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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Sweden-based Gränges Expands Manufacturing Complex in Newport, Arkansas

05/04/2018
Sweden-based Gränges will invest $26 million to expand its operations in Newport, Arkansas. The facility manufactures aluminum for various light gauge foil applications like food-grade packaging.

The expansion will create an additional 100 full-time jobs over two years, more than quadrupling its current 21 positions.

“This investment builds on our foil strategy as we invest to once again serve our light gauge foil customers and their growth plans. It is great news not only for our future customers but also for the local community in the Newport area,” said Gränges Americas President Patrick Lawlor.

“Gränges is a great example of the momentum we’re seeing in foreign direct investment in Arkansas,” said Governor Asa Hutchinson. “This expansion shows that Gränges has the confidence that the talent here in Arkansas will move the company forward and continue to help them succeed in the global marketplace.”

In 2016, Gränges purchased Noranda Aluminum and acquired the Newport facility along with those in Tennessee and North Carolina. The Swedish company’s Arkansas facility has one of the widest aluminum rolling mills in the United States and utilizes a proprietary coating process.

“We are so excited to work with a corporate partner like Gränges,” said Dean Sides, chairman of the Newport Economic Development Commission. “Their commitment to manufacturing a quality product in a safe work environment makes them a great corporate partner.”

“Gränges’ investment in this facility, one of the longest operating manufacturing plants in Jackson County, is a tremendous boost for our local economy,” said Jon Chadwell, Director of Economic Development for the Newport Economic Development Commission. “We are thrilled to have 100 jobs returning to Jackson County. These jobs pay significantly higher than our average wage and will give local citizens a chance to improve their family income right here at home.”

“We hope this is the beginning of a great partnership with Granges that will bring more investment and more jobs to Newport and Jackson County,” Chadwell added. “We want to thank the Arkansas Economic Development Commission for partnering with us to bring these jobs to Jackson County. The expansion would not have been possible without their hard work and investment.”

Gränges also operates facilities in Huntingdon, Tennessee, and Salisbury, North Carolina. In addition to food packaging, the company manufactures products for HVAC, transformers, and the automobile industry.

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