RICHMOND, VA. (March 15, 3:50 p.m. ET) -- Mead Westvaco Corp. recently opened the doors to its new Center for Packaging Innovation and pilot plant in Richmond.

In 2010, MWV announced plans to relocate the center and plant from Raleigh, N.C. to its company headquarters in Richmond.

The 48,000-square-foot plant will serve as a materials and technology research and development center. The facility will house five labs -- materials and metallurgy engineering, TAPPI conditioned materials testing, polymers and packaging, paper science, and coating – and play a key role in the development of new products and technologies designed to address consumers’ unmet packaging needs, the company said in March 13 news release.

Among other features, the plant’s capabilities include coatings and materials testing, form/fill/seal machines, die-cutting, plastic and paperboard thermoformers, distribution and supply chain testing, cup forming and converting, equipment prototyping, injection molding, coating, and multi-layer polymer extrusion and lamination.

MWV said it spent more than $13 million on infrastructure and equipment to establish the new plant. The move created 114 new jobs over two years at both the new plant and company headquarters.

MWV manufactures packaging for the healthcare, beauty and personal care, food, beverage, home and garden and tobacco industries. The company employs 17,000 in 30 countries worldwide. Its 2011 sales totaled $268 million.