The founder of Giles Chemical Corporation, John L. Giles, came to Waynesville, North Carolina in 1948. His previous ventures were with Morton Salt and prior to World War II, he formed Michigan Chemical - producer of magnesium compounds and bromine.

    The Defense Plant took over Michigan Chemical and Mr. Giles became a dollar-a-year member of the War Production Board. He was assigned the task of finding magnesium deposits which brought him to Asheville, North Carolina. His discovery of olivine (20% magnesium) led him to Balsam, North Carolina after the war when he purchased an area that had an outcropping of olivine.

    This mineral was processed for refractory use and sold to brick manufactures as well as the atomic energy project at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

    While olivine was selling for $15 per ton, Epsom Salt sold for $50 per ton. As a result, Mr. Giles worked out crystallizing techniques for the manufacture of Epsom Salt in Waynesville, where production began in 1950.

    His first customers were the tanneries all along the Appalachian Mountains. Rayon manufacturers were next followed by wood pulp producers, resale druggists, animal glue manufacturers and dye divisions of the textile industry.

    In 1965, the plant was bought by Howard Splitt whose 28 years in industrial chemical distribution helped expand the business.

    At present, this privately held business consists of four plants - two locations in North Carolina and one each in New York and Indiana.

    The end uses have expanded to plastics, rubber, synthetic food sweeteners and pharmaceutical industry products, animal feed, soaps, agricultural, leather tanning, and other miscellaneous chemical applications.

    In April, 1993, Giles Chemical Industries was formed with the purchase of the former Ashland Chemical Company's Sodium Sulfate business. Giles Chemical Industries is a major marketer representing numerous byproduct and natural producers of Salt Cake/Sodium Sulfate throughout the United States and Canada. GCI has it's own fleet of dedicated leased covered hopper cars and a packaging operation located in Waynesville, NC.