Sirmax Plastics Plans Major Expansion
Sirmax & SER North America announce new $18 million facility
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowAn Anderson-based plastics firm plans to make a larger footprint in the community by investing nearly $18 million in a new plant. Sirmax, and its subsidiary SER North America, announced plans Tuesday to build a new state-of-the-art plastics recycling facility. Sirmax acquired SER in March. “We are pleased to be able to expand our business presence here and foster the growth in the Anderson community, which is becoming the headquarters of our North America operations,” said Lorenzo Ferro, country manager of Sirmax Group.
The new plant will be approximately 130,000 square feet. The company intends to purchase 35 acres of land, just south of the current Sirmax facility, on what’s known as the Guide brownfield site.
The company says it anticipates the plant will create at least 38 new jobs, but not until 2022.
The new facility will make products made from recycled plastics, similar to what’s already produced at the Sirmax plant. “We are excited to continue working with Sirmax and their newest venture that will continue to bring diversity and opportunity into our community,” said Anderson Mayor Tom Broderick.
Sirmax executives say there’s growing demand from its customers for products made from recycled plastics. “We are excited to be leading in today’s needs to reduce plastic waste in the environment and provide second life to plastics cooperating with our global customers in the development of environmentally friendly materials and applications,” said Ferro.
As an incentive to the company to build, the city is proposing a $1.5 million tax increment financing, or TIF, bond. The city also committed to invest $650,000 in infrastructure, including a rail spur. But all of this must be approved by the Anderson Redevelopment Commission, the Economic Development Commission and the Anderson City Council. Those meetings are scheduled for next month.
Economic Development Director Greg Winkler says the future of plastics is in Anderson. “This is the beginning in the future of the plastic industry. It is only appropriate that Anderson is at the forefront of this industry as we have been in the past.”