Glenville, W.Va.-based pipe extruder Flying W Plastics Inc. is investing more than $8 million to buy and renovate an industrial facility in Jacksonville, Fla., that will become its second manufacturing plant.
Founded in 1984, the privately held company plans to hire 45 employees to extrude polyethylene for the water, gas, oil, sewer, geothermal and conduit markets.
The new facility could be operating as soon as August, a company spokesman told Plastics News.
Flying W also is under consideration for a $100,000 infrastructure grant. The company is seeking public investment from the Northwest Jacksonville Economic Development Fund for bringing an on-site rail spur back on line and increasing the capacity of the building's electrical system.
The company put $350,000 toward those site improvements and it also will invest in new manufacturing equipment and other upgrades to the facility.
Company officials were evaluating two locations in the Southeastern U.S. to serve new and existing customers, according to a budget transfer request going before the Jacksonville City Council.
A project summary given to the council describing its benefits says "supporting Flying W's project will expand Jacksonville's higher wage job opportunities and tax base, in a Level 1 distressed area in northwest Jacksonville."
The jobs will pay an average annual wage of $45,429 and be in place by Dec. 31, 2021. If Flying W receives the grant, it must create at least 28 new jobs, which will bring the Jacksonville area additional payroll of more than $1.27 million annually, excluding benefits.
The other site Flying W considered was in Georgia, the company spokesman said.