A Colorado-based lubricant maker plans to move its corporate headquarters and establish a regional base at the Port of Vicksburg. 

CAM2 International LLC, the largest independent bulk lubricant supplier in the United States, issued a release Monday that announced the privately-held petroleum products manufacturer has purchased the former Shell Lubricants oil-blending plant at 685 Haining Road. The company eyes the 93,000-square-foot building as its prime blending and packaging operation for the Southern U.S.

“After careful consideration, our team concluded that the City of Vicksburg and its port facilities were a perfect fit for a growing CAM2,” read part of a statement from company president Walter Tyson, who touted the spot on the slack-water Vicksburg Harbor for low-cost access to its customers. “The location in Vicksburg aligns perfectly with our passion to become the most reliable lubricant supplier in the world.”

An opening ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the facility, which is between the Vicksburg Water Treatment Plant and Magnolia Marine Transport Co. Operations at the restarted plant could begin in June with 35 employees at first and plans to hire up to 60 within two years, according to published reports Wednesday. CAM2, which is moving from the Denver suburb of Evergreen, also has a blending facility in Hammond, Ind.

The company is “a perfect fit” for the building, said Wayne Mansfield, executive director of the Warren County Port Commission. He added the company has indicated it could add a number of former Shell employees to its staffing mix.

Among them is Lois Vinson, also a former staffer with the Vicksburg Warren County Chamber of Commerce. Warren County Board of Supervisors president Bill Lauderdale said during an address to the Vicksburg Lions Club on Wednesday that Vinson would be an office manager at the facility once it opens.

“I’m glad to see Lois get a promotion with them,” Lauderdale said. “We’re excited about them.”

The site has a full-line manufacturing plant that can handle more than 100 million gallons of oil annually, as well as a warehouse the company said in its release is state-of-the-art.

The CAM2 brand of lubricant products began in 1975 with high-end oils used in auto racing. Theirs was the first multi-viscosity oil to win the Indianapolis 500, according the company. Its independent brand of motor oil boasts 275 products and a network of more than 900 distributors in 22 countries.