Business Facilities - April 2008 - (Page P-2)

With all this in mind, it seems great opportunities lie ahead for both the North American plastics and medical device industries, whose convergence promises to spawn many more breakthroughs. Here are some locations that have much to offer companies in both these burgeoning industries. Andreas Schulze Ising, an executive at Mehler Engineered Products’ North American headquarters in Martinsville-Henry County, VA, showcases the company’s dipped cord product, which can be found in high-performance tires, fire hoses, and conveyor belts, among other things. Mississippi: Movers and Shakers in the Plastics Industry Mississippi has experienced major growth in the plastics, polymer, and chemical industries over the last decade. In fact, Business Facilities includes one of the most advanced recently ranked Mississippi among rapid prototyping systems in the the 20 hottest plastics locations and world. In addition, the University of one of the 20 top-value sites for plas- Mississippi offers a pultrusion techtics companies in the United States. nology program, and Mississippi State The state also ranks 33rd among the University has a wood products labostates in the number of processing ratory that provides training imporplants and eighth in per capita tant to the plastics/polymer industry. employment in the polymer industry. Learn more about how your busiAlready, more than 350 plastics/ ness can grow in Mississippi by visitpolymer companies are located in the ing www.mississippi.org. state, including BASF, E.I. Dupont de Nemours, GE Plastics, Sunbeam A Virginia Plastics Pioneer Martinsville-Henry County, VA Oster, and Wellman, to name a few. In addition, more than 100 chemical- knows plastics. It’s home to industry related companies have facilities in leaders such as Solutia, Inc./CP Films, Mississippi. All together, around Inc.; Commonwealth Laminating and 25,600 people in the state are Coating, Inc.; Applied Felts, Inc.; and employed in either the plastics, Tri-State Foam Products, Inc. The county’s polymer, or chemiA researcher at Mississippi’s Polymer strategic location cal industries; this Institute at Southern Miss reduces transportanumber is expected tion time and cost to grow by 4.7% for product delivery. through 2010. With five interstates A multi-level and two major aireducational infraports within 50 structure contrimiles, plus access to butes to MissisNorfolk Southern sippi’s success in the rail service and the plastics industry. U.S. News and Port of Virginia, World Report rankcompanies have ed the University of Southern Missis- access to a multitude of reliable shipsippi’s (Southern Miss) graduate pro- ping options. gram in polymer science as one of the Located only 35 miles from top 10 in the nation. Southern Miss’ Martinsville-Henry County, the Polymer Research Institute also Advanced and Applied Polymer ProP-2 cessing Institute (AAPPI), part of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, is a national research and engineering center of excellence providing strategic contract research arrangements, as well as state-of-theart analytical, processing, and testing services for the polymer manufacturing, processing, and converting industries. A primary focus of the center is to strengthen polymer-based companies by enhancing their production efficiency, profitability, product quality, and global competitiveness. With its pro-business attitude, a multitude of available sites, and a skilled workforce, MartinsvilleHenry County has all the assets in place to help your company thrive. For more information about the area, call 276-403-5940 or visit www.YesMartinsville/plastics. PHOTO CREDITS: THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; MARTINSVILLE-HENRY COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Laurens County: A Center of Excellence for Manufacturers With a wide array of advanced manufacturing and high-tech industry sectors, and some of the world’s largest companies calling the county home, Laurens County, SC has become a powerhouse in cuttingedge manufacturing. Currently, the county’s largest industry is plastics; some of the plastics companies that already call the area home include ISO Poly Films, Inc.; Beden-Baugh Products; Lacks A S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N O F B U S I N E S S FA C I L I T I E S , M O D E R N P L A S T I C S , A N D M D & D I http://www.mississippi.org http://www.yesmartinsville.com/plastics

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Business Facilities - April 2008

Business Facilities - April 2008 Contents First Word Snapshots Corporate Moves: Ohio Businesses On the Move Corporate Moves: Nebraska If You Build It, They Will Come A Tale of Two Industries Economic Transformation In the Islands Diversity: A New York State of Mind Growing in the Sun Key Kansas Industries Get a Boost How To Choose the Right Commercial Real Estate Broker Missouri Downtowns Dare to Dream Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - April 2008

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