New factory in Plymouth means new jobs
PLYMOUTH — A company is cooking up new jobs in Plymouth, months after the city lost hundreds of positions.
Snack producer Pretzels Inc. is up and running.
WSBT got a tour of the new factory on Tuesday.
The new facility employs more than 40 full-time workers.
This is a fresh start for a city that's lost more than 200 jobs in the past six weeks, from Del Monte ketchup and Bay Vally Foods. Both of those companies announced closures.
The city and Pretzels Inc. say they're excited for a plant that didn't exist a year ago.
What are the ingredients for a comeback? Their peanut butter-filled pretzels are fulfilling a dream for more jobs after disaster.
“We're here today because of a tragedy,” said Pretzels Inc. Co-CEO Steve Huggins.
Plymouth is now home to a 45,000 sqaure foot space to salt Pretzel Inc's product, just a year after a fire destroyed the company's Pennsylvania factory.
"It's actually very special. We take it to heart what we do," said Pretzels Inc. Co-Owner Chip Mann. "Although it was tragic and it's been a long 12 months, that we're celebrating today."
The family owned business has been turning dough into profit since April, using the hands of 35 local production workers.
It's the recipe Mayor Mark Senter says his city needs after losing two local plants this year.
"Granted we've lost 250 jobs in the last six weeks and but what things like this. Maybe it's baby steps but this is 35 jobs right now,” said Senter.
The Bluffton, Indiana based company was looking for room to grow and says the space in Plymouth will let them produce more jobs in the future.
"This factory produces 48,000 pounds of pretzels a day. This is the state of the art facility for pretzel baking probably in the country,” said Mann.
Pride is perhaps the final ingredient for this story of a family now back to baking up something that they hope helps local families stay employed.
"Selling pretzels to them. And to know that we can continue to do it and being in a family business has been very dear to us,” said Mann.
Company owners tell me, they plan to have 55 workers by January.
That's when they hope to be running 24 hours. A total of 65 jobs is expected within the next few years.
