Paragould, AR, 20 June 2008 - Anchor Packaging today broke ground on a new, major expansion of its Paragould facility. Anchor is investing $40 million in the expansion, which will result in 120 new jobs.
The company, headquartered in St. Louis, specializes in packaging for the restaurant, supermarket and food processing industry. The 64,000-square-foot expansion will house eight new, state-of-the-art inline thermoforming machines, which produce take-out containers for prepared foods sold in retail, foodservice, and food processing markets.
In addition to the manufacturing facility in Paragould, the company also has a distribution center in Paragould along with another manufacturing facility in Marmaduke. With the completion of this expansion, Anchor will have more than 1.3 million square feet utilized in its operations, employing more than 720 people in Greene County.
“Once again, the success a company has achieved in Arkansas has evolved into additional investment in our State,” Governor Mike Beebe said. “We appreciate Anchor Packaging’s continued commitment to Northeast Arkansas and their dedication to expand their business here.”
This new expansion is environmentally friendly, as any excess parts or scrap are automatically recycled back through the same production process. During the conception and architectural design process, significant emphasis was placed on minimizing environmental impact.
“This expansion project reflects Anchor Packaging, Inc.’s ongoing commitment to innovation, the environment, community leadership, and workplace excellence,” added Jeffrey C. Wolff, President of Anchor Packaging, Inc.
“Anchor Packaging is one of our top employers,” said Paragould Mayor Mike Gaskill. “The continued expansion of Anchor is indicative of the partnership Paragould has with its industries. We are very pleased that Anchor continues to grow in our community.”