PGI to Expand Va. Manufacturing Plant

Polymer Group Inc. (PGI) recently announced that it will spend approximately $8 million to upgrade machinery and expand its manufacturing plant in Waynesboro, Va. The company will also hire up to 20 new employees as part of its ongoing commitment to invest in new technologies to better serve its customers and drive global growth.

The investment in the Waynesboro plant, along with the recent acquisition of Fiberweb, expands PGI's spunmelt capabilities and increases PGI's filtration portfolio to include production and development assets for two nanofiber technologies.

Once the investment is complete, PGI will be one of the only nonwovens companies able to produce every component needed to make synthetic composites for enhanced mechanical filtration applications. Using these synthetic composites, PGI will initially target the fluid power, facemask, automotive cabin air, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) markets. 

"Filtration is a core business for PGI, and we're dedicated to accelerating growth in this critical segment," said PGI CEO J. Joel Hackney Jr. "The investment in Waynesboro will allow us to continue on our path of innovation in the technologies we use to serve the filtration segment, as we work to create a safer, cleaner, healthier world for our families and communities."

PGI will refurbish more than 20,000 square feet of the Waynesboro plant, upgrade an existing research and development machine used to create proprietary filtration technology, install two additional assets and improve the existing quality lab with state-of-the-art equipment.

The city of Waynesboro is providing tax reimbursement incentives for all new machinery and tools purchased for this project. The new additions are scheduled to be completed by July 2014.

Based in Charlotte, N.C., PGI is a global supplier to leading consumer and industrial product manufacturers, operating 20 facilities in 13 countries with approximately 4,000 employees. For more information, visit www.polymergroupinc.com.