MARIETTA, Ga., July 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Graphic Packaging International, Inc., a subsidiary of Graphic Packaging Holding Company , today announced that it has been awarded economic development tax credits from the State of Michigan and the City of Kalamazoo to assist a $27 million planned expansion of the Company's operations in Kalamazoo.
Graphic Packaging, formed in March of this year by the combination of Graphic Packaging Corporation and Altivity Packaging, LLC, currently operates a coated-recycled paperboard mill and manufactures folding cartons for a wide variety of food, beverage and consumer products packaging at its production facility, located on North Pitcher Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The site in Kalamazoo has a total workforce of more than 500 employees. The hourly employees are represented by the United Steelworkers Union, which assisted the Company in this process.
The Company is planning to expand these operations, including the addition of up to 160 local jobs, as part of its overall optimization of its domestic manufacturing footprint. Planning discussions with the City of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, and local management are in progress to commence construction on a fast track schedule to avoid delays related to seasonal conditions.
"We are very excited to partner with the State of Michigan and the City of Kalamazoo, with the assistance of Southwest Michigan First, and appreciative of their efforts to enable us to grow these operations into a more efficient and productive manufacturing center," said David W. Scheible, president and chief executive officer of Graphic Packaging International, Inc. "We see much opportunity to optimize our business for greater productivity and increased value to our shareholders. There are many factors to weigh and we plan to invest in our business where the local operating opportunities are the most productive. From this perspective, we believe our operations at Kalamazoo can become a Company model for ongoing performance and manufacturing effectiveness."
About Graphic Packaging International, Inc.
Graphic Packaging International, Inc., a subsidiary of Graphic Packaging Holding Company , headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, is a leading provider of paperboard packaging solutions for a wide variety of products to food, beverage and other consumer products companies. The company is one of the largest producers of folding cartons and holds a leading market position in coated-recycled boxboard and specialty bag packaging. The company's customers include some of the most widely recognized companies in the world. Additional information about Graphic Packaging, its business and its products is available on the company's web site at http://www.graphicpkg.com/ .
