Plastics recycler to open new plant in Alabama

Custom Synthetic Fibers LLC has announced plans to open a recycled polyester fiber plant in Rogersville, Alabama. Joseph Ku, CEO of Custom Synthetic, says he expects to have the equipment installed by the end of June 2016, with operations beginning by early July.

The company is owned by a group of investors, including the majority owners of Custom Polymers Inc., based in Charlotte; and Custom Polymers PET LLC, a postconsumer PET (polyethylene terepthalate) bottle recycling firm in Athens, Alabama. According to local reports, nearly $6 million has been invested in the new location.

The company initially plans to produce 40 million pounds of recycled polyester staple fiber per year and will target the automotive, home furnishing, industrial, apparel and consumer goods markets to start. The plant also is being designed to allow it to add additional lines that would boost total production by an additional 80 million pounds if needed.

While over the past several years a number of facilities have opened in the South that target the recycled plastic sector, Ku says he is comfortable that he will be able to obtain enough flake and pellet from suppliers throughout the Southeast to meet the company’s needs, both in the short term and as it expands.

In a news release announcing the plan, Ku says, “We are extremely excited to announce the impending operational startup of Custom Synthetic Fibers. Our plant will produce high-quality recycled polyester fiber by incorporating recycled polyester raw materials in an environmentally friendly and cost effective manner. Our state-of-the-art technology will enable our customers to benefit from fiber in various denier sizes to meet their stringent quality and consistency requirements.”

The building measures roughly 80,000 square feet. Ku says he expects to have around 50 employees and will be operating two shifts a day. He also says he would like to double the number of employees by the next three years.