McKenzie Chamber Members Tour Plastic Product Formers, Pottery Direct

Kicking off Manufacturing Month festivities, the McKenzie Chamber of Commerce and Industry scheduled factory tours at VP Racing’s Plastic Product Formers and Pottery Direct Wednesday, October 8.

The morning began with a tour of VP Racing’s Plastic Product Formers, led by Operations Manager Patrick Ross. Touring chamber members were Mike Stafford (WTPUD), Joseph Butler (Carroll County Mayor), Chuck Sisson (President, Centennial Bank, McKenzie, IDB board member), Tim McBride (McKenzie City Council), Monica Heath (Executive Director, McKenzie Industrial Development Board and Chamber of Commerce) and Noah McEwen (Centennial Bank, McKenzie Chamber of Commerce board member).

Ross led the group through the screenprinting area, in which David Trotter demonstrated how to use the screenprinting machine to print t-shirts. With a full team, he said he could print 675 shirts per hour. Alone, he can print about 400 shirts per hour.

The tour then moved into the main factory area, where the group watched as machines created five-and-a-half gallon jugs out of tiny plastic pellets. The machines are unique to Plastic Products Formers and make two jugs every 55 seconds.

While inside the factory, the tour group marveled at the inventory of plastic jugs ready to be shipped to distributors.

Plastic Products Formers sells their jugs to Rural King, Menards, Tractor Supply Co., Bass Pro Shops, Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, Academy Sports, Summit Racing Equipment, True Value Hardware, Do It Best, AutoZone and Orgill. Customers may also find them on Amazon or TikTok Shop.

In a raffle drawing, Mike Stafford won a free 5.5-gallon jug. Before leaving, several chamber members also purchased jugs.

Chamber members took a short drive down the road to Pottery Direct for their second tour of the day, led by Nick Davis, plant manager at Pottery Direct/Syndicate Grower Direct. Touring chamber members at Pottery Direct were Carroll County Mayor Joseph Butler, Mike Stafford (WTPUD), John Wright (McKenzie Industrial board member), Monica Heath (Executive Director, McKenzie Industrial Development Board and Chamber of Commerce), Noah McEwen (Centennial Bank, McKenzie Chamber of Commerce board member) and Chuck Sisson (President, Centennial Bank, McKenzie, IDB board member).

The Pottery Direct tour began in the showroom, where pots are displayed showing their different colors, shapes and designs. Davis introduced a new line of Tennessee Clay pots named after Tennessee towns and cities to the tour group.

Inside the factory, Davis showed the group how machines shape the wet clay into pots, dry the pots and glaze the pots. He showed them special 3D-printed tools used to make design imprints in the pots.

One of the last stops showcased the kiln, which reaches 2,093 degrees Fahrenheit. Each pot spends about five hours in the kiln after glazing.

Davis said Pottery Direct can make up to 10,000 pots in a day at their factory.

Following the tour, Davis encouraged chamber members to take a flower pot home with them.

Manufacturing Month events continue throughout October, with more tours at TCAT Henry/Carroll October 22 and UTM Latimer-Smith Engineering and Science Building October 29. Register by contacting mckenzieindustry@gmail.com or 731-352-2004.