Coroplast plans to invest approximately $15 million. The company will immediately begin setting up operations while simultaneously expanding the building by 40,000 square feet. Operations at the facility are expected to commence early 2001.

The Vanceburg facility will be Coroplast's third North American plant in addition to operations in Granby, Quebec, and Dallas, Texas. Coroplast, wholly owned by The Jim Pattison Group based in Vancouver, Canada, initially plans to hire at least 50 employees. Using highly specialized extrusion lines imported from Italy, the company will manufacture corrugated plastic sheet used in signage and reusable packaging applications. The new Vanceburg plant will open with two extrusion lines and produce approximately 12 million pounds of corrugated polypropylene plastic a year.

Coroplast's parent company, The Jim Pattison Group, is a well diversified company. The Vanceburg location is the second Pattison company to open a plant in Kentucky. Montebello Packaging in Lebanon was the first.

Kenny Clark/Lewis County Herald
Vanceburg Mayor W.T. Cooper, left, talks with Coroplast Vice President and General Manager Jack Graham during a visit to the Dallas, Texas, facility.

New industry was team effort
By Dennis Brown
Following months of negotiations and discussions with Coroplast, Inc., and its parent company, The Jim Pattison Group, local officials said they were elated after hearing the official announcement that the company would be locating here.

Each of the officials also said that more economic development is on the way for Lewis County.

Dennis Brown/Lewis County Herald
Officials from Coroplast and The Jim Pattison Group visited the Stolle-Deerfield building in the Black Oak Industrial Park as they were considering company expansion. Pictured, left to right, are Vanceburg Mayor W.T. Cooper, The Jim Pattison Group Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer Kirk Henderson, Coroplast Director of Finance Barbara Stone, and Coroplast Vice President and General Manager Jack Graham.

The officials agreed that landing the project was a team effort and praised Coroplast and The Jim Pattison Group executives for their willingness to locate the facility in Lewis County.

Mayor W.T. Cooper noted that: "There has been a strong effort in getting Coroplast, Inc., to locate in the Vanceburg/Lewis County Industrial Park from Gov. Patton, Secretary Gene Strong, State Economic Development staff, Department of Local Government, Steve Miller and staff of Buffalo Trace Area Development District, Judge Executive George Plummer, members of the fiscal court, members of the Lewis County Industrial Authority, members of the city council, Superintendent of Utilities Phil Kennedy, CSX Railroad and Kenny Clark."

"We have all worked together to make this project a reality for the citizens of our community," he added. "This is a new beginning for industrial growth for our community and we all must work as a team for the betterment of our citizens. The state motto is clear and to the point. United we stand and divided we fall."

State Senator Charlie Borders said Lewis County has good local leadership and the staff of the Buffalo Trace ADD has provided top-notch efforts in working to attract industry to Lewis County. He said Gov. Patton and Secretary Strong have been aware of the county's situation for some time and have been involved in efforts to attract industry here.

Borders said a recent session of the general assembly resulted in direct benefits for the county, including funding of more than $4 million for the connector road at the industrial park, a state park study and the railroad spur at the Black Oak Industrial Park.

By Dennis Brown

While local officials are elated that Coroplast, Inc., is locating here, they say the venture will be mutually beneficial.

"They'll be getting some of the best workers in the world," said Mayor W.T. Cooper, who has been touting Lewis County's workforce, and he's not alone.

Kenny Clark, former plant manager for Nine West, has provided some first hand information on Lewis County's workers to prospective employers, and they like what they hear.

"From low absenteeism and a willingness to learn, dedication and loyalty, our workforce in unmatched," Cooper said. "We have the workers. Some may have found other jobs in other areas since the shoe factory closed, but many are willing to come back home to work."

Cooper and Clark recently traveled to Coroplast's Dallas, Texas, location to tour the facility there and meet with company officials.

Coroplast officials also found a willingness from state and local officials to provide assistance through tax credits, pushing for a connector road between the industrial park and the AA Highway, securing a $692,000 Community Development Block Grant to construct a rail spur to the industrial park, and assisting with the transfer of the Stolle-Deerfield building.

Bill Tom Cooper/Lewis County Herald
A view of the Coroplast, Inc., location in Dallas, Texas. Company officials have announced they will be locating a facility at the Black Oak Industrial Park.

Information secured from Coroplast's website www.coroplast.com shows 1999 was a record-breaking year for sales and mentions their plans for expansion to a third location.

Coroplast's parent company, The Jim Pattison Group, operates throughout North America and around the world in the areas of food retailing and distribution, food processing, food service, flexible and specialty packaging, news distribution, electrical signs, out-of-home media, entertainment, broadcasting and print communications, automotive retailing and leasing, and export services.

More information on the parent company is available at its website www.jimpattison.com.