A manufacturer in Rhinelander gave the public a first glance at a state-of-the-art facility to be located in the former Printpak building on Kemp Street.
Expera Coated Products will open a new type of papermaking facility next summer says Expera's Jeff Verdoorn, who describes the new product...
"....our company will be making a casting sheet or a release liner that allows the people who make fiber composite to form their product on top of our sheet, our sheet is then removed and thrown away. We allow the fiber composite sheet to be cast....."
This process will enable a new type of lighter airplane. Verdoorn says they're working with Boeing, and will expand capacity in the coated products...
"....we're pretty much doubling our capacity. And if you look at the ramp up of the two Boeing projects we talked about as an example, we hope to have the coater up to capacity in three years....."
Officials say a year ago, groups met to see if there was a way to expand the Rhinelander Paper manufacturer into the former Printpak building. Over the months, a complex deal was worked out, enabling Oneida County to request $15 million dollars from the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, with a local conduit then moving the money to Expera. Expera operates another paper making facility in Rhinelander.
Verdoorn says the public private partnership is a winner for everyone, as an empty building will be modified and eventually 20 new jobs added, governments get the tax base, and the interest money on the lower cost loan eventually goes to the state's school libraries.
Verdoorn says they hope to have the operation going by next summer.
