Total Petrochemicals USA
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Petrochemical manufacturing and distribution |
| Predecessor | American Petrofina Inc. |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Headquarters | Houston , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Petrochemical products |
| Owner | TotalEnergies |
Number of employees | 7000+ |
| Parent | TotalEnergies |
Total Petrochemicals USA Inc. operates as a subsidiary of TotalEnergies, focusing on the manufacturing and distribution of petrochemical products. Its main office is located within Total Plaza in Downtown Houston, Texas.
History
Founded in 1956 under the name American Petrofina Inc., the company began with a capitalization of $10 million and was headquartered in Dallas. The majority ownership belonged to the Belgian parent firm Petrofina, with Harry A. Jackson Jr. serving as the inaugural president.
The company grew by acquiring several entities, such as Panhandle Oil Co. (1956), American Liberty Co. (1957), Cogsden Petroleum Corp. (1963), Gulf Oil’s facilities in Calumet City, Illinois (1968) for establishing a polystyrene plant, and the Port Arthur Refinery from BP in 1973. Additional expansions included polystyrene plants in Orange, California and Windsor, New Jersey during 1977, along with ARCO’s polypropylene plant in La Porte, Texas completed in 1984.
Reflecting its corporate transformation, the company underwent several name changes: from American Petrofina Co. of Texas to Fina Oil and Chemical Co. in 1985, then to FINA Inc. in 1991. The enlargement of the La Porte facility in 1995 resulted in it becoming the world’s largest single-location polypropylene plant; shortly after, the Carville Polystyrene Plant gained this distinction following its expansion in 1996.
In 1997, FINA collaborated with BASF to construct what became the largest naphtha steam cracker globally, which commenced operations in 2001. Following mergers with parent company Petrofina SA in 1998 and subsequently with Total S.A. in 1999, the chemical division was rebranded as ATOFINA Petrochemicals Inc. After Total acquired Elf Aquitaine, the firm adopted its current name, Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc., on October 1, 2004.
Operations
Employing a workforce exceeding 7,000 individuals, the company reports annual revenues near $3.4 billion and is listed on the AMEX Stock Exchange.
Headquarters
The company’s headquarters are established at Total Plaza, located in Downtown Houston, Texas. In early 2005, Total Petrochemicals USA entered into a 15-year lease agreement for 150,000 square feet at Louisiana Place (later renamed Total Plaza), relocating approximately 250 employees by November that year. The lease included an option to expand by an additional 75,000 square feet. This relocation consolidated various operations previously dispersed around George Bush Intercontinental Airport and the North Houston area. The prior office lease was scheduled to expire in 2010 but contained a cancellation clause for 2007; plans were made to sublease any remaining space through that timeframe.