Italian Maker of Plastic Packaging Will Bring 46 Jobs to Robeson County | Eastern NC Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Global packaging maker Serioplast US LLC will establish production operations in Red Springs in a project that will create 46 new jobs in Robeson County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company, which manufacturers rigid plastic packaging for a wide variety of consumer goods, plans to invest $9.42 million in its new North Carolina presence.

    "New jobs like these demonstrate that North Carolina has a strong workforce and is open for business," Governor Cooper said. "This investment by Serioplast shows that our state remains is a good fit for global companies."

    Serioplast US is the North American unit of Serioplast Group, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Italy's Lombardy region. The privately-held firm employs a worldwide workforce of 1,600 across 30 facilities in 14 countries. In 2018, it opened its initial North American outpost in St. Louis, Mo. Serioplast's plastic packaging products are used by major names in food and beverages, personal care products and other consumer goods.

    "Serioplast Group considered several possible locations for this investment prior to making our choice of Robeson County," said Carlo Innocenti, chief executive officer of Serioplast Global Services S.p.A, the company's Italian parent. "In the Town of Red Springs we found a site that fit our facility needs, had access to strong workforce assets and was convenient to growing North American consumer markets. We are grateful to North Carolina's leaders, who were willing to work closely with our site selection team in addressing our objectives for this expansion."

    The North Carolina Department of Commerce led a team of partners in supporting Serioplast's decision to establish operations in Robeson County, where the company's 46 new jobs will come with salaries averaging $45,457 per year. The average annual wage in Robeson County is $33,454. The project will create for the community an annual payroll impact of more than $2 million.

    A performance-based grant of $150,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate Serioplast's new operations in North Carolina. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One NC grants require a matching grant from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

    "Robeson County is proud to welcome Serioplast as the newest member of our manufacturing community," said N.C. Representative Charles Graham. "State and local investments in our infrastructure and workforce are yielding exciting returns in the form of good jobs that pay good wages."

    "Today's announcement is exciting news for Robeson County and the Town of Red Springs," said N.C. Senator Danny Earl Britt. "The arrival of Serioplast to our region is the result of collaboration and hard work by our local, state and regional economic and workforce leaders, and I commend their dedication."

    In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority, the North Carolina Community College System, Robeson Community College, the Robeson County Board of Commissioners, the Robeson County Office of Economic Development, the Robeson County Committee of 100, ElectriCities, the Town of Red Springs and North Carolina's Southeast.

• Contact: Ford Porter
•     govpress@nc.gov