Signode Industrial Group LLC, a leading transit-packaging provider, will expand its operations in Fordyce, Arkansas. The project is expected to create 31 new full-time jobs over the next 12 months.

The company manufactures transit packaging consumables, tools, software, and equipment that optimize end-of line packaging operations and protect products in transit. The company has operated in Arkansas for nearly 50 years and currently has a total of 218 full-time employees across its facilities in Benton, Sheridan, and Fordyce.

Along with its decision to expand at its Fordyce facility, Signode also announced plans to re-purpose and grow its plant in Sheridan, Arkansas. While products currently produced at Sheridan will move to Fordyce, additional product lines will move into the Sheridan plant over the next year to utilize its existing skilled workforce. As part of this transition, each of the 23 employees currently working at the company’s Angleboard facility in Benton will have the opportunity to transfer to the Sheridan site.

“As we look to optimize our manufacturing footprint and operational efficiencies, our existing facilities and excellent workforce in Arkansas are well-suited to handle the growth and transformation we have planned for the future,” Signode’s Vice President of Supply Chain and Project Management Keith Kushner said. “Signode’s partnership with the AEDC and local communities over the years has been extremely positive and helped facilitate this decision. We thank them for their ongoing support to help us grow our business.”

“Signode’s confidence in Arkansas is a testament to how a skilled manufacturing workforce can influence companies seeking to move or expand, and we are pleased to partner with Signode in this endeavor,” Arkansas Secretary of Commerce and Executive Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) Mike Preston said.