American Profol may add seventh production line at Cedar Rapids plant

The American subsidiary of a German cast polyproplylene film manufacturer may be expanding production at its plant in southwest Cedar Rapids.

American Profol, owned by Profol Kunststoffe GmbH of Halfing, Germany, is considering a seventh production line at its existing facility at 4333 C St. SW. This is in addition to the new production line the company announced last year.

Demand for American Profol's polypropylene film products has been at or beyond production capacity since early 2010. The company in 2010 invested $10.8 million to add machinery and equipment for a new product line and created six jobs paying an average annual starting salary of $51,480 plus benefits.

American Profol's last building expansion, in 2000, enabled the existing plant to accommodate up to six lines. Adding a seventh would require significant changes to the existing structure in addition to new machinery and equipment.

The new production line would retain 25 jobs at the Cedar Rapids plant. Other locations also are being considered for the expansion.

The American Profol project is still in an exploratory phase, and will go before the city and state later this month for financial assistance consideration. Priority One is assisting American Profol with the financing and application process.

With four manufacturing facilities worldwide, Profol Kunstoffe has been manufacturing cast polypropylene film since 1981. The films are used for a wide variety of applications including adhesive-coated tapes, heat sealed bags, multi-layer laminates, printed banners, DVD case overlays, copy-safe stationery products, automotive and construction films, in-mold labels, and magazine overwraps.