Wet-wipes manufacturer Nice-Pak of Orangeburg, New York, announced Monday that it will hire more than 300 people at its plant in Jonesboro, doubling the manufacturing capacity for disinfecting wipes and adding to its ability to make other products.
The company aims to hire the workers by the end of next year. It plans to begin in January, implementing the expansion in phases through August.
Upgrades will include the extension of existing lines and the addition of a new manufacturing line that will create 176 new jobs.
The expansion comes amid increase demand for household disinfectants spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, it moved to 24-hour-per-day, seven-days-per week production and is on track to have hired 130 people by the end of the year.
At the beginning of 2020, it employed about 400 people.
"Our products are essential for consumers to help stay healthy and well amid the COVID-19 pandemic," Chairman and CEO Robert Julius said in a news release. "We have been working non-stop to produce more wipes than ever before, and we commend the tremendous performance of our Jonesboro associates, who have been terrific in rising to the challenge."
Gov. Asa Hutchinson joined company leaders for the announcement Monday.
"For more than ten years, Nice-Pak's Jonesboro facility has served its customers and its community by manufacturing essential products for our day-to-day lives," Hutchinson said. "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nice-Pak has worked harder than ever to provide essential resources to help people through this difficult time. I appreciate the value that this company places on the health and wellbeing of its customers and its employees, and I’m pleased that Nice-Pak will continue growing its operations in Jonesboro."
According to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the company qualifies for the Create Rebate incentive, which is an annual cash rebate based on the number of jobs at the plant. The rebate is for seven years at a rate of 3.9%.
Nice-Pak's Jonesboro operation comprises more than 1 million SF of manufacturing and distribution space. The company is hiring at www.nicepak.com/careers.
