Polyethics to Invest $41 Million in First U.S. Plant, a 155,000 SF Ohio Retrofit

Canadian plastic bag manufacturer Polyethics Industries will invest more than $41 million to convert an existing 155,000-square-foot building in Antwerp, Ohio into its first U.S. manufacturing plant, with a commitment to hire 250 people. JobsOhio announced the project on October 6 and is supporting the facility upgrades with a Revitalization Grant JobsOhio.

What Happened

Polyethics, established in 1991, makes household trash bags, heavy-duty contractor bags, commercial can liners and agricultural mulch films, mainly for private-label customers JobsOhio. Until now its U.S. presence has been limited to brokering, selling and buying plastic for recycling JobsOhio. The Antwerp plant in Paulding County, in northwest Ohio, changes that.

The project is a retrofit, not new construction. The company will upgrade an existing 155,000-square-foot facility, starting with bag converting. Film extrusion and other manufacturing capabilities are planned for later phases Area Development. Other improvements will be phased in to support equipment installation, production flow, utilities and future capacity JobsOhio.

Local reporting identifies the site as 5278 Road 424 in Antwerp and says Keller Logistics owns and refurbished the former Dana/Boston Weatherhead facility there West Bend News.

Jobs and Incentives

• Investment: more than $41 million JobsOhio.
• Jobs: 250 full-time-equivalent positions, with $12 million in new annual payroll expected by December 31, 2030 Office of the Governor of Ohio.
• State tax credit: a 1.437%, eight-year Job Creation Tax Credit approved by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority Office of the Governor of Ohio.
• Grant: a JobsOhio Revitalization Grant toward facility upgrades. The amount has not been disclosed JobsOhio.

The tax credit was one of five approved by the authority and announced on September 28. Together the five projects are expected to create 1,173 jobs and more than $431 million in investment across Ohio Office of the Governor of Ohio. The others in that group include a Sebang Lithium Battery plant in Jeffersonville with 443 jobs and a Walmart distribution center in Warren County with 315 jobs Office of the Governor of Ohio.

Why Antwerp

According to JobsOhio, the company chose the site for a suitable industrial building with space for an initial converting operation and room to add manufacturing later, along with transportation routes, the regional workforce and potential rail service JobsOhio. Chief Executive Derek Rynard said growing demand from U.S. customers made the case for domestic production, and that the plant will let the company respond faster and control its own production and delivery schedules JobsOhio.

Partners named in the announcement include Paulding County Economic Development, the Regional Growth Partnership, JobsOhio, Keller Logistics Group, the Village of Antwerp and Carryall Township Area Development.

Where Things Stand

No opening date or construction schedule has been released. Hiring is described as taking place over several years, with converting operations starting as equipment is installed and employees are hired and trained JobsOhio. The announcements do not name a general contractor, engineer or equipment suppliers.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

• Industrial owners: this is a second-generation building doing the work a greenfield site might have done a few years ago. A refurbished shell with rail potential and room to grow let a foreign manufacturer commit quickly. Owners holding older industrial buildings should take note of what Keller did to make the property ready for a tenant.
• Manufacturers: phasing converting first and extrusion later spreads capital and lets revenue start before the heaviest process equipment arrives. It also means the building has to be planned on day one for loads, power and utilities it will not need until later.
• Contractors: plastics extrusion brings significant electrical demand, process cooling, compressed air, resin handling and often silos and rail unloading. Retrofit work of this kind is driven by utilities and equipment coordination more than by architecture, and it is usually done while earlier phases are in production.
• Subs: electrical, mechanical, process piping, millwright and rigging trades carry most of the scope on a project like this, with slab, pit and foundation work where equipment requires it.

What to Watch

• The schedule for the first converting lines and the start of hiring.
• Timing and scope of the extrusion phase, which is the larger utility and equipment step.
• Whether rail service to the site moves from potential to planned.
• Disclosure of the JobsOhio grant amount.

Bottom Line

A $41 million retrofit with 250 jobs is a significant project for a village the size of Antwerp, and it is an example of a manufacturer moving production closer to U.S. customers and choosing an existing building to do it. The construction opportunity is in the upgrades, and most of it sits in power, process and equipment.

Related Coverage

• Blue Origin Plans $550M Texas Campus as Six Plant Projects Top $950 Million
• Bell & Evans Plans $152 Million Expansion of Lebanon County Poultry Plant, 382 Jobs

Image credit: JobsOhio. Image from the source article. JobsOhio.

Sources

• JobsOhio, Canadian Manufacturer to Open First U.S. Facility in Northwest Ohio: https://www.jobsohio.com/newsroom/news-press/canadian-manufacturer-to-open-first-us-facility-in-northwest-ohio
• Area Development, Canadian-Based Polyethics Industries Plans Antwerp, Ohio, Manufacturing Operations: https://www.areadevelopment.com/newsItems/10-7-2026/polyethics-industries-antwerp-ohio.shtml
• Office of the Governor of Ohio, Governor DeWine Announces 5 Projects Set to Create 1,173 Jobs, More Than $431 Million in Investments: https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/dewine-announces-5-projects-set-to-create-1173-jobs-more-than-431-million-in-investments
• West Bend News, Polyethics Industries Inc. Selects Antwerp, Ohio for First U.S. Manufacturing Operation: https://www.westbendnews.net/autonews/polyethics-industries-inc-selects-antwerp-ohio-for-first-u-s-manufacturing-operation/