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.

Charles Mills served as president and managing director of the company until his death in January 1929.

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.

Eight individual lots were sold to company officials, who had houses built (by unknown contractors).

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.