Japanese plastics firm comes to Athens

Published 4:22 pm Monday, September 29, 2014

Local, state and international economic leaders were in Athens Monday to break ground on a new plastics compounding firm to be built in Elm Industrial Park.

Asahi Kasei Plastics will be located at the corner of Wilkinson Street and Airport Road, behind Athens Utilities Department headquarters and the temporary city hall. The Japanese company has invested more than $30 million to build the plant.

Officials from the firm and local leaders joined together Monday to praise the teamwork it took to bring the business to Limestone County.

“It’s another good day in Limestone County and another good day in Athens, Alabama,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “It’s interesting how opportunities come together and how negotiations take place. This is truly a global economy in which the state of Alabama is finding itself competing and in fact, in terms of today, we feel like we have won a very great project in having a very great company locate here in the state of Alabama.”

Mayor Ronnie Marks said a committee of city leaders partnered with the Limestone County Commission and state legislative body to make it possible for Athens to bring Asahi in.

“What a great day it is when we can all win a project of this magnitude,” he said. “This is going to be a great venture, anytime that we can put a $30 million project in our industrial park. With 40 new jobs with a wide, diverse range of employment from engineers down to the people that work to make everything happen down to the labor force — we look forward to a long history of working with our Asahi team.”

Asahi president Yuji Kobayashi said he’s excited to be part of bringing another major Japanese brand to the United States and is already planning to expand the company.

“The city of Athens is becoming a second hometown in America,” he said. “I believe the city of Athens can provide us with necessary resources to make this project successful, like good quality of workers and infrastructures and customers.”

The Athens Asahi facility will be the company’s second North American plant, with executives planning to hire 40 people initially, and up to 100 locals in the future. Plant manager Tjokro Hermanto moved to town from Houston and is already keeping an eye out for potential employees.

“We’re looking for someone who’s really independent (and) a team player and I’m sure we’ll find those (people) here,” he said.