Three companies announce expansion plans, additional jobs
By Terry Troy
Three different companies announced plans to expand operations in Central and Southwest Ohio last week, including; a food manufacturer, a specialty films manufacturer and a technology company, adding almost 300 new jobs across the state.
Transcendia, a leader in manufacturing and converting specialty films, has announced plans for a substantial investment to expand its Union Township manufacturing facility in Licking County that will create 36 new jobs. Food manufacturer SugarCreek announced an investment of $10 million creating more than 235 new jobs in Sharonville near Cincinnati, while Aptima, Inc., will expand its local workforce in Fairborn near Dayton by over 50% over the next three years.
Transcendia will add 52,000 square feet to its existing facility to support barrier film applications in the healthcare, food and beverage and industrial packaging markets. In addition to adding new job opportunities, its expansion investment will support local businesses both during and after construction is complete.
“By increasing our manufacturing presence in Union Township, we’re becoming a more competitive force in the barrier film market,” said Tim Thompson, Transcendia’s COO. “Investing in new production capabilities gives us more resources to serve our existing customers in new applications and pursue opportunities with new customers who utilize barrier films.”
Founded in 1931, Transcendia operates 17 global manufacturing facilities with a wide range of custom manufacturing and converting capabilities including, film and sheet extrusion, coating, magnetic stripping, cutting and slitting in multiple industries. It serves over 5,000 customers globally.
“Transcendia’s sizeable investment is a huge vote of confidence in the community’s modern manufacturing capabilities and tremendous logistics offering,” said Licking County Commissioner Duane Flowers. “Like Transcendia, this community has a long and proud history in the manufacturing industry. Built upon a strong foundation of talented workers, the community and companies are accelerating our progress towards an exciting future together.”
Home to over 1,700 manufacturing establishments with nearly 90,000 employees, the Columbus Region manufacturing sector spans industries such as automotive, retail and consumer goods, boasting a highly skilled workforce available to meet companies’ hiring demands. Union Township is located in Licking County, which is home to an estimated 176,862 residents.
“Transcendia’s decision to choose Union Township for it expansion and new product lines demonstrates how Ohio is emerging from the pandemic stronger while providing a competitive advantage to companies looking to succeed on a global scale,” said J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio President and CEO. “Ohio’s manufacturing sector is stronger than ever, and we look forward to Transcendia’s growing role in our state’s continued economic recovery.”
For its part, SugarCreek needed to grow its line of bacon-related products. SugarCreek employs over 2,600 people in six manufacturing facilities and serves clients across the U.S. and internationally. The company expects to begin hiring production associates, maintenance technicians, and administrative staff in the second quarter of 2022 before completing renovations of the building within that year. “We are thrilled to continue our growth in the great state of Ohio. Our very first facility opened in Washington Court House in 1966 and we are very proud to now open our seventh facility overall and fourth in Ohio,” said Jennifer Richardson Hutcheson, SugarCreek’s chief relationship officer. “We are grateful to partner with both JobsOhio and REDI Cincinnati on this project and look forward to our continued growth in the region.”
As part of its growth, Aptima plans to add new hires, including data scientists, software engineers, AI and machine learning experts, and industrial & organizational psychologists. The additions will expand its local workforce by 50%.
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our customers, who have fueled our growth,” said Michael Garrity, executive vice president of government programs for Aptima. “We also want to thank the Dayton Development Coalition and JobsOhio for their outstanding support since we opened our offices here, helping us grow and build our team of incredible talent. We look forward to further investing in a community that we are proud to call home”
