By Michael Lauzon
CORRESPONDENT
Published: May 29, 2014 12:17 pm ET
Updated: May 29, 2014 4:22 pm ET
Image By: Taizhou Fuling Plastics Co.
Taizhou Fuling Plastics Co. Ltd. molds a range of food service products, including straws.
Chinese plastic tableware and kitchenware major Taizhou Fuling Plastics Co. Ltd. plans to set up its first U.S. production plant in Lehigh County, Pa.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s office announced the project the morning of May 29.
Fuling Plastics USA Inc. has entered into a lease for an 88,000-square-foot building in Upper Macungie Township, a suburb of Allentown. It will invest more than $21 million in building improvements and new machinery and equipment. Fuling has committed to creating at least 75 new jobs within the next three years.
“We are very excited to bring our manufacturing to the United States, and especially to Pennsylvania,” stated Fuling President Guilan Jiang in a news release. “This is a great area, and we have been received very well by the state officials.”
Fuling was founded in Wenling City, Zhejiang province, in October 1992. It has three production operations and a research and development center in China. It is vertically integrated in mold making, injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming, printing and packaging.
Fuling USA’s website lists the parent company’s major equipment roster as more than 120 injection presses, 20 thermoformers and 10 extrusion lines.
Fuling claims to be one of the biggest exporters of plastic food service products in China. Food service customers include Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s and Subway. It also sells through mass-merchandisers like Wal-Mart and BJ’s Wholesale Club.
Fuling’s product lines include cutlery, dining kits and drinking straws. | 
