Tax credits help lure solar-powered manufacturing plant, 60 new jobs to southern Illinois
A new manufacturing plant in southern Illinois will create more than 60 jobs for the region and $54 million in new investment, according to state and local leaders.
And it will operate 100% on solar energy, thanks to a 15-acre field of solar panels near the site.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker was in Mount Vernon Thursday morning to announce construction of the 85,000-square-foot Manner Polymers’ plant in Mount Vernon. The facility will produce flexible PVC products, including parts of electric vehicles and solar panels, according to a release from the governor’s office.
Costs for the construction will be offset by a $4.6 million in state tax credit incentive through the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois program, according to the incentive agreement.
“I couldn’t be prouder to announce that Manner Polymers has selected Illinois for their new 80,000 square foot, 100% solar-powered facility to manufacture electric vehicle PVC compounds, components for solar panels, and compounds for a variety of other industries,” Pritzker said during prepared remarks. “Thanks to a talented local workforce, the coordination of state and local officials creating policies to help grow our economy, and our newly created REV Illinois incentive program, companies like Manner Polymers are making their way to the Land of Lincoln to take part in our growing manufacturing ecosystem and clean energy revolution.”
McKinney, Texas- based Manner Polymers is one of the largest producers of PVC compounds in North America, according to its website. The new plant will push its annual production over 100 million pounds, the company states.
Flexible PVC is a material used in creating vehicle components such as primary wire, battery cable wire, brake cable wire, and trailer cable wire, as well as electrical connectors, wire harnesses, plugs, and over-mold terminators, the release stated.
The company anticipates the plant will be operational by fall of 2025.
According to Manner Polymers CEO Raj Bhargava, the company considered locations in Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee before ultimately settling on Mount Vernon. It chose that location, he said, because of the workforce, railroad access and the state incentives.
“Not only will we incorporate the most advanced manufacturing control systems available, but we will also produce substantially all of the electricity that we use,”he said. “Our objective is to build the lowest cost, highest quality, most environmentally sustainable flexible PVC compounding plant in the world.”
According to the incentives agreement, Manner Polymers must create at least 32 jobs at the facility by 2027.
The incentives contract stipulates that those employees will have to be paid at least 120% of the average wage of workers in similar jobs. That specific amount is not included in the agreement.
The incentives package awarded Manner Polymers is the second such deal given through the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois program. TCCI Manufacturing in Decatur, Illinois, a manufacturer of electric compressors for electric vehicles received a $2.2 million incentive through the program in July 2022.
