Toray Plastics (America) Inc. is building a facility in North Kingston, R.I., to house a new automated oriented polypropylene film line that will increase capacity for packaging, label, medical and industrial applications.
The 28.5-foot (8.7-meter) line is expected to start up in 2020 as part of a growth plan launched in 2016 by the subsidiary of Toray Industries Inc. of Tokyo, which sells about $19 billion of synthetic films, fibers, textiles and chemicals annually.
In the United States, Toray Plastics makes PP, polyester, bio-based and metallized films for flexible and rigid packaging as well as PP, polyolefin and polyethylene foams for the automotive and flooring markets. With estimated sales of $440 million, the subsidiary ranks 20th among North American sheet and film extruders, according to Plastics News data.
Toray Plastics currently has two plants in North Kingston and one in Front Royal, Va.
"Toray's commitment to our customers is unwavering, and this expansion continues our path of innovation and growth," Christopher Roy, senior vice president and general manager of the Torayfan division, said in a news release.
Construction of the building for the OPP equipment follows completed projects that brought Toray Plastics a second cogeneration system, plant automation including a fully automated packaging line, and the opening of a 28,800-square-foot facility to house a new, high-speed metallizer.
