Plastics Maker Agrees to Pay County $75,000

The maker of Frost King plastic products has agreed to pay a $75,000 judgment after being accused by the Orange County district attorney’s office of selling products that weighed less than advertised.

Frost King plastic sheeting, used in gardening and construction, is manufactured by Thermwell Products of Paterson, N.J., and sold in retail stores across the country.

In a sampling of products by the county’s consumer fraud unit, 95% of the packages were under the advertised weight, Deputy Dist. Atty. Gay Geiser-Sandoval said.

Thermwell Vice President Vincent J. Giarratana said Frost King’s products are at proper weight when averaged. “Some are under average. More are over,” he said.

Thermwell, which did not admit wrongdoing in consenting to the judgment, said it has installed more sophisticated weighing equipment to ensure accuracy.

Sandoval said the county began its investigation after being alerted to a potential problem by the state Division of Measurements and Standards. Sandoval said she does not expect further so-called “short weight” judgments.