Starplast USA, a subsidiary of Israel-based plastic manufacturer Starplast, plans to invest $17.7 million in a new facility in Chesterfield County, creating 300 jobs over the next five years, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday.
“Starplast chose Chesterfield County for its new manufacturing operation because the geographic location is very attractive, especially given its proximity to the East Coast and the Port of Virginia,” Starplast CEO Danny Schwartz said in a statement. “Additionally, Virginia — and in particular the Richmond area — has a strong workforce with readily-available talent.”
According to Chesterfield’s economic development authority, Starplast will retrofit an existing industrial building near Meadowville Technology Park, on Bermuda Hundred Road in the southern part of the county.
Starplast was founded in 1958, and its U.S. subsidiary started in 2005, according to the governor’s office. Starplast USA produces housewares, garden storage and toys, among other plastic products. Virginia competed with Ohio and Pennsylvania for the project. In 2018, Starplast USA opened its first U.S.-based manufacturing plant in Houston.
“We are so pleased to see global manufacturers like Starplast USA planting their roots right here in Virginia,” Northam said in a statement. “Our strategic East Coast location, world-class port facilities, competitive operating costs, and robust manufacturing workforce, make us a prime destination for international companies. We welcome a long partnership with Starplast USA and look forward to their future success.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Chesterfield County and the Greater Richmond Partnership to secure the project, and it will support job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program at no charge to Starplast. The company is eligible to receive benefits through the Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant program, as well as the major business facility job tax credit for full-time jobs created.