LANCASTER, Ohio — From his days in the automotive industry to the last decade-plus in manufacturing in Ohio, Alleguard plant manager Steven Bernard knows a thing or two about precision.
“The wires will never touch the foam. It’s the heat that’s actually burning the foam away,” said Bernard.
What You Need To Know
- Alleguard of Lancaster is planning to add 85 jobs in the coming years
- The company has 16 locations across North America
- Alleguard also received an Ohio Jobs Capital Expenditure grant for $175,000
Alleguard, formerly known as Fabricated Packaging Materials, has experienced increased demand in recent years and officials across the state are taking notice.
The company is receiving an $80,000 training grant from Fairfield County Commissioners and has committed to $900,000 in new equipment for the plant.
Bernard says the hope is to hire 85 machine operators, clerical positions, supervisors and managers in the coming years.
“Automotive is a great market for us and we’re trying to get more and more into that. It’s just a great opportunity for Alleguard and the city of Lancaster. We can hire up to three shifts, and be that $40, $50, $60 million company out of Lancaster that I think we can be,” said Bernard.
Johnny Glassburn is one of 60 employees who makes foam packaging for various products, including insulation for water heaters.
He said news of the company’s investment is a confidence booster for employees.
“A lot of the reason I came back was hearing they were putting more money into this business. I know that management has made a lot of changes. I’m quite happy with the way things are right now,” said Glassburn.
Bernard said the economy will dictate when those 85 new jobs are posted.
However, he’s looking forward to partnering with Fairfield County’s Workforce Center to find employees of the future.
“There’s a lot of opportunity to train people here, life skills, work skills. So I think we’re available for OSHA 10-hour training, OSHA 30-hour training, so you know health and safety. And I think that’s a big part of what we want to do here,” said Bernard.
