Lefko Plastics was founded in 1957 and began operating in concrete and plastic. Today, the company—which is actively pursuing an expansion project of Lefko USA, Inc. into the United States—is exclusively dedicated to plastic blow molding.
Project overview
The expanded location would be for a new, 70,000-square-foot, custom blow-molded plastic parts, components and products manufacturing facility. The facility would serve customers in Mexico and Southern United States, according to agenda documents.
Mexico is the only other area being considered the facility's expansion, according to a June 24 Economic Development Corporation meeting presentation.
The impact
The proposed project—dubbed Project Ellie—is being considered for a $950,000 economic incentive, which would be delivered over a 3-year period.
There are several terms the city is proposing that must be met for the company to receive the incentive. The first is a payment of $450,000, which would be paid once the company receives its Certificate of Occupancy. Lefko would also have to invest in at least $4 million in the building and machinery before that payment is made, said Michele Boggs, senior vice president of economic development for the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce.
The second payment, which is $250,000, would come after the company has 20 full-time employees and has invested $6 million in machinery, equipment and tenant improvements. The third and final payment, which is another $250,000, would come after Lefko hires 50 full time employees and has $10 million of taxable value, Boggs said.
"It'll be a 10-year contract where they will be required to employee 100 full-time jobs over that 10-year period and have a minimum taxable value of $10 million. So again, this has a great economic impact for New Braunfels and the community," she said.
What they offer
Lefko creates products for a variety of industries, including Powersports, Transports, industrial, medical and recreational. The company also creates custom blow molding, specializing in medium to large plastic parts like air ducts, hospital bed parts, traffic barrels and floating docks, according to the presentation.
Stay tuned
The item will come back for a final decision at a future meeting date, Jonathan Packer, president and CEO of the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, told Community Impact.
