A Richmond employer has received initial support for its $8 million expansion plans.
At its May 11 meeting, Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County’s board voted unanimously to give an Economic Development Income Tax grant of $85,000 to Primex Plastics Corp.
Primex is one of the largest sheet extrusion operations in the nation, and its plastic sheets are used in multiple industries.
In the request, Primex officials said they’re investing in a Bubble Guard extrusion line at its 1235 N. F St. factory.
Company officials say Bubble-X is a versatile multi-layer material used in protective packaging, signage, reusable totes, automotive applications and countless other products, and its new Prime Double Bubble-XTM capabilities are very exciting.
Primex moved its corporate headquarters to Richmond in 1991 after buying manufacturing buildings in the city in 1980 and acquiring Woodruff Corp. in Richmond in 1987.
Its design and fabrication location at 400 Industrial Parkway transforms plastic materials into recycling containers, store displays, protective packaging for major automotive manufacturers and pharmaceutical packaging that helps safely ship medications.
Primex also has sites in five other states and the United Kingdom.
New machinery and equipment for the expansion costs $7,614,901, plus $177,100 for equipment relocation and $250,000 for infrastructure improvements.
Through the expansion, Primex is adding six advanced manufacturing jobs this year to its current full-time workforce of 346. Those workers would receive an average wage of $24.65 this year before benefits, adding more than $307,000 to local income.
Salaries for the new jobs are to increase to $25.39 per hour in 2027 and $26.15 in 2028.
Primex currently pays an hourly average wage of $28.71, not counting fringe benefits or bonuses, which EDC officials say exceeds the county’s average wage by far. The company’s 2025 payroll for permanent employees was $20,661,077.31.
EDC President Valerie Shaffer said Primex’s investments in the county are greatly appreciated.
Theresa Lindsey, EDC’s business and workforce development manager, called Primex a fantastic community partner, offering support for hiring fairs and work-based learning programs and giving signs to nonprofit organizations.
EDIT funds come from an income tax paid by individuals.
After EDC approval, county officials also need to approve EDIT grant requests.
Primex has received three previous EDIT grants: $25,000 in 2008 for training; $60,000 in 2011 for expansion of its accounting department; and $70,000 in 2014 for adding a new manufacturing line, a human capital initiative and a business management software platform.
Land bank
The board approved Sarah Mitchell, EDC’s economic development manager, as its board member on the new Wayne County Land Bank. The land bank will purchase, maintain and repurpose vacant, abandoned or deteriorating properties for eventual redevelopment. Cambridge City, Richmond, Wayne County’s commissioners and Wayne County’s council also are appointing representatives. She’ll have a three-year appointment.
Board members agreed that Mitchell’s previous experience in city planning, stabilization and blight would represent them well as key decisions such as staffing, budget and operations are made.
In other business
Shaffer said she had 10 one-on-one meetings with prospective foreign investors and met others during the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C. She’ll follow up to gauge their interest in Wayne County sites.
The board agreed to hire IronGate Creative for $21,350 for 2026 branding efforts for EDC’s Home in Wayne campaign to share resident testimonials about their experiences living in Wayne County. Videos, photos, stories, website updates, social media clips and e-newsletters are planned.
A version of this article appeared in the May 20 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.