The company is located on Apache Powder Road, in an unincorporated area outside St. David, Arizona.

[4] The plant's location, and the Southern Pacific Railroad stop there, were referred to as Curtiss, Arizona in the 1920s.

This was a cooperative venture by several large mines in the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico.

The dry climate of southern Arizona "was considered beneficial to the production of high-grade powder".

Another benefit of the location was the hilly terrain that provided natural protection from explosions for the buildings used in production.

[9] In response to changes in mining technology, the product line expanded to include blasting agents based on ammonium nitrate and nitric acid in the 1940s.

[2] In the 1990s the company was also producing detonating cord and ammonium nitrate solution for agricultural fertilizer.

Because of the risk of sparks causing an explosion in a dynamite manufacturing plant, mules initially pulled freight.

[9][11] Apache Powder purchased seven of these locomotives, which could run for an hour on 400 °F (204 °C) steam after being charged at a boiler located a safe distance away from the working areas of the complex.

[12] The company was connected to the national rail network by a 1.3 miles (2.1 km) long spur to the nearby El Paso and Southwestern Railroad.

An operator noticed a problem and initiated a warning system; he and other workers were able to run to safety before the explosion.

The site includes approximately 9 sq mi (23 km2) or 945 acres (382 ha)[18] and contains groundwater contaminated with arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, and perchlorate.

A 1.75 acres (0.71 ha) parcel on the north side of the street was used as a park and legally transferred in the 1960s by the company to the City of Benson.