Riverdale Global is expanding and upgrading its stake in the southeastern United States with a new manufacturing facility.
Riverdale has acquired a building in High Point, N.C., and is installing milling equipment and other machinery to make liquid colorants and additives. The operation will begin production by the end of the year with full-scale production scheduled for 2018, said Riverdale President Paul Maguire in a phone interview from his company's Aston, Pa., headquarters.
"It will have all the technical capabilities of our New Jersey operation," Maguire said. "It will provide redundancy desired by brand owners."
The High Point operation will replace Riverdale's satellite service facility in Statesville, N.C. It had been leasing that 15,000-square-foot facility. Color and additives production is currently centered in the firm's Perth Amboy, N.J., operation, which will continue.
Riverdale is investing about $4 million in the new operation, including building acquisition, renovation and equipment. The firm bought an existing 200,000-square-foot building and will use about two thirds of it, leasing back the rest to its former owner.
Maguire said the location has several advantages to serve the region. The facility has rail access, and costs of labor and property are lower than some other locations considered.
"Our manufacturing needs more space," Maguire explained.
Riverdale has more than 50 years of liquid color experience in the plastics industry. It makes colorants from pre-milled pigment dispersions to ensure consistency and quality. It also supplies additives in liquid form that allow precise metering and high dispersion. Using liquid colorants and additives promotes fast color change, less downtime and requires less energy in processing, according to Riverdale. Returnable containers support sustainability efforts among customers and a customer's obsolete pigments can be shipped to Riverdale which will direct them to a disposal facility approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.