RICHMOND - Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Trinity Packaging Corporation, a manufacturer of food service and industrial plastic bag products, will create 300 new jobs through a $9.1 million investment in Franklin County’s Town of Rocky Mount. The company announced in February that it would build a new plant in Clarksville, but has now decided that an existing facility in Franklin County would meet its immediate needs due to timing and cost issues. Once the business decision was made to consider existing facilities, Virginia was again in competition with other states.
“This news is bittersweet because we expected Trinity to locate in Clarksville, yet I am pleased that Franklin County, another economically hard-hit Southside community, will gain 300 new jobs,” said Governor Warner. “While this type of scenario is unusual in economic development, it is important to remember that the company is the client because they create the jobs and bring added revenue to the community, region and state. After careful consideration, I have decided to approve a Governor’s Opportunity Fund grant to assist Franklin County with this project.”
Headquartered in Armonk, N.Y., Trinity Packaging is a privately held firm that supplies packaging material and equipment to manufacturing plants and warehouses throughout the United States.
“We regret our premature selection of Clarksville in Mecklenburg County for this facility and want to thank everyone involved at the community level for their commitment to this project,” said Dave Williams, president of Trinity Packaging. “After further research, we came to the conclusion that Trinity’s start-up schedule did not allow enough time for the construction of a new building in Clarksville. We had learned of an existing facility in Franklin County that also offered an available qualified workforce and larger corporate savings. This was simply a business decision. We are grateful that Governor Warner and his economic development team were willing to assist us with this last-minute decision. Their cooperation proves that Virginia understands the fast-paced changes in business and we’re proud to call the Commonwealth our partner.”
Governor Warner approved a $450,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Franklin County with site preparation. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission has also agreed to approve $500,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity funds to assist with the Trinity Packaging facility in Rocky Mount.
Delegate Allen Dudley stated that, “I am proud of the role that the Tobacco Commission has been able to play in assisting our economic development efforts. Senator Charles Hawkins, Chairman of the Commission and Carthan Currin, its Executive Director, are both familiar with Franklin County and the needs of the community. I would also like to thank the Governor and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for helping to bring new business and jobs to our area.”
The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide workforce training services. The company is eligible to receive further tax credits because it is locating in an enterprise zone. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Franklin County, the Town of Rocky Mount, and the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership assisted the company with its latest decision. The Town of Clarksville and Mecklenburg County also assisted in saving these jobs for Virginia.