Alliance Barrier Films Opens
Federal, state, local officials conduct formal opening of $25 million processing facility on I-69 interchange; make expansion announcement of new shell facility.
WASHINGTON, Indiana – Job creation powered by I-69 and area economic development collaboration is well underway in southern Indiana, as evidenced by the formal opening of the $25 million Alliance Barrier Films facility on July 11. Federal, state and local officials were on hand to celebrate the formal opening of the new facility, and to hear details about a planned construction of a 40,000-60,000 sq. ft. shell building and new rail spur.
“A considerable amount of strategic collaboration between the city of Washington, elected officials of Daviess County, state agencies and the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation all worked together to make today’s advancement possible,” said Phil O’Haver, vice chairman of the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC).
“For all of us who supported the I-69 project, this announcement is an affirmation of our vision for a corridor of economic activity throughout southwestern Indiana,” said Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann. “We are grateful that Alliance Barrier Films team has shown confidence in Indiana as a place to grow their business. Governor Pence and I are committed to providing the infrastructure, the tax policy and a regulatory environment that encourage the growth of businesses in Indiana and the creation of jobs for Hoosiers.”
Several officials noted the value of I-69 to foster widespread economic growth and congratulated Alliance Barrier Films for selecting Daviess County for expansion of its state-of-the-art service offerings.
“The regional economic development value of Interstate 69 in southern Indiana is demonstrated both with the formal opening of the Alliance Barrier Films 17,600 sq. ft. facility and through Daviess County’s plan to explore construction of a high-end shell building to attract additional expansion,” said Congressman Larry Bucshon. “This project is great for our local economy and I look forward to jointly supporting continued growth in the region.”
The construction of a new shell building neat the Alliance Barrier facility is being planned and details are being actively considered by city and county officials to begin construction, according to Ron Arnold, DCEDC executive director. “More than 100 acres have been purchased adjacent to the Alliance Barrier facility off of I-69, which will include a new rail spur to be shared by Alliance Barrier and other companies expanding into the area,” Arnold said.
A unique city-county collaboration allowed the Daviess County Economic Development Foundation to fund and construct the Alliance Barrier building, leasing it back to the company. “This demonstrates the forward-looking thinking that creates new opportunities at a strategic level probably not typical of counties of our size,” Arnold continued. “This same level of strategic collaboration will drive the further development of the immediate area.”
Arnold also noted the positive support of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) in the project.
According to Huff, when fully completed in 2017, Alliance’s entry into the high barrier film business will include four new multilayer film extrusion lines producing seven and nine layer films and employing 48 people. “We have the best blown film processing film equipment available from Windmoeller & Hoelscher, which gives our company a major strategic advantage in the marketplace,” Huff explained.
“This Alliance Barrier Films project represents an excellent win-win for the county and the city,” said Tony Wichman, president of the Daviess County Commissioners. “We have a growing history of successful projects fashioned by the Daviess County economic development group and supported directly by the county and city, and we look forward to continued success here.”
“It is particularly good for Washington and Daviess County that we were able in this joint project to facilitate Alliance Barrier Films ” said Mayor Wellman. “Tom Huff and his companies have done well in this specialized field of blown film manufacturing, which fits well for other packaging and manufacturing needs in the region.”
“We believe in the future and we are investing in the future,” said Huff. “Alliance will have the capability to produce flat, gauge band free films for the most exacting applications.” He continued: “Our ability to produce innovative, cost effective, high quality films will be unparalleled in the industry. No one will have better film-making capabilities than Alliance Barrier Films.”
As noted by the Mayor, Alliance Barrier Films is not Tom Huff’s first endeavor into blown coex film manufacturing. In 1989, Huff founded and was president of the successful United Films Corporation in Odon, Indiana. In 1995, Huff and United Films built a second manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Indiana. The first coex film line Huff put into Bloomington was a W&H high barrier line. With the purchase of that line, Huff has the distinction of being the first blown film processor in North America to utilize W&H high barrier blown film technology.
Officials of the W&H company were on hand for the formal opening of the facility. Huff concluded: “I have a long and very successful history with both Daviess County, Indiana and W&H Corp, and I look forward to continuing these relationships and successes in the future.”
