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Breaking Ground on McCalla, AL Facility, Expanding Environmental Solutions for Industry
Photo Caption: Representatives from ITU AbsorbTech (ITU), Jefferson County Commission (JCC), and Jefferson Economic & Industrial Development Authority (JEIDA) broke ground on ITU AbsorbTech’s newest facility in McCalla, AL. Left to Right: Craig Bald (ITU), George Leef (ITU), Andy Leef (ITU), Cathy Kebbekus (ITU), Gary Kebbekus (ITU), David Leef (ITU), Sheila Tyson (JCC), Jim Leef (ITU), Jimmie Stephens (JCC), Tommy Hudson (JEIDA), Mike Bolin (JCC), Othell Phillips (JEIDA), Jeff Traywick (JCC)
McCalla, AL – ITU AbsorbTech has broken ground on a new 50,000-square-foot processing facility in McCalla, Alabama. As the world’s leading provider of launderable reusable oil absorbents and shop towels under the SorbIts® brand, the Wisconsin-based company is expanding its environmentally friendly solutions to manufacturers and printing operations across the Southeast.
“Today marks an important step forward for ITU AbsorbTech,” said Craig Bald, President and CEO. “We’re excited to break ground on this new facility to expand our operational capabilities, support our team and customers through Genuine Service Excellence, meet growing demand for SorbIts®, and help our customers operate more safely and sustainably.”
Located in Jefferson Metropolitan Park (JeffMet McCalla), just outside Birmingham, the new facility will be ITU AbsorbTech’s sixth processing plant and first in Alabama, adding to its network of 16 locations nationwide.
The McCalla facility will feature state-of-the-art laundering and recovery systems, enabling the company to process millions of pounds of reusable textiles and absorbents annually. The plant is intended to be registered to the ISO 14001:2015 environmental management standard, in line with ITU AbsorbTech’s other processing locations.
“We chose McCalla for its strong business climate, strategic regional location, and high-quality workforce,” Bald said. “Partnerships with local schools and workforce programs will be important as we grow our team and support manufacturing careers in the area.”
The project is expected to create around 40 new jobs in areas such as production and processing, maintenance, route service and sales, and business development.
A family-owned company since 1930, ITU AbsorbTech partners with many of the world’s leading manufacturers in industries such as automotive, aerospace and aviation, defense, transportation equipment, commercial and consumer packaging, metal fabrication, and injection molding plastics through environmentally focused managed service programs.
“We’re thankful to our team, our customers, our partners, the Leef family, and this community for making this milestone possible,” said Bald. The groundbreaking ceremony included representatives from the Jefferson Economic & Industrial Development Authority, Jefferson County Commission, the Birmingham Business Alliance, ARCO/Murray, and project partners.
Construction is expected to be completed by July 2027.
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