Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing

A Growth Driver for High-Tech Manufacturing Sectors

Why Georgia for Plastics and Rubber

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

International foam manufacturer expands to Georgia

“Georgia, and particularly Banks County, have emerged as our preferred location and partners due to their highly professional approach towards economic development. The strong cultural fit between the Georgian ‘way of doing business’ and our family company with German roots makes us the perfect match.”

Rouven Seitner, Shareholder, Selit NA; source: “German Company to Create 100 Jobs in Banks County,” Georgia Department of Economic Development press release, 8.20.2018

Danimer Plastics Success Story

433

Plastic & Rubber Manufacturing Locations

Georgia Department of Labor 2019 Annual

25,396

Industry Jobs

EMSI, 3rd Q 2020

5%

Projected Industry Job Growth

EMSI, 3rd Q (2020 to 2030)

Industry Snapshot

Plastics manufacturing accounts for approximately 77% of the industry while rubber manufacturing accounts for nearly 23%.

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 (1,350), Kumho Tire USA (502)
Foam Products: Dart Container Corp. (935), WinCup (260)
Plastic Packaging (Film & Sheet): Pactiv Corp. (820), Printpack Inc. (800)
Plastic Bottles: CKS Packaging Inc. (510), Lee Container Corp. (225)
All Other Plastics Products: Decostar Industries (800), Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC (685), Newell Rubbermaid Inc. (540), LG Hausys (480)
All Other Rubber Products: Freudenberg-NOK (832), M+A Matting (750), Integer (365)

519k+

Workers in Industry Relevant Jobs

EMSI, 3rd Q 2020

4th

State for Industry Job Growth

EMSI, 3rd Q 2020 (Absolute Job Growth, 2020 to 2030)

$14.98

Median Hourly Earnings

EMSI, 3rd Q 2020

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 5% in plastics and rubber manufacturing industry workers over the next decade compared to -2% nationally
Median hourly earnings of $14.98 compared to $16.40 nationally (based on top 10 plastics and rubber manufacturing industry staffing pattern occupations)

Georgia offers an ample supply of skilled employees with a variety of technical backgrounds. In addition to the 25,396 workers directly employed in plastics and rubber manufacturing, there are more than 519,000 Georgians with industry relevant skill-sets.

17k

Annual Industry-Relevant Graduates

IPEDS, 2019

#1

Leading Workforce Training Program

Area Development, 2019 (Georgia Quick Start)

22

Technical Colleges

TCSG, 2020

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 2015, there has been a 14% 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