Ohio Governor Visits New Wood-Plastics Composite Extrusion Plant
MONROE, Ohio, Mar 17, 2004 (Middletown Journal - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News via COMTEX) --
(c) 2004, Middletown Journal, Ohio. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune
Business News.
If you're going to leap into the $4 billion decking market, it's best to do it with a new, state-of-the-art 250,000-square-foot plant.
That was the assessment of all hailing Dayton Technologies' wood-plastics composite extrusion plant Monday, including Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, who helicoptered in to the 315 N. Garver Road facility to cut a red ribbon and make a speech.
"This is a perfect example of advanced manufacturing," Taft said after viewing the two new extrusion lines and taking in sample decks constructed of the composite material Dayton Technologies will make.
The Monroe-made material will go to decks and related products branded "Oasis." It's touted as being more durable than pure wood, while not splintering or chipping, being stronger and lighter -- and resisting mold, to boot.
"Oasis is just like wood -- only better," said Ruben Robles, vice president of business development with Alcoa Home Products.
"I think we're all sold on composite decking," Taft said.
Alcoa is partnering with Dayton Technologies' parent firm, Gits, Belgium-based Deceuninck, to market the composite products. Deceuninck acquired the Monroe facility from Alcoa in 1997, but the Dayton Technologies story goes back 35 years, when it was first known as Dayton Extruded Plastics and grew to operate plants in Miamisburg and Springboro. The company made Monroe its home in a $20 million expansion in 1995.
Today, Dayton Technologies has nearly 400 full-time, local employees. The expansion celebrated Monday is expected to create at least 45 new jobs -- an expansion that drew $666,084 in total Ohio, Butler County and Monroe tax incentives.
Those incentives convinced company leaders not to move to Wilmington, Del., Oakland, N.J. -- or even outside the country.
"One of the keys is the strong, excellent workforce here in Butler County," Taft said.
The powers behind Oasis have plotted their next steps carefully. Composite materials make up 11 percent, or about $435 million, of the total deck market in 2002. While the deck market is expected to grow three to five percent over the next three years -- particularly as more people spend more time outdoors -- the market's composite element is predicted to grow by a robust 20 percent a year.
"We truly believe we're going to be really shaping the industry," Robles said.
Dayton Technologies' two new composite extruding lines were started up Monday to produce a test batch of panels -- and begin the plant's fine-tuning process.
Darwin Brown, retiring as chief executive of Deceuninck North America, looked on with pride, noting that employment at the Monroe plant has grown 25 percent in the last five years.
"Today's ceremony should prove to be the start of a new success story," said Herwig Bamelis, a director with Deceuninck Plastics Belgium.
Deceuninck has 2,700 employees globally and expects $700 million sales in 32 countries in 2004.
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