Mid South Extrusion (MSE) is investing $17 million to create two new blown film extrusion lines at its plant in Monroe, Louisiana, to support growing demand for its flexible film products.
The expansion will create 21 new jobs directly related to the project while retaining 189 positions in the state, according to a news release from the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) office. The state also estimates the project will result in 45 indirect new jobs.
“Mid South Extrusion has driven economic activity and created opportunity in northeast Louisiana for nearly 40 years, and we are proud that they continue to grow in Louisiana,” LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said in a news release.
LED offered the company an incentives package that includes workforce development solutions. It also includes a $500,000 performance-based grant for building modifications and utility improvements contingent upon meeting investment and payroll targets. MSE is also expected to participate in the state’s industrial tax exemption and enterprise zone programs.
The additional lines will allow the company to increase production of polyethylene film, the thin, lightweight plastic sheeting used to seal and protect a wide variety of packaged industrial and consumer products. MSE serves customers in various industries, including agriculture, consumer products, food and beverage, e-commerce, and industrial applications.
“This investment boosts our production capacity, allowing us to target new markets and capitalize on our momentum in the flexible packaging industry,” said Mark Kent Anderson, the company’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, in a statement.
Founded in 1986 as a family-owned company, MSE began with one production line and four employees in a 17,000-square-foot building. With this expansion, it will operate 14 production lines in 350,000 square feet and more than 200 employees.
Installation on the two new lines is underway, and they are expected to be running by summer 2025.