Kendall Breaks Ground on $10 Million Expansion in Pittsburg, Kansas
Sep 21, 2016
Kendall Packaging, a 30 year corporate resident of the Northeast Regional Industrial Park in Pittsburg, Kansas, achieved an integral milestone today with a groundbreaking ceremony kicking off an expansion that acts as a launching pad for the company’s ability to invest in new technology. The project will also allow the company to continue to deliver on its customer focused strategy which sets it apart from other companies in the flexible packaging industry. With up to $10 million in funds secured for the expansion, the flexible packaging manufacturer will more than double its existing facility, add necessary new equipment to its production platform and increase its employment by approximately 30 percent at the completion of the first phase of the project.
Local and state leaders joined together as area economic development partners and Kendall
Packaging VIPs “turned soil” to commemorate the occasion.
“This is a big deal for Kendall Packaging,” explained Kendall Packaging President and CEO Eric Erickson III. “In just three years, we’ve invested nearly $17 million back into our facilities in Jefferson, Wisconsin and now in Pittsburg. This expansion provides us with a much larger facility to house necessary equipment to strengthen our manufacturing capabilities and ensure we are offering high quality packaging and excellent customer service to our customers. As we expand our production potential, this added space will provide us with opportunities for growth in the future.”
The 59,000 square foot expansion increases the plant’s footprint to nearly 100,000 square feet, with plenty of capacity for the new equipment (valued at $6 million) being installed during the project. With the added space and new equipment at the Pittsburg location, Kendall Packaging will have the facilities needed to provide its customers the best quality and service in the flexible packaging industry.
While the purpose of the expansion is to increase the size of the facility and add new equipment and technology to its current manufacturing platform, the project will also benefit employees of Kendall Packaging on a personal level. An onsite wellness center is part of the project plan and will feature workout facilities for employees and their families. “We want our employees to find a positive work/life balance. Giving them an opportunity to make healthy lifestyle choices, through working out in the new wellness center or participating in other company sponsored wellness activities, is our way of giving back and demonstrating we value their efforts,” explained plant manager Jack Trostle. “They work hard; we want to help them have long and healthy careers at Kendall Packaging.”