Formosa Plastics planning $332 million expansion in Louisiana

Material supplier Formosa Plastics Corp. (FPC) has announced plans to invest US$332 million to expand its Baton Rouge, Louisiana PVC resin production plant.

The company also announced that it will add production equipment in two other units of the company’s Baton Rouge manufacturing facility, which FPC has operated since 1981.

According to the Louisiana Economic Development Agency, the project will result in 66 new indirect jobs, for a total of 81 new jobs in East Baton Rouge Parish and the Capital Region. Formosa Plastics also will retain 230 existing jobs. The expansion work is expected to create 500 construction jobs beginning in early 2020.

Opened in 1981, FPC’s Baton Rouge facility consists of three operating units to produce PVC used in the construction industry, flooring, piping, and siding.

“Louisiana is one of only a few areas uniquely qualified with the resources and infrastructure to support our industry, allowing us to diversify our production across our locations, further adding to the reliability of supply for our customers,” FPC’s plant manager Paul Heurtevant said in an Aug. 28 statement.

The project will include the installation of new machinery and equipment for the expansion of the PVC resin production unit, expected to result in a 20 per cent increase in production capacity and sales.

Founded in 1978, FPC is a supplier of plastic resins and petrochemicals. The company is an affiliate of Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Group.