Mid South Extrusion produces polyethylene film for food packaging and other consumer and industrial uses. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) yesterday announced the company's $4.9 million investment to add a 12th production line at its manufacturing facility in Monroe, Louisiana.
The company will retain 170 jobs and create eight direct new jobs. LED estimates the project will result in 16 indirect jobs, for a total of 24 new jobs in Ouachita Parish.
The additional line will allow the company to meet the growing demand for polyethylene film, the thin, lightweight plastic sheeting that is used to seal and protect a variety of packaged industrial and consumer products.
The new production line is a direct response to the growing demand for food packaging, and comes on the heels of the Global Food Safety Initiative’s certification of the company’s Food Safety Management systems.
Installation is expected to be complete and the new production line commercially operational by the end of 2022.
“Along with increasing our production capacity, this investment allows us to continue to target new markets and capitalize on our momentum in the food packaging sector,” said Mark Kent Anderson, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mid South.
Since 1986, Mid South Extrusion has steadily expanded its operation from a 17,000 square-foot facility with four employees to a 215,000 square-foot site with nearly 200 employees. The company serves an array of sectors, including agriculture, consumer products, e-commerce, food and beverage and industrial applications.
To secure Mid South’s investment in Monroe, the State of Louisiana provided the company with a competitive incentive package that includes $170,000 from the state’s Retention and Modernization Program. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Enterprise Zone and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.
Mid South is a family-owned company with quality and food safety management systems certified to ISO 9001 and FSSC 22000 (GFSI compliant) standards.