*Note: This story and more can be founded in the 2025 Progress Magazine, available now. 

KW Plastics and Wiley Sanders Truck Lines have been a staple in the City of Troy decades, employing thousands of individuals over the years.

Wiley Sanders started his trucking company in 1959 with just a single vehicle and it grew over the years into one of the nation’s leaders with operations in 48 states as well as Canada and Mexico. 

KW Plastics was formed in 1981 by owners Kenny Campbell and Sanders in an effort to recall polypropylene plastic (PP), primarily used in automatic battery casings. KW Plastics eventually expanded with a second facility based in California in the 1980s, as well. 

In 1993, KW Plastics further expanded with the opening of its Recycling Division to recycle post-consumer high-density polyethylene (HDPE), taking in bales of household plastic bottles like milk jugs, detergent bottles and shampoo bottles from all across the country. 

In 1998, KW Plastics opened KW Container, an injection company that molds paint containers from recycled polypropylene and can be found on shelves in major hardware and paint stores throughout the country to this day. KW Container also has operations in Illinois and Pennsylvania, which supports paint manufacturers in those areas.

KW Plastics is considered one the world’s largest plastics recyclers due to its massive capacities to purchase, process, store and ship post-consumer HDPE and PP. 

Sanders also formed Sanders Lead Company in the 1970s. Together, Sanders Lead, Wiley Sanders Truck Lines and KW Plastics employ an estimated 600 individuals in its various facilities. 

Along with employing more than 500 Pike County residents, KW/Sanders also has the largest industrial footprint in Pike County with five various locations along, or near, the Henderson Highway, including a rail site. 

The Sanders/KW Companies also have the largest industrial utility load in Pike County, which allows the City of Troy to purchase wholesale electricity and offer significantly lower rates to Troy residents, which also leverages the regions’ lowest rate to attract  new business and support expansion of existing businesses.

KW Plastics Director of Market Development Stephanie Baker and Polymer Chemist and Quality Assurance Manager Doug McLendon worked closely with Troy University to offer grant support, share industry challenges, while making industry connections and validating the opportunity for more advancement around plastics recycling to meet the demand that propelled the creation of the university’s new Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences. 

“We expect the Center for Materials and Manufacturing Science will allow us, not only as a local company but also our industry, the unique opportunity for research and development, commercialization of technology and a qualified and experienced pool of potential employees ready to take on the demands of the reclining and polymer industries,” KW Plastics said in a statement.

The Sanders/KW Companies call Pike County home and plan to continue developing right here at home.

“Both founders were born in Pike County, raised families here with the second generation taking on leadership roles not only within the companies but also within the community,” KW/Sanders Companies’ statement read. “The ownership has a deep commitment to supporting this community, fully understanding the success of the Sanders/KW Companies can be attributed to community support and the thousands of employees that have each contributed to the growth of the business.

“While opportunities and offers have come along to move or sell portions of the business, and even when heavy federal regulations made operations cost-prohibitive at times, Mr. Campbell and Mr. Sanders remained steadfast in understanding their investments in Pike County was vital to the stability of local families and any personal losses or gains were not worth the risk to our community.”