Company expanding into old Caterpillar plant site

City offers 10-year grant to ORBIS Corp.

A relic from Mentor’s manufacturing past is roaring back to life with a major expansion by a local business.

ORBIS Corp., a subsidiary of Wisconsin-based Menasha Corp., plans to consolidate its manufacturing plant at 9050 Tyler Blvd. and warehouse at 8100 Tyler — as well as expand — in the former Caterpillar building.

The reusable packaging maker is proposing to lease 270,000 square feet of space, including 14,000 square feet for office use, in the building at 7800 Tyler.

The project would add up to 80 full-time employees and a potential $17.5 million investment.

The Mentor plant currently employs about 150 people and had a payroll totaling $6.4 million last year.

Mentor City Council recently approved a 10-year Mentor Incentive Grant equal to up to $225,000 in payroll taxes. Total taxes paid would range from about $1.7 million to $2.2 million.

This is a significant project for several reasons, said Ronald M. Traub, Mentor economic & community development director.

“One, it represents a 10year commitment by ORBIS and its parent company to the city,” he said.

“Two, while ORBIS is consolidating, the net result will be a significant increase in square footage. Three, ORBIS is contemplating the acquisition of some machinery and equipment, which could lead to additional employment.”

In addition, the current ORBIS building is anticipated to be attractive to other Mentor companies looking to expand.

“While manufacturing jobs continue to decline on several levels, in Mentor they continue to grow,” Traub said.

Caterpillar at its peak totaled 1.1 million square feet and employed 2,700 people. It began closures in 1982 and, by the mid1980s, closed its doors with 1,900 jobs.

“It retained approximately 350 office employees for several years,” Traub noted.

Along with the former National Screw building, Caterpillar had accounted for about two-thirds of the vacant industrial property in the city.

“ORBIS is taking a significant amount of the remaining inventory,” he said.

Parent company Menasha Corp. dates back to 1849 and focuses on promotional graphics as well as packaging.

“They are one of the oldest privately held, family owned companies in North America,” said Lynn Hediger, vice president of manufacturing and product engineering.

“It is still owned by the original family.”

Today, it comprises 11 manufacturing sites and 2,300 full-time employees throughout North America.

ORBIS formed in 1997. Its primary market is the automotive industry. The company has grown dramatically in the last two decades, finishing 2017 with $43 million in revenue.

“We’ve just absolutely outgrown where we’re at today, which is exciting,” Hediger said. “It’s a good opportunity.”

The goal is to be in the new site by late July, early August. Re-using an existing building lines up well with the company’s core values, he said.

“Menasha Corp. is a sustainability champion with returnable packaging,” he said.

“I mean, our board and our family members that own the company like the notion of rehabbing a facility rather than doing another greenfield; they really like the notion of being able to help a community out with a rehab type of program. This is a great fit for us; it will be a good marketing tool for us to say we’re walking the talk, so a lot of good things (are) coming out of this.”

Mentor’s grants are funded by nontax revenue sources in the general fund, such as charges for services at the Mentor Lagoons Marina, Black Brook Golf Course, Mentor Civic Arena and registration fees.