Business

Graham Packaging Company, the manufacturer of custom blow-moulded plastic containers, will invest $12.1m (£6.7m) to expand its manufacturing facility in Altavista, Virginia.

The company decided to expand in Altavista after securing a new contract in the region.

Mark Leiden, vice president of Graham Packaging, said: "We looked at a number of other states and locations, but Virginia is a business-friendly state where we feel very welcome."

The expansion will create 10 jobs.

Graham Packaging produces more than 20 billion container units annually at 83 plants in North America, Europe, and South America.

The company had sales of $2.49bn in 2007.