Blown film maker Petoskey Plastics Inc. is expanding into Texas to keep up with increased demand, announcing plans for a $30 million plant in suburban Dallas.
The facility in McKinney, Texas, will include both extruding and converting lines, the Petoskey, Mich.-based company said in a March 23 news release.
"This expansion is an exciting one for us," Chairman and CEO Paul Keiswetter said in the release. "We are greatly increasing our ability to service current customers and adding new opportunities for our growing sustainable product lines, while operating in a highly desirable location with a small-town feel."
Petoskey's blown film products include trash bags, construction sheeting and automotive seat covers. It also has in-house recycling and uses recycled content in its products.
The McKinney plant will allow the company to boost output by 15 percent during the next 12 months. The COVID-19 pandemic "pushed the company over capacity," Petoskey Plastics said. It currently has production in Petoskey; Hartford City, Ind.; and Morristown, Tenn.
The 53,000-square-foot facility was previously used as a warehouse. Petoskey already has plans to expand it, with an additional 40,000-60,000 square feet for converting and warehouse space plus nine material silos and rail spurs, set for completion by August 2022.
Petoskey Plastics is No. 48 among film and sheet makers in North America, according to Plastics News' ranking, with sales of $150 million. It is No. 79 among North American recyclers, with 32.2 million pounds of polyethylene reprocessed. The company was Plastics News' Processor of the Year in 2017.
"This facility will give us the opportunity to be closer to our raw material suppliers in the Gulf and will help us service our West Coast customers," Keiswetter said. "We will be cutting our delivery time in half for both raw material and finished goods and will be more competitive, overall. This plant will start production as early as April and receive the most state-of-the-art equipment available in the blown film market space over the coming months."