Pregis to Invest $32 Million at Michigan Blown Film Site
Processor responding to increased demand for high-quality films.
Pregis, which extrudes blown film for protective and flexible packaging applications, announced it will be spending $32 million to bolster its technology at its Grand Rapids, Mich. manufacturing site.
It’s the second recent announcement of this kind by Pregis, which in July said it was investing $80 million to build a 168,000 ft2 state-of-the-art blown film extrusion facility in Anderson, S.C.
The investment in Michigan will add 55,000 ft2 for manufacturing, warehousing and offices. In total, the Grand Rapids facility will now have 205,000 ft2 to meet increasing demand for high-quality films and support services.
Initially, the new structure will house additional custom Windmoeller & Hoelscher blown film extrusion lines, with room to add capacity to meet future demands. The dedicated multilayer PE lines are expected to be operational by the end of September. The investment is in addition to the previous $37 million capital expenditure put into that location between 2016 and 2020.
The facility will also include additional material handling for expanded resin storage to meet market requirements. Further, existing laboratory facilities will be upgraded with new equipment and capabilities for improved analytical capabilities. An onsite research and development team works collaboratively with customers to optimize film structures and blends for specific applications.
“We are seeing increased demand for higher-quality films. This is being driven by our customers’ needs to meet more challenging flexible packaging applications,” says David Timm, president of Pregis’ performance flexibles operations. “This latest investment will enable us to use more advanced resins in the production of films to offer enhanced strength, puncture and flex crack resistance attributes. This will also create opportunities for downgauging without sacrificing performance.”
Continued focus on lightweighting and increasing recycled content in our film structures are in keeping with the company’s Pregis 2K30 sustainability goals.
“Our continued investment in state-of-the-art assets demonstrates our commitment to stay ahead of shifting market demands,” said Timm.
