A mere $90,000 state grant will help bring in a $37.4 million expansion for EPL America in Danville. This is a good deal there, Mr. Governor.
“EPL America’s decision to expand its operations in the City of Danville shows that Virginia is a steadfast business partner for global companies and has a fertile ecosystem for advanced materials manufacturing,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement released by his office on Friday.
This is the same Gov. Youngkin, a centimillionaire, who wanted to give billionaire Ted Leonsis $1.6 billion in state and local money to build a $2 billion pro-sports arena in Alexandria.
The Virginia General Assembly, rightly, balked at the deal, and now Leonsis is working the DC City Council for a comparatively paltry $515 million to make improvements at the Capital One Arena in Chinatown.
EPL America’s investment will make improvements to its 200,000-square-foot facility in Danville, which opened in 2002.
The project will add new machinery that will allow it to grow into the beauty and cosmetic markets and serve customers interested in replacing existing plastic products with laminate tubes.
EPL America, part of the EPL Group, produces plastic laminated tubes for industries such as oral care, beauty and cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, with 21 factories on five continents.
The Danville project will create 24 new jobs.
“We at EPL are grateful to Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the incentives provided from the state of Virginia,” said Mauro Catopodis, president, EPL Limited Americas Region. “This will strengthen our long-term commitment to the City of Danville and the Commonwealth of Virginia and help us become a bigger economic benefactor in the community. Thank you on behalf of our 315 employees in Danville and 3,700 worldwide.”