Governor visits Cope Plastic in Alton to push job training

Gov. Bruce Rauner tours the Cope Plastics business on Wednesday.

ALTON – Gov. Bruce Rauner today toured Cope Plastics and discussed changes that he says will put Illinois back on track and increase job growth in the state.

“Cope Plastics constantly re-evaluated trends and grew with the industry. The longevity of this company is proof that hard work, innovation and staying ahead of the curve can propel any business forward,” said  Rauner. “In order to ensure that businesses like Cope Plastics continue to thrive, we have to make structural changes to put Illinois back on track for success.”

As part of his tour, Rauner met with employees and discussed the administration’s plan to put Illinois back on track by growing the state’s economy. The administration has focused on shrinking the achievement gap by refocusing career and technical training. That includes improving apprenticeship programs to increase hands-on job training.

Cope Plastics has grown from a small basement operation in 1946 into a well-known fabricator and distributor of plastics. It is a third generation, family and woman-owned company based in Alton.