Encore Plastics wins big contract from Walmart

SANDUSKY — A Sandusky area company has won a contract with Walmart to supply the store chain with plastic paint trays, moving production of the items from China to the United States.Encore Plastics will supply the big box chain with more than 1 million plastic paint trays a year."They have really been pushing to buy American. They like American goods that are made by American workers," said Craig Rathbun, director of business development for Encore. "We do a lot of business with Walmart. They have been a good customer of ours."Encore has about 250 employees and about 50 temporary employees. The contract will allow the company to convert 30 of those temp jobs to permanent jobs in production facilities in Cambridge, Ohio, and Georgia.Encore's headquarters is a 12,000-square-foot building in Quarry Lakes business park on Ohio 101 near Ohio 2 in Erie County. In addition to Ohio and Georgia, the company has facilities in Utah and Minnesota.Encore began in 1987 in Pittsburgh but moved to Sandusky in 1993 and moved to its location in Quarry Lakes in 2006."We stock the country's broadest line of quality plastic, metal and paper pails, trays and liners, caulking guns, roller covers, kits and accessories," the company says on its website. "As a result it doesn't matter what your packaging or paint supply needs are, we've got you covered."Walmart officials say they made a commitment in January 2013 to support U.S. manufacturing and buy an additional $250 billion in U.S. products over 10 years to support American jobs.Walmart spokesman Scott Markley, interviewed by phone at Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., said the company is on track to meet that goal by 2023, although Walmart won't compromise on offering customers a good value."We don't believe that people should have to pay a premium for products from American factories and fields," he said.American manufacturers are invited to come to Arkansas to pitch their wares, Markley said."We just had our fourth annual open call in Bentonville last month," he said.About 1,200 people attended, representing about 500 companies pitching more than 750 products from 47 states and Puerto Rico. Some will wind up in stores, and everyone got an offer to sell on Walmart.com, he said.Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.