Reliance Packaging, LLC, a manufacturer of printed plastic packaging, will invest more than $7.4 million to expand its operations and increase its capacity in the Town of Aberdeen.

“This announcement is yet more proof that North Carolina is the best state for business,” said Governor Cooper in a press release. “When companies like Reliance Packaging choose to expand in Moore County, it validates the strength of our manufacturing economy, workforce, and our quality of life.”

Operating in Aberdeen since 2014, Reliance Packaging extrudes plastic resin into printed heavy duty plastic bags and film for the lawn and garden market as well as many other outdoor applications. A joint venture with Sigma Plastic Group, Reliance extrudes, prints and converts, along with developing brands and graphic designs for high-quality products to hold mulch, soil and decorative lawn rock that are sold throughout various outlets, including Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart, across the United States. This expansion includes building improvements and two additional multi-layer film extruders for the 180,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.

“We are excited about the opportunity to expand our manufacturing facility here in Aberdeen and create jobs in Moore County,” said Satish Sharma, President & COO of Reliance Packaging, in a press release. “The new investment will enable the use of Post Consumer Recycle as a major effort to support sustainability within our industry. Reliance Packaging already reprocesses between 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of waste plastic every day and the installation of this new technology and automation will facilitate higher quality products with an eco-friendly solution.”

This expansion will add 32 new jobs in Moore County. New positions, including extruder operators, material handlers and quality control technicians, will have varying salaries, but altogether the average annual wage is $53,000. The Moore County average is $51,824. These new jobs could potentially create an annual payroll impact of more than $1.6 million.

A performance-based grant of $50,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate Reliance’s expansion in North Carolina. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One NC grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

“We welcome the new jobs from Reliance Packaging,” said N.C. Representative Ben T. Moss, Jr. in a press release. “This company has been a great member of our business community, and we are ready to support them in their next phase of growth.”

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Sandhills Community College, Moore County and the Town of Aberdeen.