Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing

A Growth Driver for High-Tech Manufacturing Sectors

Why Georgia for Plastics and Rubber

Close proximity to aerospace, auto, healthcare and other demand industries
Abundant workforce and competitive wages
Renowned workforce training program
Excellent accessibility to market
Business-friendly environment

Semperit Announces Georgia Expansion/Relocation of Americas Headquarters

Semperit Group will open a 150,000 square foot rubber gasket manufacturing, warehouse and distribution facility at Coweta County Industrial Park in Newnan, Georgia, creating an additional 70 jobs in the state. Semperit develops, produces, and sells specialized rubber products for the industrial and medical sectors.

"We have seen substantial growth in the Americas in recent years and we are convinced that our strengthened regional focus, plus the establishment of the US headquarters, in combination with a new production site, will strongly support in meeting our increased customer requirements while allowing us to service customers faster and more efficiently. The new headquarters and manufacturing footprint will also allow for improved operating efficiencies, increased supply chain and logistics management, and enhanced communications for our region.”

Irene Coughlin, Managing Director Americas, Semperit

Source: "Semperit Group Relocates-Plans Newnan, Georgia, Campus", Area Development News Desk, 6.24.2021

Danimer Plastics Success Story

465

Plastic & Rubber Manufacturing Locations

Georgia Department of Labor 2021 Annual

$56,675

Average Earnings Per Job

Lightcast, 3rd Q 2022

$3B

Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing GRP

Lightcast, 3rd Q 2022

Industry Snapshot

Plastics manufacturing accounts for approximately 74% of the industry while rubber manufacturing accounts for nearly 26%.

Plastics: Packaging materials, film and sheet manufacturing, foam products, plastic bottles and all other plastics product manufacturing
Rubber: Tire manufacturing and retreading, rubber hoses and belting manufacturing and all other rubber product manufacturing

Additionally, the varied composition of the state's plastics and rubber manufacturing industry gives existing and potential facilities ample room to grow.

Top Employers

From custom injection molded products to automobile tires, Georgia's plastics and rubber products manufacturers supply a variety of industries, such as automotive and aerospace.

Tires & Retreading: Toyo Tire & Rubber (1,700), Kumho Tire USA (502)
Foam Products: Dart Container Corp. (985), WinCup (200)
Plastic Packaging (Film & Sheet): Pactiv Corp. (820), Printpack Inc. (765), Berry Global (363)
Plastic Bottles: CKS Packaging Inc. (500), ALPLA (350)
All Other Plastics Products: Decostar Industries (800), Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC (692), LG Hausys (500)
All Other Rubber Products: M+A Matting (700), Freudenberg-NOK (668), Integer (570)

24,400

Industry Jobs

Lightcast, 3rd Q 2022

9%

Anticipated Growth 2022 - 2032

Lightcast, 3rd Q 2022

$17.91

Median Hourly Earnings

Lightcast, 3rd Q 2022

Quality Talent for Less

Georgia is known for its high-quality affordable workforce. Wage rates in the state typically fall below the national average, particularly in manufacturing occupations. The state’s plastics and rubber manufacturing wages are no exception.

Projected growth of 9% in plastics and rubber manufacturing industry workers over the next decade compared to -3% nationally
Median hourly earnings of $17.91 compared to $18.15 nationally (based on top 21 plastics and rubber manufacturing industry staffing pattern occupations)

88k

Industry-Relevant Grads (2016 - 2020)

IPEDS, 2020

#1

Leading Workforce Training Program

Area Development, 2022

22

Technical Colleges

TCSG, 2022

The People and Support Needed to Succeed

Georgia's high concentration of degree-seeking students and top-tier colleges and universities make the state one of the country’s richest in top-level talent. These institutions also offer companies access to cutting-edge research and development partnerships.

Since 2016, there has been a 9% increase in the number of graduates skilled in supporting Georgia's plastics and rubber manufacturing operations
Georgia Tech ranks 2nd for engineering R&D funding nationally and has benefited from a 36% uptick in engineering R&D funding since 2010