Fertile Fields for Plastics

Ohio ranks No. 1 in plastics industry employment, and the industry's 100,000 jobs represent 10 percent of the nation's plastic work force. At $15 billion a year, Ohio also ranks first in plastic products shipments. It is No. 1 in value of plastics processing machinery, churning out more than the total of the next three highest states combined. To support the industry's growth, new plastics plants continue to pop up across the state. In fact, Ohio ranked No. 1 in new plants and expansions to serve the plastics industry for the last two years running.

Plastics and such other engineered materials as rubber products, glass and fiberglass are key targets for the state. True, much of the plastics industry is centered in the Polymer Valley of Northeast Ohio and elsewhere. But with Ohio's excellent transportation and communications systems, technical assistance is just a short drive, phone call or internet link away.

That's why makers of plastics and other engineered materials find fertile ground in Southern Ohio.

Fiberglass reinforces plastic at the Goodyear plant in Jackson County. The mix is made into components for autos and trucks.

Goodyear, for example, located in Jackson County three decades ago as part of the Goodyear Aerospace Division. Says Bob Tinker, plant manager, "The area was attractive in terms of land prices, labor climate and energy costs through the municipal system. Goodyear had a lot of operations in Ohio, so having another site here made a lot of sense." Goodyear and others also like the fact that the county's two largest cities -- Jackson and Wellston -- are the only ones in Ohio without an income tax.

The plant produces fiberglass-reinforced plastic components for the exterior structures of autos and heavy trucks. The front ends show up on cars like the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis. Front end reinforcements go on the Windstar minivan and the Town Car, the Continental and other luxury models. In addition, the plant makes hood assemblies for Ford's medium and heavy truck lines.

The plant is currently undergoing expansion to handle additional truck goods production.

"Goodyear had plenty of places it could spend its money," says Tinker. "But we were able to convince the company of the profitability of this location, based on quality, cost, service and ease of shipping to the customer in Louisville.

To help with the expansion Goodyear received a property tax abatement, training grants, job creation tax credits and the possibility of a low-interest loan.

The $11 million expansion involves floor space for large compression presses and assembly and manufacturing space.

To select the 50 new employees it will need, Goodyear uses referrals from the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services. Goodyear lists specifications and qualifications that are matched with job-seekers in the OBES database.

"We typically have more to interview than we can handle," says Tinker, noting that these are all skilled jobs.

The Jackson plant uses "cellular manufacturing" -- people and equipment are grouped together to work on a product from start to finish. "The nature of that type of operation requires that the group have some chemistry, that they understand each other's jobs and that they be able to communicate with each other," says Tinker.

Tinker praises the Southern Ohio work ethic. "There's a high sense of individualism," he says. "But with that comes a high sense of energy and commitment. They speak their piece, but once they make up their mind they become very focused. That's why we're building this expansion -- it's an ideal place to build a plant. These people can work the socks off the people in some other plants I've been in."

It might have been divine intervention that led Jeff Keller and Gary Parsley into the vinyl window business in Portsmouth.

Their company, Vinyl Kraft, was an outgrowth of their building supply business. The company was selling vinyl windows made by others but wasn't happy with the quality or the price. One day, when Keller was helping build a church, it occurred to him that something special was needed to bless the church.

Vinyl Kraft's plant and manufacturing processes in Scioto County have been showcased to foreign businessmen. A group from the Ukraine spent a week at the plant to learn how to make vinyl windows. Back home, they will set up in a former missile guidance systems facility, under a U.S. government-sanctioned plan to convert wartime plants to peaceful uses.

"The idea of the vinyl windows just came to me," Keller says. "We mortgaged our building supply business and our homes to start the window business. It was a giant step of faith." In the building supply business, Keller sold only 2,000 windows a year. They knew that to break even in the vinyl window business they needed to increase the volume to 10,000 a year. The company, which built its first windows in 1992, now makes 60,000 windows a year with 120 employees. Vinyl Kraft sells to wholesalers and to building contractors east of the Mississippi..

"The Portsmouth area has a labor force available, particularly in non-skilled labor which is what our factory work force is drawn from," says Parsley. "We've been able to get some really good people."