By Jim Johnson
SENIOR STAFF REPORTER
Published: July 18, 2014 3:32 pm ET
Updated: July 18, 2014 3:37 pm ET
Gepack, a maker of PET bottles in Portugal, is setting up new a manufacturing facility in Arizona.
And it could be just the start for the company in the United States.
Gepack USA will open a 12,000-square-foot site in Peoria, Ariz., near Phoenix later this year, said General Manager Joao Ganhao in a brief telephone interview Friday with Plastics Newsfrom Portugal.
“We are a high quality PET manufacturer. We produce a lot of plastic bottles for major some manufacturers around the world. We will be producing bottles in Peoria, Ariz. We also produce caps. We offer a full solution for our customers,” Ganhao said.
Gepack selected the new site after considering locations in California, Nevada and Arizona.
“We picked this site due to the proximity to California. We have a lot of customers there who are already buying and importing from Portugal so we decided to be closer,” the general manager said.
“We decided to be in Arizona because it’s more tax wise for us to be there as well and also due to the support we received from the Phoenix area,” Ganhao said.
“This facility is 12,000 square feet at the moment. But we intend to grow in the U.S. and possibly open some different locations in the U.S. as well,” he said.
The new site, which is expected to employ 15 workers, is expected to open in November.
Gepack, based in Aveiras de Cima, Portugal, sells to more than 400 customers in 29 countries, according to the company’s website. | 
