Company Name : Nepra Environmental Solutions Pvt.Ltd-bansi Source : http://wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=79380

U.S. plastics manufacturers are positioned for growth, and West Virginia is among the states that are most aggressively recruiting the industry, according to William R. Carteaux, president and chief executive officer of the Society of the Plastics Industry. Carteaux was in Point Pleasant on April 28 to address the annual meeting of the West Virginia Polymer Alliance Zone. He noted that several regions of the country -- the west coast, northeast and mid-Atlantic states in particular -- are not vigorously pursuing manufacturing facilities.

"West Virginia compares very favorably," Carteaux said. "Overall, the state has a very business friendly environment, and, with the Alliance, West Virginia has positioned itself to take advantage of the opportunity to recruit new businesses into the state." Formed in 1996, PAZ is an economic development organization that works to market the plastics industry in West Virginia and recruit related companies to locate here. PAZ will be represented at a June trade show in New York City and an October event in Düsseldorf, Germany. Based in Davisville, the zone originally included Wood, Jackson and Mason counties before being expanded statewide. Carteaux's industry analysis is encouraging, PAZ President Karen Face Myer said.

"It was just what we needed to hear," she said of his presentation at the Lowe Hotel in Point Pleasant. "He gave us the state of the plastics industry -- how it's looking and where it's going. Some industries like wood and others have been down, but plastics are in an expansion mode. We see that here." Face Myer, who also is a state senator, noted the construction of the Kureha facility in Belle and the PWP company expansion in Wood County.

"With PWP, we had a building ready for them to move into within a year from the time they said they were ready to go," Face Myer said. "They started on a facility in California shortly thereafter, and they still don't have the first permit." Like other industries, Carteaux noted that manufacturers are seeing more regulatory requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. "Advocacy is part of what we do," he commented. "We still believe that manufacturing is the key to the recovery of this country.

Don't believe all of the negative things that you may be hearing. We're great for this country, and we're going to be around for a long time." As the third largest manufacturing industry in the U.S., he noted that plastics-related companies account for 1.1 million jobs and $379 billion in annual shipments. Lightweight, durable plastics minimize raw materials, conserve energy and reduce the amount of waste generated, Carteaux said.

"One of our challenges is the missed perception that we (plastics) are polluting the planet and that we don't care," he said. "We're going to be using new media to reach the new millennials (18-28 year-olds) with our message about how innovations in plastics are increasing shelf life, light-weighting automobiles and making improvements in food packaging, personal protection devices and health care. Sometimes the first impression is on the disposable side instead of the durable side of plastics." SPI has been pushing Congress for increased funding for bioplastics through grants and other programs.

"Bioplastics can offer significant growth to the U.S. economy and provide the country with a competitive advantage including the creation of tens of thousands of green jobs," Bioplastics Council Chair Frederic Scheer commented in a news release. "Bioplastics are a key component to realizing U.S. leadership in green technologies, and policymakers, industry leaders, working together, can ensure that this groundbreaking industry meets its full potential."