State officials stopped in Rhinelander today to present a nearly half-million dollar grant to the city. The money helps pay for road construction outside the new manufacturing facility for Printpack.
Outside the new facility that Printpack is building, Rhinelander Mayor Dick Johns accepted the check from the state’s Transportation Economic Assistance program.
“I have fifty years in politics in this community and this is one of the best days I’ve ever had.”
State Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb says the new factory off Highway 17 is keeping nearly 140 jobs in Rhinelander.
“This is the fourth grant that the city of Rhinelander has received in the life of the program, and this is just a classic example of what that program exists for: to make transportation infrastructure improvements that are gonna help us grow the economy and create jobs in Wisconsin.”
Atlanta-based Printpack makes cellophane wrappers and other plastic packaging.
Company chairman Dennis Love says the new facility is set to be the company’s most productive, and will double the output of its current Rhinelander factory.
“It’s gonna have all new equipment in it. Essentially we make flexible packaging here, mostly wrappers for small bars – protein bars, granola bars, those kinds of things. And it should be the most productive plant in the world once we get it started.”
Love says the number of labels they’ll be producing is hard to quantify – but it’s definitely in the billions. PrintPack says the grand opening of the new factory will take place next spring.
