Chemicals ranking as Alabama’s second largest export category, with overseas shipments approaching $2.3 billion in 2019.

Chemicals produced in Alabama include caustic soda, oxidants, light stabilizers, emissions catalysts, phenol, acetone and a variety of specialty chemicals

The catalyst for results like this? All the right reagents.

The Alabama Gulf Coast Chemical Corridor, known as MAST, is home to a cluster of companies, stretching 60 miles through the Mobile Area. MAST is home to 25 chemical manufacturers and a total of 27 facilities that collectively employ approximately 3,300 and have an annual economic impact of $1.9 billion. Chemical operations there include chlor-alkali production, resins and synthetic rubbers, specialty chemicals, synthetic fibers and filaments, coatings and adhesives, and refinery operations.

Another cluster is located in Morgan County, which is home to producers including Daikin America and Ascend Performance Materials.

These facilities join nearly 200 other chemical companies scattered through the state to employ 10,400 people in Alabama.

Thanks to the strong presence of the chemical industry in the state, a host of universities in Alabama offer degrees and research opportunities in chemical engineering.