Swedish plastics company taps Charlotte area county for its North American HQ
Swedish company Polykemi AB will make an $11.8 million investment and open its North American headquarters in Gaston County, county and state leaders said Wednesday.
The plastics company will open a plastics compounds manufacturing plant at the 350-acre Gastonia Technology Park, in north Gastonia west of Charlotte, about 1 mile from Interstate 85.
Polykemi will be in the 50,000-square-foot Maistro Speculative Building at 2800 Repi Court that is part of the park, said county spokesman Adam Gaub.
Officials did not say when the headquarters would open.
The project will create at least 22 jobs in the first five years with an average annual salary for all positions of more than $59,000, North Carolina Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said. That’s well above Gaston County’s overall average annual wage, which is about $42,000.
The state is offering a One North Carolina Fund discretionary grant of $50,000, and team with community colleges for customized training local workers, Sanders said.
When global companies like Polykemi invest in North Carolina, that helps highlight the assets the state has as it looks to continue to grow and expand, Sanders said.
Polykemi CEO Johan Hugoson said the company is a third-generation family firm started in 1968. He said it has 220 employees in Sweden, 70 in China and 10 in Europe working with the furniture and automotive industry.
“My view for the future is to grow our business expanding to new markets, and to have a successful relationship with the Charlotte area, Gaston County and new potential customers in North America,” Hugoson said.
The company creates plastic compounds that are formed into granules to be melted and injection molded for use in automotive components and household interiors, according to a statement from Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.
Seeking more expansion
Polykemi points to the future for other jobs Gaston County can attract, said Bob Hovis, Gaston County commissioner of Crowders Mountain Township.
“When you decided to locate your operations here that was a stamp of approval,” added Walker Reid, the mayor of Gastonia. “Our city has become a major player to the manufacturing and industrial marketplace.”
Last year, Dymax Corp., based in Connecticut, invested $21.5 million and planned to add 59 jobs over the next five years at the Gastonia industrial park. Average salary is $59,814 per year, according to the city.
Sanders said the Charlotte region is attractive for quick access to major international airports and seaports, and Interstates 40 and 85. More than 30 global companies from 16 countries call the region home, she said.
North Carolina has the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast with more than 470,000 people and the fifth largest plastics and chemicals industry workforce in the U.S., Sanders said.
