A company that produces disinfectant wet wipes is expanding its facility in northeast Arkansas. Gov. Asa Hutchinson joined Nice-Pak officials online Monday to make the announcement. The New York-based company is among the world’s largest wet wipes producers.
Chairman and CEO Robert Julius says the Jonesboro facility has shifted to around-the-clock operations to meet rising demand amid the pandemic. Even prior to the pandemic, the company employed about 400 people at the plant.
“We’re adding new production lines, we’re upgrading our existing production lines, and with that in mind we expect that we will be doubling capacity over the next several years,” Julius said. “We’ve already added over 100 jobs this year, and we’re adding more so that this will create an additional 170 jobs in the Jonesboro facility and also the state of Arkansas.”
While details of state-offered incentives or the cost of the expansion have not been released, the expansion is expected to be completed by next August.
“The country is at a pivotal moment, hopefully with a vaccine very nearby. That doesn’t mean we should back off on the precautions that we’ve learned and practiced that have kept most of us healthy through this period over the last eight months. So with that in mind, we have been fortunate to have the opportunity to expand here in Jonesboro,” Julius said.
Hutchinson praised the company for its work in providing an essential product. He also said state officials view this as part of a strategy to continue growing the seconomy.
“We all know that industry leaders such as Nice-Pak not only have a great presence here and provide jobs, but they also attract other industry and they showcase Arkansas as a place to do business,” Hutchinson said. “We’re grateful for Nice-Pak’s presence for that reason as well. Not only do they manufacture products that are essential today, but the company is also leading the way in environmental sustainability.”
