M&M Industries receives funding for spur in Lordstown
By Terry Troy
Despite the dour predictions that came after the closure of General Motor’s iconic Lordstown plant in 2019, manufacturing in the Mahoning Valley is definitely not “kicking the bucket.”
In addition to the good news coming out of Lordstown Motors with its announcement of receiving over 100,000 pre-orders for its new Endurance pickup, plastic bucket manufacturer M&M Industries, (the company that took over the old Magna Heating Systems’ 81,000 square foot facility in Lordstown) has received funding to install a rail spur that will allow Norfolk Southern to deliver rail cars of plastic pellets, the raw material used in the company’s manufacturing process.
The Ohio Rail Development Commission awarded $125,000 to begin construction on the spur. Also, M&M Industries recently announced its $37 million investment in real estate, machinery and equipment at the Lordstown site, which will result in the creation of 106 new jobs.
The Lordstown manufacturing location is the fourth for the bucket maker, which has two plants Tennessee and one in Phoenix. The company was founded in 1986 by Glenn Morris, Sr., who began packaging over-the-counter remedies in 1963. M&M Industries’ products offer unique solutions to storing hazardous and non-hazardous solids and liquids. Today the company is owned and operated by Glenn Morris, son of Morris Sr., and currently employees hundreds of people at its other manufacturing plants.
“On behalf of each of us at M&M, I can’t begin to describe our excitement and enthusiasm for working with the extraordinary people of Ohio, playing a role in the growth of Ohio and becoming a part of the community,” said Morris. “We can’t wait to get started.”
Throughout the company’s due diligence process, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber supported M&M Industries by coordinating local discussions and providing resources that aided in the company’s decision to locate in the Mahoning Valley.
“We are extremely pleased to have worked with M&M throughout the attraction process. They are an impressive company, and their investment will help to diversify our local economy and strengthen our future,” said Sarah Boyarko, chamber COO and SVP of economic development.
The ORDC, an independent commission within the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), represents the state in non-regulatory interactions with the railroad industry and funds safety improvements at railroad-highway grade crossings; supports rail-related economic development efforts, and coordinates railroad interactions with ODOT highway projects.
“This is an exciting project for the ORDC for multiple reasons. In partnership with TeamNEO and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, we are supporting private investment in a brownfield site in Ohio,” said Matthew Dietrich, executive director of the ORDC. “Just a few years ago, the railroad was considering eliminating rail service on this line, so this type of investment not only helps M&M Industries but also helps to ensure continued rail service in the area for current and future businesses.”
M&M manufactures pails and packaging for pool chemicals, bioscience, laboratory, pharmaceutical, as well as specialty paint and food products.
