MOUNT VERNON – Replex Plastics, a plastic producer based in central Ohio, was recently given the Environmental Sustainability Award by the Knox County Chamber of Commerce for its sustainable and technologically advanced plastic production.

"I was really happy and proud for Replex to be recognized in this way," Mark Scheutz, owner and president of Replex Plastics, told the Mount Vernon News. "Being recognized as a leader in sustainability is gratifying after doing the work over many years."

Scheutz founded Replex Plastics in 1991 after studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Majoring in mechanical engineering made for a natural transition to the founding of Replex.

"My engineering background has served me well for building the process technology upon which the business is founded," Scheutz said. "Moving toward a sustainable future is not something you can do like flipping a switch. It takes persistence over many years of effort to keep improving in this area."

Like many other businesses in Mount Vernon, Replex Plastics was closed due to state guidelines after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

But echoing the spirit of goodwill in Mount Vernon, Replex retooled their manufacturing to "source polycarbonate sheet and build a supply chain to make face shields," Scheutz said. 

"It was a time of shortage of PPE of all sorts, so we did what we could to be a part of the solution," he said. "This is how people are in Mount Vernon. We care about one another and will try to help one another as much as possible."

Scheutz has been married for 41 years and has two adult children as well as two grandchildren.

When asked what he loves most about Mount Vernon, Scheutz responded that the city has offered support during the company's toughest moments. 

"In 2006, our building was burned to the ground by two teenage arsonists," he said. "The entire community rallied in unbelievable ways to support our efforts to rebuild, which we did over the subsequent 12 months. I have never forgotten the love and compassion extended to us in what was a very difficult time for us."