There are 1,344 plastics facilities in Illinois, and the state ranks No. 4 in the United States in plastics employment, according to the Society of the Plastics Industry. Over the past decade, the industry has shown healthy growth; there were 93,900 plastics industry jobs in Illinois in 1996, which represents an increase of more than 26 percent since 1991. The state's plastics shipments were US$20.6 billion in 1996, a 51 percent increase since 1991.
Illinois' plastics industry shows off the state's advantages of location and business environment. Illinois Tool Works, for example, is a Glenview-based manufacturer for products and systems in the manufacturing industry; it employs some 4,500 people in 25 communities around the state. "From our perspective," says Mike Lynch, ITW's public affairs director, "as our customers employ just-in-time inventory and delivery practices, it doesn't make sense to be very far from your customers."
Traditional manufacturers, such as the auto industry and the food industry, tend to be located in the Midwest, Lynch says. "When you consider that, and the cost of transportation, Illinois provides an attractive place in which to do business." And for manufacturers looking to locate in Illinois, the state's higher work-force availability gives it an advantage over surrounding states.
Lynch also gives high marks to Pam McDonough, director of the state's Dept. of Commerce and Community Affairs, "for bringing a new level of professionalism to DCCA," and says he's also seen a marked increase in professionalism among economic developers at the local level. Confidentiality, for example, is critical when searching for new facility sites, and Lynch says that's been an important factor in dealing with local officials. He also cites Illinois' "good job in maintaining its offshore economic development staff"; the links to the state's overseas branches of the Illinois Trade Office can be valuable for questions about business and expansion in other countries.
In southern Illinois, economic developers in Carbondale, Marion and Herrin have banded together to attract manufacturers in the plastics industry. The group -- collectively known as the Route 13 Growth Corridor -- has prepared an ambitious marketing plan, focusing on businesses within a 400-mile (640-km.) radius. Aside from a print and direct-mail campaign, the organization has also put up a Website (www.plasticsmfg-sites.com) to attract interested businesses. The page details the attractions for plastics manufacturers, but also links to other pages with information about education, community life and utilities.
"Two very successful plastics companies are represented in the corridor," says John Linehan, executive director of Carbondale Business Development Corp. "They're two very different types, an example of the breadth of products that could be produced in the area." Crisp Container in Marion is an extruder of plastic bottles; Com-Pac International in Carbondale manufactures plastic bags used for medical and other specialty uses.
"The area has real advantages," says Jim Brandt, vice president of marketing for Marion Pepsi Cola. "We have the three interstates (57, 64, and 24) and very good rail access." Brandt says that in 1996, after realizing "that the 20-ounce bottle was going to be a real player in soft-drink market," Marion Pepsi built the 100,000-sq.-ft. (9,290-sq.-m.) state-of-the-art Crisp Container facility. About 50 percent of its product goes to Marion Pepsi; the rest goes to other customers in a 500-mile (800-km.) radius of the plant.
Brandt says locating a plastics plant in the area made "perfect sense." While it adds to the local economy, the plant is clean and quiet. "I think it surprised a lot of people," he says.
