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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Huhtamaki North America Invests More Than $60 Million To Open Converting And Distribution Facility In Batavia Township, Ohio

02/01/2013
Finish-based Huhtamaki North America, a global leader in food packaging and tableware, plans to invest more than $60 million to open a state-of-the-art converting facility and distribution center in Batavia Township, Ohio, to serve customers in the foodservice and retail industries.

The new facility will initially produce paper drink cups and distribute products made throughout the Huhtamaki manufacturing network. Huhtamaki said it expects to make a capital investments at the site, located 25 miles east of Cincinnati, to exceed $60 million over the next three years and create 237 jobs. The 925,000 square-foot facility was formerly owned by the Ford Motor Company and also houses the University of Cincinnati's UC East Campus.

"This investment further demonstrates Huhtamaki's commitment to serving the evolving needs of foodservice and retail customers for tableware, cups, containers, carriers and serviceware," says Clay Dunn, president, Huhtamaki North America. "Today's announcement caps an exciting 18-month period in which we completed three acquisitions and added seven production facilities in the U.S. to expand our ability to offer customers a broad product line and coast-to-coast coverage from 17 North American plants."

Construction of the new facility will begin this year to accommodate the installation of new production lines for manufacturing paper drink cups and to build the distribution center, the company said. Commercial production is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter.

"The open space configuration is ideally suited for world-class capability in productivity and material flow," says Fred Betzen, vice president of Operations, Huhtamaki North America. "This new facility has the space and infrastructure to meet growing customer needs for additional products and production volume and can be expanded over the next several years."

"We would like to thank Governor John Kasich, JobsOhio, the Industrial Realty Group, the University of Cincinnati, and all the officials from Clermont County and elsewhere who were involved in the site selection process," says Dunn. "We're excited to become part of the Batavia community and expand our presence in Ohio beyond our facilities in New Vienna and Franklin," said Dunn.

According to the Ohio Tax Credit Authority, in December the firm was approved for a 60 percent, seven-year Job Creation Tax Credit for this project.

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