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RockTenn Opens Folding Cartoon Facility in Marion, North Carolina

03/23/2012
RockTenn, a manufacturer of corrugated and consumer packaging, invested $25 million on a new 300,000-square-foot folding carton facility in Marion, N.C., a city of 8,000 in the western part of the states along U.S. 70. The new plant is expected to eventually create 124 jobs.

Mike Kiepura, RockTenn President, said "it's just as exciting to see the culmination of everyone's hard work and to open a new facility that will provide our customers with innovative, value-added products."

Workers at the plant can earn an average annual wage that is 10 percent more than current average for McDowell County.

"We would like to extend our thanks to all of the dedicated people at the city, county, state and other associations that made today possible," said Steve Harrell, General Manager of the Marion plant. "Our goal is to continue to be the low-cost provider of folding cartons in the selected value-added markets, and this expansion allows us to focus on achieving that goal while better serving our customers," Harrell concluded.

RockTenn plans to invest $23 million over the next 18 months, with a total investment of almost $30 million after five years. The project was made possible in part by a $372,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, said Gov. Bev Perdue

"Growing corporations need trained, educated workers, and they know they can find them in North Carolina because of our long history of investing in education and job training," Perdue said. "Those investments paved the way for RockTenn to bring new manufacturing jobs to an area hit hard by the economic recession. The company's commitment to McDowell County is another indication that the state and local economies are recovering."

The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches, the Governor explained. "The state works aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future. "

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