North Bergen, N.J.-based W.Y. Industries Inc. will soon start making plastic containers at its new location, in Newnan, Ga.
``We expect phase-one production to be online by the end of August or early September,'' Brian Buchalski, vice president of operations, said in an Aug. 2 phone interview.
He said six injection presses with around 500 metric tons of clamping force are in place, and two are on order. The factory will make polypropylene and polyethylene containers for takeout foods. Brian said privately held W.Y. Industries supplies cups, trays, bowls and lids to restaurants.
W.Y. Industries expects to employ 30-40 workers in the molding facility by year's end.
``We are actively involved in the preparation,'' he said.
The plant will use about 80,000 square feet in the former Olsonite building. The building measures 225,750 square feet in total and is shared by two other companies.
The plastics molding plant, a wholly owned division of W.Y. Industries, is receiving an initial investment of $12 million to $14 million.
In future phases of the project, W.Y. Industries also will be processing food condiments such as soy sauce with its Chinese partner, Lehui Enterprise Inc., a food and beverage equipment supplier based in Ningbo.
Brian said the condiment-processing joint venture is named Kingwasong LLC. It will be the first Chinese manufacturing operation to open in Georgia, according to a news release by the Coweta County Development Authority.
Bill Cheng, president of W.Y. Industries, told local media in announcing the project in June that the building, local infrastructure, airport and growth of the Southeast marketplace ``were all factors we took into consideration during our decision-making process.''