November
2009 Morristown, TN - VIFAN
USA celebrated its completed 130,000 square foot expansion by hosting
a Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on site.
Representatives from the Tennessee Valley Authority
and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
joined city and county officials, along with Chamber staff and ambassadors
at the facility for the ceremony, reception and tours.
Vittoriano DiLuzio, VIFAN USA president, addressed
the large crowd that gathered just outside one of the two additions
to the original building. He thanked his employees for their hard
work and loyalty and credited the team of engineers led by John
Heckman, project manager, for the successful completion of the 19
month project. "You made this possible," he said.
DiLuzio recalled the multi-million dollar challenge
that presented itself in 2005. When company shareholders decided
to invest an estimated $30 million in a new project planned for
China, he flew to headquarters in Europe and presented his own plan
- for $72 million.
A sense that "now is the moment" inspired
DiLuzio to convince the shareholders that manufacturing in the United
States would be a valuable investment. He was buoyed by his faith
in his employees - "if you do everything right, with the right
people, in the right moment, success will come," he said. He
told the investors, "We will be able to sell more than Vifan
product. We will sell Vifan addiction to our customers. Give me
the money - I will give you success."
Referring to the assumption that manufacturing
must go to Asia as the "Wal-Mart philosophy," DiLuzio
told the crowd he predicted it could kill the U.S. economy. "It
makes shareholders richer and the Chinese economy stronger.....
I'm glad we do this job.... A great country like America must find
a way to bring manufacturing back here. I hope that today will set
an example of how to do it. We can show that manufacturing can grow
and survive in this country... We can reset things, because it takes
hard work, and we are hard working. It takes loyalty to the company.
It takes a lot of discipline. We at VIFAN - if we continue what
we are doing - with the same discipline and the same loyalty, three
years from now we will be here to celebrate another expansion."
Tommy Olterman, representing the Economic Development
branch of the Tennessee Valley Authority, recognized the Morristown
Industrial Board, Morristown Utilities System and the State of Tennessee
for their partnership efforts with the agency in regard to the project.
R.Jack Fishman, Morristown Industrial Board chair,
said "To make this music play and create jobs in this community
requires team effort from a lot of people. There were other places
this plant could be located. We have the highest quality of workforce
in the world. The management that puts all this together, Vittoriano
and his team have done a tremendous job."
VIFAN manufactures both clear and metalized biaxially
oriented polypropylene (BOPP), which is used primarily in the food
packaging industry. BOPP is a pellet-based product, and VIFAN utilizes
rail transportation to deliver tons of raw products to the Morristown
plant. The company located in Morristown in 1998 and is part of
the VIBAC Group, and international manufacturing company based in
Italy. The Morristown facility is one of only three company locations
in North America. Two other facilities operate in Montreal, Quebec,
Canada.
The 130,000 square foot expansion will add a new
line to its production capabilities and will result in approximately
55 new jobs for the Morristown area. VIFAN currently employs 120
at the 300,000 square foot plant.
For more information on VIFAN USA, visit www.vibacgroup.com.
