Next Life Inc

New Recycling Plant to Open in Arkansas

Oct. 31, 2012
NextLife Asset Recovery Services will invest more than $10 million, create up to 350 jobs.

NextLife Asset Recovery Services’ new facility in Rogers, Arkansas will recycle post-consumer plastics into an environmentally sustainable resin that can be used to manufacture new consumer plastic products.

The company announced a few week ago that they will invest more than $10 million and hire 350 at the processing facility in Rogers.

"We are thrilled to be opening our third location and our second processing facility,” said Ron Whaley, CEO of NextLife. “We are excited to bring green jobs to Arkansas.”

The facility in Rogers will collect and sort the post-consumer plastic waste in what will be the first of three phases for NextLife’s growth plans in Arkansas, the company said. The second phase will establish production lines to turn the plastic waste into sustainable resin, and the third phase will allow the company to establish joint ventures and manufacturing facilities with plastic goods manufacturers.

NextLife’s re-engineered sustainable resins can be customized for use in a wide variety of applications, including consumer products and food packaging. The carbon footprint of a NextLife resin is 70% less than that of a virgin resin, the company said.  

NextLife Asset Recovery Services is a fully-owned subsidiary of NextLife Enterprise, LLC, headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent 

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Bio: Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today

Editorial mission statement: Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I find manufacturing interesting: On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world. 

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