A shuttered latex plant will restart production this year and hire up to 400 workers, the company announced Tuesday.
Medical Industries of the Americas will be making latex products for the poultry and medical industries on the company’s 15-acre Eufaula facility, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce.
“We’ve re‐tooled the plant, brought in experienced management, and signed up some of the largest distributors of latex and medical products in the U.S. to deliver our products domestically and worldwide,” Abe Summers, president of MI Americas, told the state agency.
“With the support of Governor Kay Ivey, the state Legislature, and local government officials, all of whom want to see this once‐great industry back on its feet, we’ve been able to bring those hopes to fruition.”
David Silver, CEO of MI Americas, told the Eufaula Tribune that the company has big plans for the plant, which closed in 2017.
“We believe that in 10 years we will have a half-billion dollar economic wealth impact on the whole region,” Silver told the newspaper.
Once production ramps up the facility will make latex gloves for the medical and agricultural industries, and latex products such as hot/cold packs and latex condoms.
“We’re committed to helping create career opportunities for residents of Alabama’s rural counties through economic development,” Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said in a statement .
“By spurring job growth, this rural venture will lift families in Eufaula and set the community on course for more positive developments.”
“It’s welcome news that Medical Industries of the Americas has selected Alabama for its strategic growth plans,” Governor Ivey said in a statement. “The company’s project will not only create a significant number of jobs in Eufaula but also provide an economic boost for the entire region.
“We’ve worked hard to create an environment where businesses can thrive, and this is another indicator that we are succeeding.”
