Alpla seeking funds to help pay for rail site

By BART MILLS
bmills@limanews.com 419-993-2184

FORT SHAWNEE — The Austria-based company moving into the former Engineered Plastic Products is looking for help from the state to get its product rolling.
    Allen County commissioners held a public hearing Wednesday on Alpla Inc.’s application for Community Development Block Grant funds to help cover the cost of a new rail siting at their facility in the Fort Shawnee Industrial Park. No members of the public attended the meeting.
   The company is applying for $500,000 in CDBG funds to cover part of the $1 million project. Betty Granger, the Allen County Port Authority representative working on the Alpla application, said the company has committed $438,000 toward the project and the state has approved another $305,000. Commissioners were optimistic that the rest of the money would be available.
   “It’s is my understanding it will come through the CDBG grant at the end of the grant cycle,” said commissioner Sam Bassitt.
   Alpla Inc. purchased the former Engineered Plastic Products building last year for $3.3 million and will spend another $12 million on equipment and upgrades. The company will produce containers for Procter & Gamble.
   Granger said the company’s grant application commits them to employing at least 50 people. Previously, company officials have said that number would likely rise to 150 by the time they’re in full production.
   The company is expected to begin production within the next two months, according to Marcel Wagner, chief executive officer for Allen Economic Development Group.
   “They’ve actually started hiring and sending employees out to their Iowa plant for training. They’re anxious to get started,” Wagner said.