PVC compounder Manner launches $54M expansion in Illinois

PVC compounder Manner Polymers is investing $54 million in a new manufacturing plant in Mount Vernon, Ill.

The plant will create more than 60 jobs and will make a wide array of PVC compounds, including some used in electric vehicles (EVs) and in components for solar panels, according to a June 1 news release from the office of Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The 80,000-square-foot plant will be powered by a 15-acre solar field located on site. The project is receiving funding from a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) incentive package.

"Not only will we incorporate the most advanced manufacturing control systems available, but we will also produce substantially all of the electricity that we use," Manner CEO Raj Bhargava said in the release. "Our objective is to build the lowest cost, highest quality, most environmentally sustainable flexible PVC compounding plant in the world."

Under an incentive package, Manner will receive a 75 percent income tax credit for new jobs created for a 10-year period beginning in 2025. The plant is expected to open in the fall of that year.

The new plant will increase Manner's annual production capacity by 100 million pounds. End markets served by the firm include automotive, appliance, construction, telecommunications, industrial, medical and agriculture. Manner describes itself as one of the largest flexible PVC compounders in the U.S.

In the release, officials said Manner selected Illinois for the new plant after considering locations in Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. They added that the new plant will be "a first-of-its kind solar-powered PVC compounding plant using clean energy generated on site."

Officials said that Manner ultimately chose the Mount Vernon location because of its workforce, access to rail and the state's commitment to sustainability.

REV Illinois is designed to bolster Illinois manufacturing and grow the clean energy ecosystem. Officials said the state is already a top destination for electric vehicle manufacturing in the U.S. REV Illinois offers competitive incentives to expand or locate in Illinois for companies that manufacture EVs, parts or components for EVs and other clean energy sectors.

Manner was founded in 1960 in Rancho Dominguez, Calif., and now is based in McKinney, Texas. The firm operates eight production lines at an 80,000-square-foot plant in McKinney.

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