Editing Cherokee, Alabama (section)

==Economy==

===Barton Riverfront Industrial Park===
The Barton Riverfront Industrial Park is located in the [[Barton, Alabama|Barton]] community east of Cherokee near the Tennessee River.  The park was constructed to attract industry to western Colbert County and has become an important economical revitalization to the area. The first company to locate in the park was SCA Tissue North America which started operation in 2004.<ref name="SCA2004">{{cite web | url = http://www.paperage.com/issues/july_aug2004/07_2004sca.pdf | title = SCA's First Greenfield Tissue Mill Comes Online at Alabama Complex | access-date = September 26, 2010}}</ref>

===Major employers===
[[Image:Cherokee Nitrogen Entrance.JPG|thumbnail|right|Entrance to Cherokee Nitrogen]]

====Cherokee Nitrogen====
Cherokee Nitrogen, owned by [https://lsbindustries.com/cherokee-al/ LSB Industries], is located on the north side of town. It was built in 1962 by Armour Agri-Chemicals and has been owned by USS Agri-Chemicals (a division of [[U.S. Steel|United States Steel]]) and LaRoche Industries before being bought by LSB Industries. Cherokee Nitrogen provides nitrogen products, ammonia, and ammonia nitrate.

[http://www.oricaminingservices.com/us/en/page/joint_ventures/nelson_brothers_mining_services_llc/nelson_brothers_inc Nelson Brothers] is located adjacent to the facility. Nelson Brothers uses the ammonia nitrate in the production of dynamite.

[http://www.linde.com Linde] sells Carbon Dioxide produced as a byproduct of the process at Cherokee Nitrogen.

On the night of November 13, 2012, Cherokee Nitrogen was the scene of a devastating explosion heard {{convert|45|mi}} away that left at least one employee injured. It was felt all across the "Shoals".

====SCA Tissue North America====
[https://web.archive.org/web/20010331045536/http://www.scatissue.com/ SCA Tissue North America], a division of [[Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget]], was the first tenant of the Barton Riverfront Industrial Park located east of town in the Barton community. As of 2010 it has undergone several expansions and is Cherokee's largest employer.<ref name="scanews">{{cite web | url = http://www.courierjournal.net/news/2010-07-28/Front_Page/SCA_Tissue_Expansion_Is_Security.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101231172945/http://www.courierjournal.net/news/2010-07-28/Front_Page/SCA_Tissue_Expansion_Is_Security.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = December 31, 2010 | title = SCA Tissue Expansion Is Security | access-date = October 3, 2010 | publisher = Courier Journal}}</ref>

====Vulcan Materials====
[http://www.vulcanmaterials.com/cherokee Vulcan Materials' Cherokee Facility] has been located on the east edge of town for many years.  Crushed [[limestone]] from this [[quarry]] is used throughout Alabama and Mississippi.

====UCM Magnesia====
[http://www.ucm-magnesia.com UCM Magnesia] was an industry located in the Barton area. Originally Muscle Shoals ElectroChemical Corp, it was also owned by Glasrock and later Muscle Shoals Minerals. This facility was an important supplier of high quality [[Magnesium|magnesia]] [[Powder metallurgy|powder]]. It closed in late 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/Industrial-Minerals-Review-2013-a-546863#.WeJiB2hSy70|title=Industrial Minerals Review 2013 - InsuranceNewsNet|website=insurancenewsnet.com|access-date=October 14, 2017}}</ref>

====National Alabama====
In July 2007 National Steel Car announced a decision to locate a new manufacturing facility in the industrial park, the largest new employer in Colbert County in the prior 40 years.<ref name="TimesDaily7-20-2007">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20070720/NEWS/707200314&SearchID=73289761346349|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927023541/http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20070720/NEWS/707200314%26SearchID%3D73289761346349|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 27, 2007|title=A big deal|date=July 19, 2007|newspaper=TimesDaily|access-date=August 8, 2007}}</ref> The CEO, Gregory Aziz, was caught up in a legal case over securities fraud related to the facility and the facility was turned over to Retirement Systems of Alabama.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2014/11/alabama_securities_fraud_charg.html|title=Alabama securities fraud charges dismissed against CEO of Canadian company; RSA to get $21 million in settlement|work=AL.com|access-date=October 14, 2017}}</ref>

The facility has become an independent entity of its former parent and is now named National Alabama Corporation.<ref name="TimesDaily8-13-2009">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090813/ARTICLES/908135033?Title=Railcar-plant-CEO-resigns|title=Railcar Plant CEO Resigns|newspaper=TimesDaily|access-date=September 26, 2010}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Retirement Systems of Alabama is the primary shareholder.<ref name="WAFFTV">{{cite web|url=http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=13026238|title=RSA Takes Control of Colbert County Railcar Plant|publisher=WAFF|access-date=September 26, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824053316/http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=13026238|archive-date=August 24, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

National Alabama is designed to provide steel [[Railroad car|railcars]] and was expected to be the largest employer in the area. In 2010 the depressed economy was blamed for delayed full production at the facility and the company said it was looking for alternative products to produce.<ref name="WAFFTV" />

Navistar and FreightCar America facilities are now unoccupied.

====Navistar====
As of 2022, the facility is no longer in operation and sits unoccupied.

As of 2011 Navistar is the primary lease holder at the National Alabama facility which is currently owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama. Navistar fabricates parts for [[Railroad car|railcars]] produced by Freightcar America. Together the two companies are the largest employer in the area.<ref name="Daily@TD_BDelinski">{{Cite news|url=http://www.timesdaily.com/archives/navistar-freightcar-team-up-at-barton-plant/article_e480527b-ee57-52a9-8b48-4f1d2b769f6b.html|title=Navistar, FreightCar team up at Barton plant|last=Delinski|first=Bernie|work=TimesDaily|access-date=October 14, 2017}}</ref>

====FreightCar America (FCA)====
FreightCar America is the sub lease holder at the National Alabama Facility, which is currently owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama. FreightCar America produces [[Railroad car|railcars]].<ref name="Daily@TD_BDelinski"/>    However, the facility is now unoccupied as the company moved production to Mexico.