A near-million-dollar expansion by expanded polystyrene company Alleguard will create 85 new jobs in Lancaster, Ohio.
Alleguard, formerly known as Fabricated Packaging Materials Inc., said hiring already has started for positions including machine operators, clerical positions, supervisors and managers. The company expects all of the positions will be filled over the "next few years."
"Lancaster is the perfect place for us to create a Midwest production center capable of meeting our company's growing demands," Trisha Feely, vice president of human resources at Alleguard, said in a statement.
"Alleguard's expansion in Lancaster will bring the latest technology to ensure its custom foam solutions are on the cutting edge of supporting its clients in construction insulation, cold-chain, protective packaging and more," said J.P. Nauseef, CEO of JobsOhio, an economic development group, in a statement.
Alleguard is spending $900,000 on the expansion in Ohio.
A total of six companies owned by Foam Holdings Inc. recently rebranded as Alleguard. They are Drew Foam Cos. Inc., Huntington Solutions, Insulation Corp. of America and Fabricated Packaging Materials, Amvic Inc., and Concrete Block Insulating Systems Inc. The company is owned by private equity firm Wynnchurch Capital LP.
"By adding new equipment through this investment, the company is repurposing its existing space, allowing for new hires to start immediately," the company said.