Bioplastics firm moves manufacturing operations from China to New York

By end of this summer, Trellis will break ground on a new 80,000-sq-ft facility in the Rochester Technology Park. The company will gear up to manufacture more than 50 million forks, knives and spoons monthly at its new facility.

Trellis also plans to manufacture food service flatware and flexible products including clamshells, school lunch trays and plates at its Rochester facility.

All products will be made from its bioplastic blend that is primarily comprised of plant starch. Trellis claims it will be the first bioplastics company to make branded goods in a vertically integrated facility that takes raw materials through all phases of production for food service customers.

Trellis is being supported by Empire State Development with an incentive package that directly ties to job creation and contributions to the local economy. ESD will provide $1.5 million in Excelsior tax credits and a $500,000 capital grant. Trellis has committed to creating 189 full time jobs by June 2018 and investing $8.34 million.

Monroe County has also agreed to commit resources, including up to $500,000 in low interest financing, up to $300,000 in an interest subsidy, $50,000 for training and possible rebates on equipment purchases.

Trellis makes over 100 branded products, all non-petroleum based, or bioplastics as they are known in the industry. These eco-friendly products are distributed by major food service companies in the U.S. to over 1,000 customers nationally. The company was started in Oregon in 2005 while catering primarily to customers searching for "greener" alternatives to conventional plastic disposable packaging for take-out food.

"Trellis, as an industry leader, is committed to creating jobs here at home," said Trellis Earth Products CEO Mike Senzaki. "We see the value of being a New York-based manufacturing company where we can be close to our major markets while having access to the resources and support services we need to launch a world-class manufacturing facility."