Area Development
A manufacturer of retail paper bags, American Paper Bag will establish a corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility in the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Metro Area, in Sugar Notch Borough of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

APB will establish its first corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility at an approximately 42,000-square-foot existing building in Hanover Industrial Estates with plans to create 38 jobs. The company will invest $5,425,000 million in the project, with spending focused primarily in proprietary machining technology.

“Having researched sites across the U.S .and after lengthy discussions with both the Governor’s Action Team and The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber the decision was straightforward,” said Ian Robson, CEO, American Paper Bag. “The support from all sides we have received was head and shoulders above anything else and we look forward to a long future of sustainable manufacturing in Pennsylvania.”

As an incentive, APB received a funding proposal from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development that includes a $38,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits to be distributed upon creation of the new jobs and $19,550 in WEDnetPA funding for employee training.

The company has also been encouraged to and has applied for a $1.4 million low-interest loan through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA). The project was coordinated by DCED’s Office of International Business Development along with the Governor’s Action Team, in collaboration with The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber.

“Today’s announcement represents a huge win for Northeastern Pennsylvania and demonstrates how effective we can be when local and state entities work together for the greater good,” Joseph Boylan, Vice President, Economic Development, Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber. “This team approach allowed us the opportunity to develop and deliver a competitive and winning workforce and funding strategy to attract American Paper Bag to the region – competing against several locations in North America. Congratulations to Ian Robson and American Paper Bag, a welcome addition to Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

“Pennsylvania provides a wide range of advantages to manufacturing companies. From a robust and highly skilled workforce, to a prime location with an excellent transportation infrastructure, to an exceptional quality of life for employees and their families,the commonwealth delivers on all counts,” said Governor Tom Wolf.