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The World Relies on Plastics—Plastics Manufacturers Rely on Virginia
With more than 24,200 Virginians employed at nearly 200 facilities, the Commonwealth of Virginia is a rising star in the nation’s plastics industry. Since 1995, plastics companies from around the world have solidified their presence in Virginia by announcing plans of more than $885 million in capital investments and the addition of almost 7,000 new jobs. Why has Virginia had success in attracting plastics manufacturers? We offer a strategic mid-Atlantic location and superior transportation network that provides companies like yours an unparalleled operating environment. Two of the largest rail service providers in the U.S., Norfolk Southern Corporation and CSX Corporation, have extensive rail infrastructure throughout the state. Six interstate highways provide quick access to Northeast, Southeast and Midwest markets. Virginia also offers one of the largest and most successful ports on the East Coast—The Port of Virginia. As a result of advanced training and education, combined with a vast diversity of skill sets, Virginia’s workforce is one of our greatest assets, and one of business’ greatest advantages. Our workforce is ranked in the top 10 states in labor productivity. Virginia provides specialized job training opportunities through the Virginia Department of Business Assistance and through our strong, statewide network of more than 100 institutions of higher learning, including 23 community colleges. Our pro-business attitude and stable, competitive corporate tax rate provide one of the warmest business climates in the world. The Commonwealth is the northernmost right-to-work state east of the Mississippi, with manufacturing wages below the national average. The workers’ compensation burden is more than 46 percent less than the national average—third best in the U.S.—and Virginia’s unemployment tax burden is among the lowest in the nation. At 6 percent, Virginia’s corporate income tax rate has not increased since 1972. Our environmental requirements meet federal regulations, but impose no additional state-level burden. In addition,Virginia offers a substantial inventory of affordable and available industrial buildings and sites. Virginia understands that plastics manufacturing has a robust future, as its products touch virtually every area of daily life around the world. Thanks to our combination of business advantages, you don’t need to look any farther than Virginia to find the ideal home for your plastics manufacturing facility. A Leading Gateway to the World Virginia’s transportation system is a vital element in the state’s economy, providing for safe and efficient movement of people and products throughout the Commonwealth, the U.S. and the world. Rail Service Two of the nation’s largest railroads—Norfolk Southern Corporation and CSX Corporation—have extensive rail infrastructure through-out the state. With more than 3,400 miles (5,400 kilometers)of track, Virginia has one of the strongest rail networks in the nation. Direct and rapid rail service from Virginia to every point in the nation is available through Norfolk Southern and CSX.
Highways Virginia has the third largest state-maintained highway system in the country, featuring more than 70,000 miles (112,000 kilometers) of interstate, primary and secondary roads. The state is served by six major interstate routes: I-95, I-85, I-81, I-64, I-77 and I-66. Airports As the third largest trans-Atlantic gateway on the U.S. East Coast,Washington Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia offers daily nonstop service to more than 72 U.S. cities and 28 foreign destinations. Fourteen commercial airports serve Virginia with scheduled commercial service to more than 600 direct destinations around the world. The Port of Virginia The Port of Virginia and the Virginia Inland Port include facilities in Newport News, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Front Royal. This ice-free port has the deepest commercially developed shipping channels of any East Coast port. The Port is capable of handling large volumes of nearly every type of cargo. Served by more than 75 steamship lines, the Port has one of the most frequent sailing schedules on the U.S. East Coast. More than 95 percent of the world’s leading shipping lines call on the Port of Virginia. With more than 5,100 sailings annually,Virginia is linked with more than 250 ports in 100 foreign countries. Utilities that Are Plentiful, Reliable and Affordable Virginia has an abundance of power, natural gas and other business infrastructure resources necessary to succeed in today's global economy. Our energy resource pool is stable and ready to serve present and future residential, commercial and industrial needs. Our electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. In 2007, the average cost per unit of electricity for the industrial sector is 4.33 cents in Virginia, compared to 6.00 cents for the nation. Plus, Virginia's Electric Utility Restructuring Act gives residents and companies alike the option to choose energy providers. Workforce Development & Research In recognition of the constant need for a workforce prepared to deal with advancements in manufacturing technology, several Virginia colleges offer curriculums to help students pursue careers in the plastics industry, as well as conduct leading-edge research that helps expedite the transfer of research in new materials and processes to the industrial sector. Virginia Tech’s polymer program is ranked