Pasco leaders provide $1M in incentives to lure NY plastic manufacturer

A New York packaging company is moving to Pasco County and creating about 555 jobs in the process.

Gary Plastic Packaging Corp. announced Tuesday, Dec. 2, that it is moving into 279,000 square feet of space in a new 400,000-square-foot building currently under construction at the North Pasco Corporate Center. The building is one of two being built on 72 acres in Spring Hill.

The company, which opened in 1963, manufactures, prints and assembles plastic products for the promotional industry along with manufacturing rigid, reusable plastic containers mostly for the pharmaceutical, dental and electronics industries. It currently operates out of a 300,000-square-foot facility in the Bronx.

Gary Plastic did not say what would happen to its New York operations, but the press release issued by the Pasco Economic Development Council called the move a “relocation.” The company did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the announcement, the company will spend $16 million in lease hold improvements including adding manufacturing equipment, furniture and fixtures “to create a modern state of the art manufacturing facility.” The company expects to move in stages starting in the first quarter of 2024.

The move to Pasco is expected to create about 555 total new jobs in the county over three years. Of those, 184 will be at 125% of the average county wage.

To help recruit Gary Plastic to Pasco, the County Commission approved an incentives package that includes ad valorem tax reimbursement, Job Creation Incentives up to $552,000, a High Impact Job Creation Bonus up to $306,206 and Discretionary Training Funds for $100,000 through the Penny for Pasco Jobs and Economic Opportunities Trust Fund.