Ethyl Corporation Plant, Texas

This plant, one of two owned by the Ethyl company in the USA (the other is in Richmond, Virginia) makes fuel additives. The Ethyl Company was founded by General Motors and Standard Oil in 1923, to produce Tetraethyl lead (TEL) which was discovered to significantly reduce engine knock when added to gasoline. Leaded gasoline became the norm for decades, before the pollution it produced provoked legislation to ban it. A few companies still market TEL for use in aviation and auto racing, including the Ethyl Corporation. It is owned by the NewMarket Corporation of Virginia.