Plastics Firm to Build $45 Million Plant

Plastipak hopes plant in Pineville will be operational in early 2004.

The company that makes plastic bottles for Pepsi and Coke is coming to Pineville to make bottles for Procter & Gamble to fill with liquid detergent.

Plastipak Packaging Inc. of Plymouth, Mich., announced Tuesday that it will build a $45 million plant to make plastic bottles.

The Plastipak plant, which expects to be in full production within a year, will help the Pineville P&G plant as it completes its expansion. The Pineville P&G plant will make liquid detergent in addition to the dry detergent the local plant has produced for decades.

The Plastipak plant will be built on a 62-acre site adjacent to the P&G plant.

Mitch Kastein, special projects manager for Plastipak, said "Phase One" of the company's presence in central Louisiana will be a 500,000-square-foot facility.

He said the plant will cost more than $45 million and will employ more than 100 workers. An unspecified number of workers will be hired for the construction phase.

The initial group of employees will range from utility laborers to people with highly technical skills.

Plastipak officials said that as automation comes on line, the jobs will become more technically oriented.

Kastein said the plant hopes to come on-line some time in the first quarter of 2004 and be in full production by the middle of the year.

Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Hutchinson, who was in Pineville for the announcement, told Kastein that using the term "Phase One" implied a "Phase Two."

Kastein replied that while Plastipak's initial phase will be a partnership with Procter & Gamble, he hopes the company will attract enough business from other firms to merit expansion here.

Todd Hoffman, P&G plant manager, began Tuesday's announcement by saying the company was "sharing good news."

He called the arrangement "a strategic partnership" with "a key supplier."

Kastein and other Plastipak officials presented information on their company.

It has 14 plants, 12 in North America and two in Brazil. Most of its U.S. operations are in the Midwest, though it has two plants in Texas.

Among the customers for Plastipak's plastic bottles are Pepsi, Coke, Tropicana, Kraft Foods, ExxonMobil and Johnson & Johnson.

The company makes extensive use of recycled plastic for the middle layer of its three-layer bottles.

Kastein said it may be able to help area communities with recycling collection and sales.

Plastipak already serves P&G, and officials said the two companies "fit like hand in glove."

Plastipak's first work in its new Pineville plant will be producing plastic bottles for P&G liquid detergent, including Tide, Cheer, Era and Gain.

Officials of the two companies praised cooperation by state government, Cleco and the England Authority in bringing the plant to Pineville.

Andy Kaufman, representing Gov. Mike Foster, thanked Plastipak for coming to the state.

He said the new plant embodies three state economic initiatives - Choose Louisiana, business clusters and the Quality Jobs Program.

Hutchinson said the state is providing a rail spur to help attract the Plastipak plant.

He commended the work of Cleco's Mike Sibley and P&G's Bonnie Lemoine in facilitating the planning.

Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields noted that many of the state officials who were present Tuesday had also been here nine months ago when P&G announced its expansion plans.

"We enjoy your visits," Fields said.

The meeting ended with all those present being told to pick up a "gift," as they left -- specially printed bottles of Tide liquid detergent commemorating the announcement and indicating Plastipak's plans to be up and running in 2004. Louisiana Herald Tribune

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