Plastic recycling company Continental Waste Management plans to open a new plant in Covington, Virginia.  It was trying to decide between opening a new plant in North Carolina or Virginia, but after a $150,000 grant was approved by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to assist the company in its recruiting and training, the company was set in its plans to open a new plant there.  Ujas Patel, President of Continental Waste Management, says that he feels that Covington is going to be a “great location for industrial operations.” The plant will cost the company $6 million.

Continental Waste Management will create 100 new jobs in Covington.  “This project is tremendous for Covington and Alleghany County. Not only will Continental Waste Management create 100 new jobs for a region that is striving to rebound, they are able to put a former industrial property back into productive use. Virginia is gaining a great corporate partner in this environmentally conscious recycling company.” says Governor McDonnell.  The location that the plant will be in was formerly occupied by Applied Extrusion Technologies, which closed down its Covington location in 2008.

The company plans on having the plant in Covington ready to begin manufacturing by early summer 2011, although it might take a little longer to reach its full operating capacity.