMPANY PROFILE PRODUCTS & CUSTOMERS Optima Chemical Group LLC now sells to over 200 customers with a variety of products, custom manufacturing, new product development services and toll manufacturing assets. Capability now exists to produce products with a wide range of technologies with unique capabilities in Organometallic chemistries. Several examples of these products include Boronic Acids and Grignards. Most recently Optima completed an acquisition and licensing agreement with FMC Lithium for manufacture of a variety of specialty Organolithium, Metal Hydrides, Organomagnesium, Organosilanes, Organophosphine, Alkylithium, Lithium Alkoxide, Aryllithium, and Lithium Amide products. CURRENT OPERATION In May 1997, the majority of the company’s equity was purchased by a group of investors led by Charles A. Hinnant, Charkit Chemical Corp. Together with existing shareholders, Optima Chemical Group LLC (OCG) was formed. Under the management of Charkit Chemical Corp., much needed capital was immediately infused. Additionally marketing direction and joint promotional efforts were launched that resulted in significant growth each year. The plant has been completely redesigned to function as a flexible, full service, custom - toll manufacturing facility. Critical equipment and unit operations have been acquired to expand the range of manufacturing services offered. In addition, new Laboratory facilities (R & D, Kilo, and QC) and warehousing facilities have been constructed. Critical technical expertise needs have been met through increases in professional staffing. As business opportunities continue to present themselves, the need to expand appears inevitable. For the present, additional improvements continue to be made to squeeze out more capacity, create labor efficiencies, and improve quality. Also noteworthy, while under the management of Charkit Chemical Corp., Optima Chemical Group LLC enjoys excellent performance in the areas of Environmental, Health, Safety and Security. COMPANY HISTORY In the mid-1980’s, the US Dept. of Energy (DOE) – Savannah River Site (SRS) developed a process to treat radioactive sludge waste produced and stored at their Aiken, SC site. The remediation process design required a unique compound, Sodium Tetraphenylborate (STPB), to precipitate radioactive Cesium. STPB was not commercially produced. AFF, Inc. (AFF) partnered with a research group at Georgia Tech, and successfully developed a chemical process to produce STPB. Consequently, DuPont awarded AFF with a contract for commercial production of STPB. AFF did not have the existing manufacturing facilities to produce STPB and purchased a closed Ethanol production plant in Douglas, GA around 1987 for that purpose, and formed AFF – Chemical Division. Major modifications to the plant were required to produce STPB. The manufacturing processes for Ethanol and STPB were not similar in any way. The plant was completely redesigned, process equipment purchased and installed to produce STPB (and only STPB). AFF – Chemical Division began routine commercial production of STPB at this site in April 1990 and ran continuously until May 1991. At that time, SRS requested production be halted for 6 months, because of delays in remediation efforts at SRS. During this time frame, the AFF name and all AFF businesses, except the Chemical Division, were sold In July 1991. The remaining Chemical Division entity was renamed Optima Chemical Inc (OCI). In October 1991, SRS notified OCI they were canceling the entire STPB contract with OCI. The contract cancellation was devastating to OCI since there were no other commercial markets for STPB, and forced the company to “reinvent” itself overnight. The only reasonable option for survival was to pursue contract or toll manufacturing markets. This business is normally an enormous undertaking when properly planned for and funded, and takes several years to achieve profitability. OCI faced this undertaking with no advance planning, while bearing the burden of debt incurred for entire STPB plant. Further, the plant was not completely equipped or set up for contract / toll manufacturing, and no name recognition had been established in the markets being entered. OCI struggled and survived, with additional funding by shareholders. During the 6 years OCI operated, contract sales increased from nothing to $2,700,000. Gradually, improvements were made in the plant design and equipment additions / modifications. Business opportunities steadily increased as OCI began developing some name recognition and a “portfolio” of performance and continued until the equity purchase in 1997.       Copyright © 2010 Optima Chemical Group, LLC.  All rights reserved.