Printpack announces plans to add 50 jobs in Newport News

Packaging manufacturer Printpack plans to add 50 new jobs at its Newport News manufacturing facility. The company will invest $25.7 million in the project.

The expansion news, announced Tuesday, comes seven months after Atlanta-based Printpack said that it was closing its Fredericksburg facility in the first quarter of this year, a move affecting 155 employees. That plant makes labels and tamper-evident bands.

Founded in 1956, Printpack makes  flexible and specialty rigid packaging. It has more than 4,000 employees and operates 25 manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Mexico and China.

“After considering other locations for our expansion, we decided to expand in Virginia largely because our well-established, capable workforce provides us a solid base of expertise to build upon,” Jim Stevenson, Printpack’s director of operations, said in a statement.  “Additionally, strong relationships with and support from our local governments made expansion in Virginia a solid decision.”

Virginia competed for the project against Missouri.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe approved a $150,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Newport News with the project. The governor also approved a $200,000 performance-based grant from the Virginia Investment Partnership program, an incentive available to existing Virginia companies.

The company also is eligible to receive state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program. Funding and services to support the firm’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.