Corn might be considered part of a healthy, hearty dinner for many Americans. But would you consider it to be part of your dinnerware? One Texas businessman hopes to turn what you eat into what you eat on.
Plastic manufacturer John Pitre, CEO of Variety Global Business Group of Houston, is looking for between $2 million to $20 million to fund his plans to process and distribute corn-based dinnerware in conjunction with a Chinese company. Rather than be created through plastics injection molding like many pieces of dinnerware are, these items will be vacuum formed.
Although the partnership is being done with a Chinese company, production will be handled in the United States because Pitre says that the costs of shipping from China are extensive, and consumers have more trust in products made domestically.
The plants could potentially create up to 120 jobs at each of the locations it will open, which Pitre says will be announced within the next 30 days. Sites in 15 states are possible, including Ohio, Indiana, Maryland and Georgia. Pitre said the company is seeking to build plants in areas with empty industrial spaces and experienced workers.
The Chinese company VGB is partnering with is Dongguan Honghao High-New Technical Development Co. of Dongguan, China, which is looking to expand its plastics technology into the United States. The company opened in 2000 as a plastic manufacturer, creating items such as wholesale plastic containers for food made from biodegradable products. The company is also selling its turnkey products to other bioplastics manufacturing companies in China and abroad.
