Ropak Will Build Plant in Kentucky : Manufacturing: The facility will make collapsible bins, the Fullerton plastics firm says.

Ropak Corp., a major maker of plastic packaging and handling products, said Wednesday that it will build a manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Ky.

The plant, to open in the fall with about 30 employees, will make collapsible bins mainly for the automobile industry. The recyclable bins can be used for up to eight years to ship parts from suppliers to auto manufacturers.

The Fullerton company said it picked the Kentucky site because it had lower labor and electrical costs and is close to its auto industry customers as well as other industries it is targeting.

The collapsible bins can be used in any industry where goods are shipped between suppliers and manufacturers, said Ronald W. Cameron, Ropak’s chief executive officer. Other containers already are in wide use for foods and various agricultural materials.

Cameron pointed out that the company, though it deals with plastic, is not a polluter. It takes existing plastic and heats it to a molten stage so it can be molded into a container, he said.

Ropak employs 810 workers at five U.S. plants and four Canadian facilities. About 120 of those employees work at the company’s headquarters and at its La Mirada plant. Last year, the company earned nearly $3.5 million on sales of $105 million.