Flexible packaging solutions provider American Packaging Corporation (APC) completed the construction of the first phase of its new packaging manufacturing facility in the town of Chili, Monroe County, New York, US, in June 2018.
The company broke ground on the new 350,000ft² manufacturing plant in June 2017.
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The facility is being constructed in phases via an overall investment of $170m.
Phase one of the project involved an investment of more than $50m towards the development of 215,000ft² of the manufacturing site.
The new plant will be engaged in the printing and distribution of packaging products, as well as pre-formed products.
Location of American Packaging’s new manufacturing facility in Chili
The new facility is located on Beaver Road in the town of Chili in Monroe County, which is situated within the Greater Rochester area in the state of New York.
The Monroe County site was selected as the strategic location due to the availability of top-tier talent, skilled labour and state incentives.
It also offers easy access to research and development (R&D) resources at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Department of Packaging Science, which is a production and a research laboratory.
American Packaging Corporation’s new manufacturing facility was initially planned to be constructed near APC’s facilities in Iowa.
However, APC ultimately decided to build the plant in Rochester due to the tax incentives provided by the state of New York under its Upstate Revitalization Initiative and the Finger Lakes Forward plan.
Details of American Packaging’s new manufacturing facility
American Packaging Corporation’s new manufacturing facility is a metal structure comprising 30,000ft² of mezzanine space, manufacturing spaces and maintenance areas, along with mechanical and electrical spaces, and bathroom facilities.
Additionally, the plant features offices, lab areas, locker and shower rooms, and storage areas.
Work carried out under the project included site upgrades, building pad construction, domestic and fire water piping, and storm water management works.
Furthermore, the development also involved the creation of new parking and road surfaces, sanitary sewer piping, and domestic and landscaping works.
Financing for the new facility in Chili
The project was funded through performance-based incentives from New York’s Empire State Development (ESD) worth a total of $14.7m.
The incentives comprised $7.7m in Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative grants, which is a growth initiative designed to transform the regional economy, along with $7m in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits.
In addition, Rochester Gas and Electric provided more than $870,000 in funding for the development of the plant’s electric and gas infrastructure.
The project also received funding from the Monroe County government.
Benefits of American Packaging’s new manufacturing facility
The expansion project is expected to strengthen the regional economy and enable the company to support the production of more sustainable products for the grocery industry.
All of APC’s flexible packaging products offer environmental benefits as the production process uses less energy and very few resources.
The expansion is also slated to support more than 400 jobs for Monroe County residents, which includes retention of the jobs of 170 employees currently working at the company’s Rochester plant.
Contractors involved
Design and architecture company SWBR and construction services provider The Pike Company were appointed as the design-build team for the construction of the new manufacturing facility.
Marketing commentary on APC
American Packaging Corporation was originally founded in 1902 and primarily specialises in flexographic and rotogravure printing, multi-ply extrusion and adhesive lamination of film, paper, foil and pouch packaging.
The company specialises in the supply of roll stock, lidding, labels and pre-made pouches for the food and beverage, medical, pharmaceutical and personal care industries.
American Packaging Corporation operates three non-union Centres of Excellence in the US and employs more than 800 professionals, including nationwide sales representatives and field technical support personnel.
