Sep. 12—The Daily Item
POINT TOWNSHIP — Economic development agency DRIVE (Driving Real Innovation for a Vibrant Economy) purchased land to facilitate the planning and development of a new circular manufacturing operation that developers say could inject more than $1 billion into the local economy and create hundreds of new jobs.
DRIVE, which serves Northumberland, Union, Snyder, Montour and Columbia counties, now owns a 101-acre site along Route 11 in Point Township that is the intended location of Encina's flagship circular manufacturing facility, according to a media release on Monday.
"We are proud to be partnering with Encina on this project to bring private investment and well-paying jobs to our region," DRIVE Executive Director Jennifer Wakeman said. "We believe this facility will have a transformational impact on both our economy and the environment through helping to reduce our nation's growing plastic waste crisis."
Earlier this year, Encina announced its state-of-the-art plant, the only one of its kind in the nation. It would use advanced, proven technologies to convert recycled plastic materials into a raw product that could be used by other manufacturers to create thousands of new plastic-type products.
The facility is expected to divert up to 450,000 tons of materials from landfills, incinerators and other less desirable endpoints. The facility will reduce the need to produce new plastic from oil and gas resources, providing sustainable solutions to customers committed to reducing their impact on the environment and catalyzing the transition to a circular economy.
Encina has signed a long-term lease with DRIVE for the site, where it plans to locate a first-of-its-kind operation utilizing advanced technologies to convert post-consumer plastic into feedstock that can be used to manufacture thousands of new products, according to DRIVE.
The Encina Point Township Circular Manufacturing Facility will bring 600 to 900 construction jobs and 300 full-time jobs to the area, with an average salary of $75,000, officials said.
"The region's long history of manufacturing, robust educational institutions with relevant degrees and programs, and access to markets made it a natural fit for our facility," Encina CEO David Roesser said. "Encina is excited to formally partner with DRIVE, the region's leading economic development team, on this critical step forward in bringing the project to life."
In a separate release, Encina Development Group LLC announced the first-ever production of high-purity aromatics made entirely from end-of-life mixed plastics in The Woodlands, Texas. Encina has delivered its high-purity monomer chemicals to customers and confirms that ongoing production will continue.