Wet-wipes manufacturer Nice-Pak of Orangeburg, New York, has hired 70 full-time employees and is bringing in temporary workers on an ongoing basis at its plant in Jonesboro to meet increased demand amid COVID-19.
“The demand for our portfolio of Nice-Pak brands has risen rapidly since the pandemic began,” Stanley Lichucki, Nice-Pak's Jonesboro site director, said in an email to Arkansas Business. “We increased our production by adding shifts and streamlining our offerings, and put all our resources into getting our customers the essential products consumers need.
“We anticipate maintaining these high production levels of our Nice 'n Clean [and] Grime Boss brands as well as the private label manufacturing of hand and surface wipes and baby and moist toilet wipes at the current rate for the foreseeable future. … Our larger workforce is essential in order for us to meet the demand.”
In all, the company aims to hire 100 new workers in Jonesboro. He said Nice-Pak is constantly monitoring and evaluating “this ever-evolving environment” and is prepared to adapt to meet public health needs.
Nice-Pak has openings for both temporary and full-time employees at its manufacturing and distribution facility in Jonesboro, including machine operators, forklift drivers and maintenance and clerical workers, to serve across all shifts.
At the beginning of the year, the Jonesboro manufacturing facility and warehouse employed 400 people.
The Jonesboro expansion is part of Nice-Pak’s plans to hire more workers throughout the organization, which employs about 1,100 people. That includes a new batch of 100 employees at its Plainfield and Mooresville, Indiana locations. It also added workers to its New York headquarters.
Lichucki said demand has lessened for some of its products, and the company is spending more to hire and train new employees and on new safety and cleaning/sanitizing programs. It also temporarily increased hourly pay by $2.
