Selma is getting greener. ALGIX, LLC, a bio-resin production facility for aquatic biomass processing and compounding, announced its decision to locate in Dallas County Friday. The company will convert algae into bioplastic resin for packaging, agricultural, horticultural and industrial applications.

And the best part about this new business, ALGIX Executive Sales Manager John Dekker said, is “it’s completely green.”

“At the same time we’re providing jobs, we also feel it’s important that we’re providing a new green industry as well,” Dekker said. “It’ll help the environment, it’ll help the people, and of course it’s going to help our company grow as well — I think it’s going to be a great relationship.”

ALGIX, an Athens, Ga. based company, plans to invest $550,000 at the former Gold Kist location on U.S. Highway 80 West and employ 40 people when it reached full operation.

Wayne Vardaman, executive director of the Selma and Dallas County Economic Development Authority, said ALGIX will provide jobs for many and also hopefully attract more green industries to the area.

“We’re glad they decided to locate here,” Vardaman said. “And it’s just an added bonus that they’re environment-friendly.”

Dekker said the basic premise of the industry is taking algae, drying it, and compounding it into a plastic-like material.

“Once we get the dry algae, we can do something called milling and compounding, which just further processes it,” Dekker said. “And once we get it to the formulation we need, we can compound it with other resins and that’s what we’ll be making.”

Once the material is compounded, Dekker said ALGIX will sell it to other companies who will use it for various uses, such as consumer electronics construction, automotive applications, as well as carpet and flooring.

“The great thing we’re going to offer is new jobs and opportunities for the local community — that’s number one,” Dekker said.