A cosmetic and beauty product packaging company is opening a new manufacturing site in Ohio, a move that will allow the firm to avoid tariffs and shorten delivery times.
Uniquely named APackaging Group spent $49 million on the new facility in Defiance, Ohio.
APG plans to hire 135 employees and reduce a 25 percent tariff associated with packaging products made in China. This new domestic production also will cut lead times on projects by five or more weeks, the company anticipates.
The Ohio site was selected due to the state's railway and roadway systems, the company said. And Defiance was selected because of the city's rural setting.
"As a proud women-owned company, we're dedicated to delivering groundbreaking product innovation and value. This new facility is a one-stop-shop for all packaging needs from concept to production, and will provide our customers a powerful competitive advantage," CEO Helga Arminak said in a statement.
APG said the company "sought to build a larger manufacturing plant to produce up to 500 million plastic dispensing pumps for the health and beauty industries. This facility would make most of the high-speed automation and high-cavitation molds in the U.S. The company's site search sought a rural community with a strong labor force and community support."
The new location offers bottle blow molding, dispenser and cap manufacturing and custom molding, the company said, along with research and development, product compounding and formulation, filling and labels.
The site, with its own rail spur, also features logistic improvements including automated controls, assembly, palletization and material handling, the company said.
The location joins the company's headquarters in Azusa, Calif., which has both office and warehouse space as well as a product compounding, filling and labeling site in Corona, Calif. The company also lists operations in China, Brazil, Spain and Italy.