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Plastics manufacturer Manner Polymers cut the ribbon at its new 108,000-square-foot, 100% solar-powered manufacturing facility in Mount Vernon, Illinois.
The plant will make electric vehicle PVC compounds, components for solar panels and materials for a wide range of industries. The company expects the project to expand its production capacity to 100 million pounds and create more than 60 jobs.
According to Manner Polymers, the solar-powered PVC compounding plant will use clean energy generated on-site.
The company serves a broad range of markets, including automotive, appliance, construction, telecommunications, industrial, medical and agriculture. Its flexible PVC compounds are used in creating vehicle components such as primary wire, battery cable wire, brake and trailer cable wire, electrical connectors, wire harnesses, plugs and over-mold terminators.
“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,” Manner Polymers CEO Raj Bhargava said. “Our objective is to build the lowest cost, highest quality, most environmentally sustainable flexible PVC compounding plant in the world.”
Supported by a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) incentive package, Manner Polymers invested $54 million into the construction of the facility.
As part of the incentive package, the State of Illinois also provided $2.5 million in infrastructure for a new rail spur, which provides direct access to Southern Illinois’ network of rail as well as the ability to easily move goods across the country.
Manner Polymers joins other clean energy manufacturers that have recently chosen to expand or establish their business in Illinois, including Richardson Electronics, Adient and Pure Lithium.
