Plastek Industries is planning to add a consumer products division based in Richmond County, a move that will create several manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania (click here).

Plastek Industries say they will pay its workers an average annual wage of $32,800. The average wage in Richmond County is $26,600.

The company makes plastic packaging for such consumer and personal care items as deodorant sticks.

Plastek was started by Joseph Prischak in 1956 in Erie, Pa. as a tool manufacturer, Perdue said. It expanded into the plastics industry in the 1970’s.

According to YourDailyJournal.com, Pennsylvania plastics manufacturer is planning to bring 250 jobs and a $19 million investment to Richmond County over the next three years.

The location of the new plant is not known. The company is working to close a real estate deal on the property.

During her remarks, Perdue said the rural counties in the state, “the counties we love,” have struggled the most throughout the economic recession.

“These are big jobs - they are really important jobs,” Perdue said, flanked by N.C. Sen. Bill Purcell and Rep. Melanie Wade Goodwin at the podium. “The announcement I am going to make today is equal to 2,000 or 3,000 jobs being added to an urban area.”

Richmond County Manager Rick Sago said the company has told him the first jobs should come within six months of Monday’s announcement.

Plastek Industries Vice President of Manufacturing Daniel Prischak said the company will improve its distribution capabilities by adding operations in Richmond County.

“The location in North Carolina was very important in making this happen,” Prischak said after the announcement. “From a financial aspect, the incentives and tax credits we received were also extremely important. (My impression of this area is also) very good, and we think very highly of Hamlet and of Richmond County.”

At the podium, Prischak said the company is looking forward to opening operations here, “and plans to be here for a long time.”

He said the company employs between 1,500 and 2,000 people, but likes to consider itself a small, family-run business.

“This is an area that we looked at, and we saw the potential for growth,” Prischak said of choosing Richmond County for the expansion. “The excellent workforce (Gov. Perdue) talked about definitely came into play as well.”

Jobs in Pennsylvania are opening up every day,

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 at 10:57 pm and is filed under Jobs, Manufacturing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.