Dublin, Virginia, once a booming location for the coal mining industry, suffers from high unemployment, generational poverty, and economic distress. Phoenix Packaging Operations is a minority-owned food packaging manufacturer.

Challenged with significant cost overruns, 100 percent employee turnover rates, and a workforce that lacked specialized education, Phoenix Packaging leveraged TDCDC’s $15 million NMTC allocation to modify its existing manufacturing plant, and build a 250,000 sq. ft. expansion. The NMTC project included new machinery, equipment, and training and development programs for employees. The project also allowed Phoenix Packaging to participate in environmentally sustainable practices, including environmentally friendly production methods of polypropylene K-Cup® Pods used in Keurig® coffee brewers that employs a more recyclable and eco-friendly class #5 plastic than the current class #7 plastic. The project results in a 27 percent decrease of greenhouse gas emissions during production.

Phoenix Packaging’s expansion will result in the creation of 145 new jobs and the retention of approximately 450 local positions that pay double the area’s living wage. The NMTC investment will also help the company offer apprenticeships, job training programs, and health and wellness programs to employees and their families.