A company celebrated for its achievements in West Virginia by Gov. Joe Manchin during his State of the State address has announced its planned expansion at the plant in Beaver.

Klockner Pentaplast, the world’s leading producer of rigid plastic films, is adding 15 new employees to its current staff and installing additional state-of-the-art rigid plastic film production equipment at the plant.

“This expansion will enable us to continue to support our customers’ growing demand for high-quality polyester films,” said Michael Tubridy, president and CEO of Klockner Pentaplast/Americas. “The added capacity will allow us to meet future global market demand and further enhance new product development capabilities.”

During the Manchin’s State of the State remarks, he specifically named Klockner Pentaplast as one of the state’s growing businesses.

“This company recently evaluated their operations in West Virginia and has decided to expand their facilities with world-class technology, making this a center of excellence in the southern part of West Virginia,” the governor said during his speech. “And, because the state has consistently stood by them as a partner, they plan to not only retain 41 good-paying jobs, but add 15 more.”

The protective packaging made from the company’s films include blister packs for pills, clamshells that encase electronics and trays for medical devices, which meets the requirements of modern consumer packaging.

“If you put on a smoking cessation patch and peel off the back, in all likelihood, that barrier plastic you peeled off was created from Klockner Pentaplast films,” said Mark Arrington, site manager of the Beaver plant.

Arrington explained that the company uses large, high-tech machinery to melt and process plastic resins into films of various thickness.

“We sell rolls of film to clients, who in turn, convert these films into packages for consumer products, medical devices or pharmaceuticals, among many other applications,” he said.

During his 25-year tenure with the company, Arrington has started polyester film operations for Klockner Pentaplast in Thailand, Europe and Canada. Seven years ago, he moved from the company’s Gordonsville, Va., headquarters to manage the manufacturing plant in Beaver.

“We’re only as good as our workers,” he said. “And the Beaver workers are the reason I’m here. The dedication and loyalty of our West Virginia work force were a large part of the reasons we decided to expand our operations here.”

Arrington said changes that resulted from the privatization of the state’s workers’ compensation system also contributed to the company’s decision to expand.

“The changes are good for the employees and the employers,” he said. “The changes helped us to control costs at our Beaver plant and provided another compelling reason to grow here.”

Klockner Pentaplast has sales of more than $1.5 billion worldwide and was founded in 1965 in Montabaur, Germany. The company has grown form its initial facility to 20 current production operations in 11 countries. The company is wholly-owned by affiliates of The Blackstone Group.

Additional information about the company can be found online at www.kpfilms.com