Laura Leigh Savage Project Manager . Business DevelopmentAdvanced Manufacturing Team804-545-5744LSavage@YesVirginia.org
Since 1998, 134 Plastics companies have made decisions to locate and/or expand in Virginia. These companies have invested $1.2 billion and created over 6,100 new jobs. Recent major announcements include: Amcor Pet Packaging,
Celanese Acetate, E. I. DuPont De Nemours & Co. Inc., Essel Propack, Klockner Pentaplast, Owens-Brockway Plastics, Printpak, Rehrig International, Rubber Commercial Products, and Yupo Corporation.
- Employs more than 26,000
- Average annual industry salary of $51,511
- Plastics and rubber products manufacturing, the largest sector, is a $2.1 billion industry
- Offers a wealth of excellent power, water, and other business infrastructure resources
- Sales and use tax exemptions on production-related machinery and equipment, all utilities, and materials used in production
- Central location on the Atlantic Coast provides interstate and rail access to the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest.
- Access to international markets provided by the Port of Hampton Roads and Washington-Dulles International Airport
In 2007, Virginia's Plastics & Advanced Materials industry employed 26,062 people. The Plastics & Advanced Materials industry accounted for 9% of Virginia's total manufacturing employment of 286,579. The largest of the three sectors in the Plastics & Advanced Materials industry is Plastics and Rubber Products with employment of 19,541 or 75% of the employment for the industry. Plastics Materials and Resins employed 5,903 people and accounts for 23% of the jobs, while Plastics Machinery employed 618 people and accounts for 2% of the jobs. Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing is a $2.1 billion industry in Virginia.
There are 204 Plastics firms in Virginia. The largest sector is Plastics and Rubber Product with 166 firms or 81% of firms in Virginia. Plastics Materials and Resins and Plastics Machinery together account for the remaining 19% of the firms.
10
Largest Plastics Employers in Virginia |
Celanese Acetate
|
Church & Dwight
Virginia |
E. I. DuPont De Nemours
& Co. Inc. |
Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Co. |
IAC Strasburg LLC |
Invista S A R L |
Royal Moulding Limited |
Rubbermaid Inc. |
Trex Company Inc. |
Yokohama Tire |
| Selected
Plastics Occupations |
Virginia
Employment |
Virginia
Mean Wage |
U.S.
Mean Wage |
| Team Assemblers |
14,350 |
$12.45 |
$12.72 |
| Electrical/Electronic Equipment Assemblers |
4,350 |
$13.91 |
$13.75 |
| First-Line Supervisor – Production |
13,610 |
$25.69 |
$24.88 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers,
& Weighers |
10,760 |
$16.52 |
$15.86 |
| Metal & Plastics Workers, All |
1,210 |
$23.67 |
$17.56 |
| Welders & Cutters |
8,000 |
$17.32 |
$16.33 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators,
and Tenders |
560 |
$15.22 |
$15.52 |
| Electricians |
19,760 |
$20.67 |
$23.12 |
| Tool & Die Makers |
800 |
$21.12 |
$22.36 |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, Compacting
Machine Operators and Tenders |
3,190 |
$17.21 |
$14.20 |
| Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators |
1,720 |
$16.29 |
$16.20 |
| Machinists |
6,820 |
$17.76 |
$17.49 |
| Industrial Engineering Technicians |
1,760 |
$24.75 |
$24.72 |
| Industrial Production Managers |
2,370 |
$44.69 |
$42.09 |
Virginia's nationally acclaimed education system serves as a pipeline, supplying businesses with a steady stream of skilled new entrants. Our attention to education is reflected in Virginia's superior, well-prepared labor force.
- Elementary and secondary schools rank among the best in the nation
- Over 1.2 million students enrolled in elementary and secondary schools with approximately 82,000 graduating annually
- More than 80% of graduating seniors continue their education in a two- or four-year degree program or have other continuing education plans
Strong occupational and technical training programs designed to meet the needs of the Plastics & Advanced Materials industry are provided by Virginia's colleges and universities, Community College System, and communities.
- Virginia Tech is home to Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute, integrating nanomolecular sciences and engineering
- The Virginia Community College System offers High Performance Manufacturing Technicians certifications
- Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Western Virginia offers an Advanced Manufacturing and Packaging Technology curriculum
- The Center for High Performance Manufacturing (CHPM) at Virginia Tech works to help manufacturing firms stay competitive.
- Third largest state maintained transportation network in the country with six major interstate highways
- The Port of Virginia is the second largest intermodal facility on the East Coast
- Eleven railroads operate on more than 3,400 miles of railway and two of the nation's largest railroads, CSX Corporation and Norfolk Southern Corporation, have extensive infrastructure in the State
- 14 commercial airports serve the Commonwealth, including
two of the nation's largest, Washington Dulles International and Ronald
Reagan Washington National
- Stable energy resource pool to serve present and future residential, commercial, industrial and transportation needs
- 29 natural gas companies serve the State with an extensive network of underground pipes and other gas facilities
- One of the most connected states in the country with 18.62 million access lines, 6.15 million wireless telephone subscribers and over 2.69 million high-speed lines
The average cost per unit of electricity for the industrial sector is 4.63 cents in Virginia, compared to the 5.36 cents for the South Atlantic region and 6.15 cents for the nation.
|
