| Apache Nitrogen Products | |
| Former Name: | Apache Powder Company |
| Location: | St. David, Arizona |
| Industry: | Explosives |
| Num Employees: | 95 (2012) |
| Foundation: | 1920 |
Apache Nitrogen Products (formerly Apache Powder Company) began in 1920 as an American manufacturer of black powder based explosives. In the 1930's production transitioned to nitroglycerin-based explosives (dynamite) for the mining industry and other regional users of dynamite. The company changed its name to Apache Nitrogen Products in 1990 to reflect the shift away from Nitroglycerine dynamite to prilled Ammonium Nitrate for the mining industry, and by-products for the fertilizer industry. It occupies a historic location in Cochise County, Arizona and is one of its largest employers.
The company is located on Apache Powder Road, in an unincorporated area outside St. David, Arizona. The plant's location, and the Southern Pacific Railroad stop there, were referred to as Curtiss, Arizona in the 1920s.
The company was incorporated in New Jersey in May 1920, with Articles of incorporation filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission on June 11, 1920. Charles E. Mills, President, Valley Bank, promoted the establishment of the company following WWI, enlisting the support of regional mining companies. Mills banded together a group of assistants with the necessary expertise to formulate planning. Following an independent review, the decision was made to move forward. This was a cooperative venture by several large mines in the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. Shares of the company were distributed, with 65% held by the mining companies and 35% by Mills and associates. Charles Mills served as president and managing director of the company until his death in January 1929. Charles E. Mills was a Harvard-educated mining engineer who moved to Bisbee, Arizona in 1888, where he worked for the Copper Queen Mine. Mills found great success in Arizona and was later the president of Arizona's Valley Bank. The dry climate of southern Arizona "was considered beneficial to the production of high-grade powder". Another benefit of the location was the hilly terrain that provided natural protection from explosions for the buildings used in production. The plant was also well located to serve regional consumers using existing railroads.
Construction of the plant began in March 1920, finishing in April 1922. The first shipment of dynamite occurred in April, 1922. Production was running at one million pounds of powder per month in 1923. The company was the only producer of these explosives in the Southwestern United States, producing 41 million pounds in 1956. It supplied explosives to mines in Arizona, New Mexico, northern Mexico, and the surrounding areas. The complex grew to around 140 buildings spread out around more than . Employment was in the hundreds, even though the Great Depression. The plant eventually became the country's largest single location for dynamite production.
In response to changes in mining technology, the product line expanded to include blasting agents based on ammonium nitrate and nitric acid in the 1940s. Ammonium nitrate was produced from anhydrous ammonia and air (the DuPont process) beginning in the 1950s. The original nitroglycerine-based products were phased out by 1983. In the 1990s the company was also producing detonating cord and ammonium nitrate solution for agricultural fertilizer. Fertilizer was sold to alfalfa, asparagus, cotton, citrus, lettuce, pecan, and wheat farmers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Mexico. However, Three-quarters of sales were to the mining industry. One of the original buildings at the site, a red brick structure known as the Powderhouse (built), was still in use as of 2012. It contains boilers that produce steam, turning turbines to make the plant's electricity.
As of the mid-1980s, the company was owned jointly by Phelps Dodge, Magma Copper, Cyprus Copper, Southwest Energy, and the heirs of Charles Mills. Its land had expanded to .
The plant operated a narrow-gauge railroad to move material around the complex. The track length was in 1922. It was a three-foot gauge railway. Because of the risk of sparks causing an explosion in a dynamite manufacturing plant, mules initially pulled freight. The mules were later replaced with fireless locomotives manufactured by H.K. Porter Company. Apache Powder purchased seven of these locomotives, which could run for an hour on steam after being charged at a boiler located a safe distance away from the working areas of the complex.
The company was connected to the national rail network by a long spur to the nearby El Paso and Southwestern Railroad.
Present location of six of the Porter 0-4-0 locomotives:
| Builder # | Built | Location | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6827 | July 1923 | Benson Historical Society & Museum, Benson | Display | |
| 6828 | July 1923 | Operational | ||
| 6829 | July 1923 | Apache plant, St. David, Arizona | Display | |
| 7110 | 1924 | Restoration | ||
| 7197 | 1930 | Storage | ||
| Display |
| Apache Powder Company | |
| Contaminants: | Arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, perchlorate, antimony, barium, beryllium, chromium, lead, manganese, 2,4-DNT, 2,6-DNT, vanadium pentoxide, paraffins, and TNT |
| Construction: | 09/26/2008 |
In 1923, an explosion killed four workers and injured another. It was the first disaster since the plant opened. Five small buildings and a warehouse were destroyed.
In 1927, of nitroglycerine exploded at the place, destroying several buildings. The explosion was heard for miles but caused no injuries. An operator noticed a problem and initiated a warning system; he and other workers were able to run to safety before the explosion.
In 2014, 52,000 lb of anhydrous ammonia slammed into multiple ANPI employees and one contractor. This incident would lead to them being fined $1,500,000 in 2018 by the EPA.[1]