Kosciusko County Furniture Maker to Invest $43 Million

Syracuse-based Poly-Wood LLC recycles plastics to create outdoor furniture. (image courtesy: Polywood.com)

A Kosciusko County company that turns plastic milk jugs and other plastic recyclables into outdoor furniture says it plans to invest nearly $43 million dollars over the next five years to expand operations and add 95 jobs. Poly-Wood LLC says it intends to build and equip a new 369,000-square-foot facility at its current site in Syracuse. 

The company says the expansion is on top of what has already been a big growth year for the product marketed as POLYWOOD. The manufacturer says it already hired 157 new employees in 2020.

“We are excited about expanding our operations in Syracuse, Indiana because of the quality of work ethic we find in our employees from the greater Syracuse and Kosciusko county area,” said Doug Rassi, chief executive officer of Poly-Wood.

The company uses plastics, such as milk jugs and detergent bottles, to create all-weather outdoor furniture. The products are carried by several national retailers.

Poly-Wood says its on-site facility recycles an average of 400,000 milk jugs each day. The company says the expansion will add a new recycle line and 30 new extrusion lines to complement the company’s existing operations.

The company says it will be hiring for numerous positions in the next three to eight months, including operations, shipping, and office staff.

“POLYWOOD is a homegrown success story and this announcement is an economic development case study of how we work hard to support local employers,” said Larry Siegel, Syracuse Redevelopment Commission president and Town Council member.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered Poly-Wood LLC up to $2.5 million in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans.