Producer
Olin Corporation
US chlor-alkali and VCM producer (NYSE: OLN, HQ Stamford CT; ~$6B revenue); the largest US chlorine producer and a major feedstock supplier to the PVC resin industry. Olin does not directly produce PVC resin but produces the chlorine and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) that PVC resin manufacturers (Westlake, Shintech, OxyChem) depend on. Olin's chlor-alkali operations in Freeport TX (the largest chlorine plant in the US), McIntosh AL, Niagara Falls NY, and other sites collectively make Olin the critical upstream enabler of the US PVC supply chain. Olin also owns Winchester ammunition — meaning the same company that produces the chlorine input for PVC pipe also manufactures rifle and shotgun ammunition, a striking dual-use combination under one NYSE ticker. Olin's chlorine pricing directly sets the economics for US PVC resin production.
5
Inputs supplied
5
Goods downstream
3
Facilities
0
Stories
What they make
5 inputs Olin Corporation supplies
Click an input to see every good that depends on it, every country that produces it, and every other company in the supply chain.
mineral
Industrial Salt / Brine (Chlor-Alkali Grade) →
chemical
Bisphenol A-Based Liquid Epoxy Resin (BPA-LER) →
chemical
Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) →
chemical
Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda / NaOH) for Kraft Pulping →
chemical
PVC Resin for Pipe & Fittings →
Where it shows up
Goods downstream
Essential goods that depend on something Olin Corporation makes, pick one to see the full supply chain.
Where they make it
3 facilities
Olin Charleston Chlor-Alkali Plant →
USTennessee · manufacturing
Primary US production site for Olin's potassium hydroxide (KOH), produced via membrane-cell electrolysis of potassium chloride. A major domestic supplier of battery-electrolyte-grade KOH to US alkaline battery manufacturers.
Olin Corporation Freeport Chlor-Alkali Plant →
USTexas · manufacturing
Olin Corporation's Freeport, Texas chlor-alkali facility — the largest single chlorine production plant in the United States. Directly adjacent to Shintech's PVC resin complex; supplies chlorine to Shintech via dedicated pipeline. Also produces caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) as co-product. Olin Freeport is the upstream single-point dependency for Shintech Freeport — if Olin Freeport shuts, Shintech Freeport cannot operate. Hurricane Harvey (2017) forced Olin Freeport to shut down alongside Shintech, amplifying the combined supply disruption. Source: https://www.olin.com/chlorine
Olin Freeport Chlor-Alkali Complex →
USFreeport, Texas · chlor-alkali manufacturing
Olin's primary Gulf Coast chlor-alkali site at Freeport, TX; adjacent to Dow Chemical's historical Freeport complex. One of the largest chlor-alkali operations in North America. Direct pipeline access to Gulf Coast salt domes. Affected by February 2021 Texas freeze, contributing to force majeure conditions across US chlorine supply.
What else they do
Business segments
The company's full revenue map, where this supply-chain role fits within their broader business.
Chlor-Alkali (US #1)
55%Epoxy Resins
15%Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM)
15%Winchester Ammunition
15%
Intelligence
What's known
Sourced claims about this company's role in supply chains, chokepoints, concentration, incidents, dual-use connections.
Did you know2023
Olin Corporation (NYSE: OLN, HQ Stamford CT) is the largest US chlorine producer and simultaneously the owner of Winchester — the largest US manufacturer of small-caliber ammunition (rifle, shotgun, and handgun cartridges). Olin's chlorine from Freeport TX is a key feedstock input for PVC resin (via VCM) and for water disinfection, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals. Winchester's ammunition plants are at East Alton IL (headquarters) and Oxford MS. The same NYSE-listed company that produces the chlorine input essential for US PVC pipe production also manufactures the ammunition used by US law enforcement, military, and civilian shooters. Chlorine market fluctuations — driven by PVC resin demand — directly affect Olin's financial profile and therefore its capital allocation to Winchester production. When PVC resin demand crashes (as in recessions), Olin's chlorine margins fall, which can constrain Winchester's expansion capital.
Olin Corporation ↗Concentration2015
Olin Corporation became the world's largest chlor-alkali producer through its October 2015 acquisition of Dow Chemical's chlor-alkali and downstream derivatives businesses — a transaction structured as a "reverse Morris Trust" in which Dow shareholders received Olin stock tax-free. The deal made Olin responsible for ~34% of North American chlorine capacity, transforming a mid-tier producer into the global market leader. No prior antitrust review required the divestiture of any chlor-alkali assets.
BusinessWire ↗Chokepoint2023
Olin Corporation is the self-described "#1 global manufacturer and distributor of epoxy products" and the only fully back-integrated supplier from chlorine → epichlorohydrin (ECH) → liquid epoxy resin. Olin's Freeport, Texas complex has >200 miles of dedicated pipeline infrastructure. This back-integration starts at chlorine, making Olin uniquely insulated from ECH spot-market disruptions that affect all other epoxy producers.
Offshore Technology ↗