Valentine ChemicalsYour Partner in
Custom Manufacturing
Valentine Chemicals has been providing high-quality chemical solutions to businesses in oil and gas, agriculture, water treatment, and more for over 80 years. Based in Lockport, Louisiana, we offer end-to-end capabilities with specialization in liquid-to-powder drying, liquid and powder blending, and reaction chemistries.
Whether you need to scale a new formula or meet urgent demand, Valentine is ready to help.
A Quiet Powerhouse Since 1938
Over the decades, Valentine has steadily expanded through innovation and hard work that earned our customers’ trust…and long-term partnerships that grew out of that trust. We are proud to be a family-owned, fourth generation business–never flashy, but always dependable.
Our story begins roughly a decade before American manufacturing took the world by storm after World War II, and we haven’t slowed down since.
1938 Started R&D on products from sugarcane bagasse
1943 Began producing record material from bagasse for RCA
1953 Designed and built world’s first bagasse-based paper mill
1960 Developed Valite phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resins & compounds
1975 Built a PF resin extruder plant
1985 Built a 28-foot-diameter spray dryer for PF resins
1990 Began toll manufacturing for Georgia Pacific Resins, Inc.
1996 Sold Valite
2000 Added second spray dryer plant
2003 Acquired first Drum Dryer
2010 Acquired fifth Drum Dryer
2018 Began polymer reactions & drying
2022 Broadened polymer reactions
2023 Added temperature-controlled storage
Our Mission
Provide high quality custom production of liquid and dry industrial chemicals.
Our Vision
Become recognized as the best custom chemical contractor in the U.S.
Standing on Our Values
Confidentiality
We are committed to safeguarding our customers’ intellectual property and product integrity. Physical and digital security is built into our operations, and we provide traceability and full transparency.
Stability
With no outside investors and minimal employee turnover, we’re built for long-term partnerships.
Focus
With low overhead, fast decision-making, and strict process discipline, we deliver the kind of agile, efficient partnership that helps customers stay competitive.
Meet Our Leadership Team
Dan Kenyon
Director of Business Development
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Bio coming soon…
Email: Dan@ValentineChemicals.com
Hugh Caffery
CEO
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Hugh F. Caffery was raised in New Orleans, where he attended St. Martin’s Episcopal School. He later studied at LSU, the University of New Orleans, Nicholls State University, and Tulane University, where he earned his mechanical engineering degree in 1982. Before graduating, he completed two trade school programs as a pipefitter and pipe welder and worked for two years in the field before returning to school.
After college, Hugh spent nine years as a petroleum engineer with Gulf Oil Company and later Chevron, building a strong technical foundation in the energy industry. In 1990, he became CEO of Valentine Chemicals in Lockport, Louisiana, a role he has held ever since. Under his leadership, Valentine Chemicals has focused on contract manufacturing with a core competency in converting liquids to powders through specialized production and drying processes. Valentine serves roughly two dozen major and minor chemical companies across industries including oilfield, agriculture, construction, paints and coatings, and paper.
Hugh and his wife, Tonya, have been married for 26 years and live in Thibodaux, Louisiana. They have four children: two sons, ages 24 and 13, and two daughters, ages 19 and 17. Family life and community roots in south Louisiana remain central to who he is.
A vigorous supporter of individual liberty and the rights and responsibilities of all people, Hugh brings a strong civic ethic to his professional and personal lives. Since 2009, he has served as Chairman of the Bayou Lafourche Freshwater District, helping steward a critical regional waterway. He is the former Chairman of the Fletcher Technical College Foundation Board and the former Chairman of First United Methodist Church of Thibodaux, reflecting long-standing commitments to education and faith-based service.
In addition to these leadership roles, Hugh stays actively engaged in the regional business and professional community. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the Bayou Industrial Group (BIG), the South Central Industrial Association (SCIA), the local Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary Club of Thibodaux. Through these affiliations, he continues to support economic development, technical excellence, and community well-being in the Bayou region.
Email: Hugh@ValentineChemicals.com
What We Do (and Why It Matters)
Custom Chemical Manufacturing with a Specialty in Drying
We have the largest contract drum drying facility in the United States, as well as one of the largest production spray dryers in the industry. Our scale and track record in drying organic aqueous liquids and slurries result in consistently high-performance powders and efficient yields.
We also have wide experience in polymer production, especially for the oil and gas industry, and offer custom blending and packaging in a variety of containers.
End-to-End Process,
One Roof
Our facilities contain everything necessary to complete each step of the liquid-to-powder process: synthesis, pretreatment, drying, conditioning, blending, packaging, and storage.
By offering everything in-house, you enjoy the benefits of reduced freight costs, faster turnaround times, and fewer vendors to deal with.
Always Confidential,
Always Precise
We’ve been entrusted with numerous proprietary formulas from top-tier customers over the decades, and we’ve built our reputation on responsible handling of their IP. Even when serving direct competitors, we operate with total discretion at all times.
Why Industry Leaders Trust Valentine
80+ years of continuous operation
10-acre site with advanced logistics
24/7/365 production capacity
No debt or outside investors
Long-standing client and employee relationships; some over 25 years
Surge capacity for fast turnaround
Largest contract drum drying facility in the U.S.
Explore Our Facilities
Our Lockport campus spans 10 acres of integrated manufacturing, with an 80,000+ square foot warehouse and 5,000 square feet of climate controlled storage. Interconnected roadways ensure fast, secure movement of goods on-site, and our location just minutes from the Mississippi River chemical corridor provides immediate access to highway, nearby rail, water, and intermodal transport.
Let’s Start a Conversation
We’d love the chance to tell you more about what Valentine can do. Reach out for a process feasibility assessment, custom toll manufacturing proposal, or support with product development and scale-up.