fifth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech's Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute (MII) is an inter disciplinary group of 50 faculty who are involved in various aspects of advanced polymeric materials research and education. Goals of MII include internationally recognized research, education and attraction of industry as a partner in the development and commercialization of discoveries. The Advanced and Applied Polymer Processing Institute (AAPPI), part of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, was established as an advanced, state-of-the-art polymer characterization and processing laboratory to perform rheological and thermal analysis of polymer melts and solids, as well as small-to-moderate-scale polymer processing in areas such as single and twin screw conventional and reactive extrusion (profile, film and fiber), pultrusion, injection molding, film blowing and fiber spinning. Located in Danville, its processing capabilities are directed to the scale up of new, advanced polymers to accelerate commercial applications research and development. Regional Center for Applied Technology and Training (RCATT), a division of The Danville Community College, is in the process of developing a two-year AAS degree program in Polymer Processing and Manufacturing. This program is aimed at developing polymer industry manufacturing technicians who understand the material science and various processing technologies that are associated with the manufacture of polymer materials. Graduates will have experience in extrusion,vacuum forming, injection molding, blown film production and other processes as well as the underlying science. They will also understand the selection and process characteristics of polymer materials, and their suitability for specific uses. For incumbent workers, RCATT offers individual training classes that can be taught at RCATT or at the client’s facility. Plastics Material & Specialty Fiber Manufacturing 7,381 Virginians are currently employed in the Plastics Material and Resin manufacturing sector—fourth highest in the nation—making a variety of products that supply consumers and industry throughout the world. Several of the world’s leading fiber manufacturers have facilities in Virginia. Here are just a few highlights of some of their operations: In 2005, Honeywell announced a $20 million expansion of its Richmond facility to boost production of Spectra® fiber, the strongest man-made fiber in commercial use—ten times stronger than steel, yet light enough to float. It’s a component in police and military ballistic-resistant vests, helmets and armored vehicles. DuPont has had a presence in Virginia since 1926. It now has four manufacturing sites here, representing capital investments that exceed $3.3billion. Among the products manufactured in Virginia facilities are Tyvek®, Nomex®, Zytel® and Kevlar®, vital components in a wide variety of industrial applications. In 2005, DuPont started up its first HTN high-performance polyamide continuous polymerizer plant in Richmond. Virginia is also home to leading Plastics Material manufacturers. To highlight a couple of them: Alloy Polymers, Inc., an innovative leader in providing specialty, high-value-added compounding services and solutions to the thermoplastics industry, has been located in Richmond, Virginia, since 1987 and currently employs more than 1,800 Virginians. Their products are used in nearly every industry, including automotive, small appliances, medical equipment, packaging, film, electronics, medical equipment, building and construction, leisure, fibers and wire and cable. Sartomer Company has been manufacturing oligomers and monomers in Chatham, Virginia,since 1996. Their broad line includes epoxy acrylates, urethane acrylates, polyester acrylates, acrylated acrylics and low-viscosity oligomers. Their diverse line of urethane acrylate oligomers offers a wide range of properties that formulators can use to optimize the performance of coatings or inks. Sartomer's acrylate and methacrylate monomerlines include monofunctional, difunctional, trifunctional and higher functionality products.They also offer a wide variety of ethoxylated and propoxylated monomers that offer higher molecular weights for lower skin irritation, better flexibility and faster cure speeds. In addition, Sartomer’s monomers can be tailored for water-dispersible, adhesion-promoting and pigment-dispersing applications. Plastics Film More than 3,000 Virginians are employed in the Unlaminated Plastics Film and Sheet manufacturing sector—fifth highest in the nation. Some of Virginia’s leading film manufacturers include the following: Klöckner Pentaplast of America, Inc., the largest producer of high-quality rigid films in the Americas and a major supplier of plastic film and shrink wrap, has been in Virginia since 1977 with plants in Gordonsville and Rural Retreat. In 2005, the company invested $17 million in an expansion of its Rural Retreat facility. DuPont Teijin Films, one of the world's leading suppliers of PET and PEN polyester films, employs more than 1,000 people at its Hopewell, Virginia, plant. DuPont Teijin Films specializes in film products and related services for the specialty, industrial, packaging and advanced magnetic media and photo systems, electrical and electronics markets. Virginia is also home to CPFilms Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of window film as well as the leading supplier of precision-coated films to a wide array of industries. It has facilities in Martinsville and Axton. |
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