Industrial, consumer and protective packaging provider Sonoco will be investing $11.8m in building a research and development facility for consumer packaging products in Hartsville.
The company has already commenced the construction of the Innovative Packaging Solutions (IPS) Studio at its old packaging development centre.
The facility will enable the company to connect consumer insights to the invention of new consumer packaging.
Its Consumer Interaction Studio will be sued to allow live, direct observation of consumers interacting with products and packaging in areas including retail, kitchen, living and bathroom environments and even automobiles.
The collaboration spaces will allow for experts to interact with the latest technologies to develop new packaging concepts including structural design and manufacturing to access potential for commercialisation.
The rapid prototyping labs will also help in the development of engineered prototypes.
Sonoco vice president for Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs was quoted by The Hartsville Messenger as saying: "We leverage our design engineering and material science capabilities with rapid prototyping including 3D printing capabilities, FDA registered food fill facility and multi-platform pilot plant manufacturing production capabilities for producing test run packaging."
A proposed ordinance for an incentive package to encourage the project was introduced during Darlington County Council's recent meeting.
The new project is expected to create at least 10 new jobs initially which could increase to 40 within the next five to 10 years. The company expects to complete the construction by the end of the third quarter of this year.
Sonoco produces composite cans, tubes and cores along with blow-molded plastic containers, consumer and industrial thermoformed plastic packaging, engineered molded and extruded plastic products, rigid paperboard containers and convenience closures.
Image: Sonoco specializes in producing composite cans, tubes and cores. Photo: courtesy of mrpuen/freedigitalphotos.net.
