M&W PLANT IMPROVEMENTS ON DISPLAY

Miltenberger & Willing Packaging U.S. Inc. has added a line to its plant north of Cape Girardeau.

"A variety of new products and new customers have changed our company," said Paul Wiedlin, president of M&W Packaging U.S. "Over the past year we've spent about $9 million to install a new line and upgrade the conveying system. We expect to see expansions totaling another $7 million this year."

Wiedlin, who joined M&W about six months ago, discussed the company and its plans Thursday at a luncheon with a small group that included county officials and educators. The group got a look at new equipment that will increase packaging production capacity.

A new extrusion machine is the largest among those of 13 companies owned by Nordenia International AG, an international packaging company headquartered in Steinfield, Germany.

Plant visitors saw all phases of the M&W operation, from making plastic sheeting to the finished, colorful packaging product.

Employees and their families will tour the operations Sunday at an open house. The plant has 270 employees.

M&W opened doors to its $41 million, 147,000-square-foot plant on a 30-acre tract north of Cape Girardeau in 1990.

Nearby Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co. is the largest U.S. customer of M&W, which also provides packaging for Alcoa, President Baking, United Industries, Pursell, Pennington Seed, Oceana Foods, Sea Coast, Kal Kan, Courtesy Products and Green Light.

At one time P&G accounted for 90 percent of M&W's packaging, said Wiedlin. "We can see that evening out to about 50-50 in the future, not because P&G is buying less, but we are on the grow and have increased out customer base," he said.

The company's payroll has grown from $1.1 million in 1990 to more than $9 million. The company purchases more than $3 million a year in local supplies.

The plant's sales growth has gone from $7.2 million the first year to about $60 million.