IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
An Inland Empire business that manufactures reusable plastic containers that are used to ship and display fresh produce is expanding its national distribution operation.
Polymer Logistics in Riverside will open a wash and distribution center in Illinois and Georgia, both of which are expected to be ready for business during the third quarter of this year, according to a statement released Wednesday.
Polymer, whose products were used in Walmart distribution centers and stores for the first time last month, operates two California wash-and-ship locations, in Riverside and Salinas, and a third in San Antonio, Texas.
The exact locations of the Illinois and Georgia facilities, and what it will cost to develop them, was not released. Rather than build from scratch, Polymer is looking for buildings in the Savannah, Ga., and Chicago markets that it can retrofit, said Ronald Margulis, company spokesman.
Right now, much of the produce Polymer deals with in the northeast part of the country must be shipped to California or Texas to be cleaned and processed, then moved back east to be sold.
“We need a more efficient operation than that,” Margulis said.
Polymer’s containers are plastic but have a wood-grain appearance that allows them to look more natural in a grocery store environment. They’re designed to fold up into pallets, which allows retailers to use them for shipping and display.
Polymer was founded in Israel 30 years ago and began operating in the United States in 2001. It currently has about 200 U.S. employees, a number that is expected to double with the opening of the Illinois and Georgia facilities, Margulis said.
