Zacros America Inc. formally announced on Tuesday that it will move its Hedwin Division, along with 154 manufacturing jobs, from Baltimore to a site in Glasgow.
It has been widely reported that Hedwin had settled on the Pencader Corporate Center site, which had been the site of a plastics company that moved operations elsewhere. Click here for Business Daily stories on Hedwin.
The relocation is a victory for Delaware, which has seen a steep decline in manufacturing employment since the state lost both auto plants in 2008 and 2009. Delaware had the advantage of vacant plant with some of the features needed by Hedwin.
Hedwin was founded in Baltimore in 1946 and has been a pioneer in the packaging and containment industry. The company’s “Winstead Process” was developed for molten sheet thermoforming used to develop plastic heat-sealing and the company’s classic product line.
“The manufacturing sector of 2015 looks much different than the one of even a decade ago. Whether it’s a packaging and safety equipment maker in Seaford, a chicken processing plant in Milford or a pharmaceutical firm in Wilmington, Delaware is home to a wide variety of excellent companies that offer well-paying jobs and are poised for future growth,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “Hedwin has a long history of innovation, and we look forward to helping them continue to break new ground over the years to come.”
Hedwin is a global provider of flexible and rigid packaging solutions for cosmetics, food, flavoring, industrial medical, pharmaceutical and sanitary markets. In 2014, the company was purchased by Fujimori Kogyo Co. Ltd., a Japanese converter of flexible films and packaging. During the same year, Hedwin became a division within Fujimori’s subsidiary, Zacros America.
The company has distributors in 36 cities nationwide and works closely with customers that include Healthcare Diagnostics, one of its new neighbors in Glasgow and Pencader.
“When we looked at potential sites for Zacros America, Delaware had the best workforce and the right location,” said Maurice LeCompte, vice president and chief operating officer for the Hedwin Division of Zacros America. “We felt that Delaware wanted to promote manufacturing more than the other options we were considering. We also saw the greatest potential for a strong partnership with the state and its business community.”
On Monday, Zacros America was approved for a Delaware Strategic Fund Performance grant and a Capital Expenditure Grant for the creation of 154 new full-time permanent Delaware positions at its new location on Lake Drive.
“Adding jobs to the manufacturing sector will provide a major boost to, and help to diversify, our economy. What we really liked about Zacros’ Hedwin division is that they have the desire and the ability for future expansion,” said Alan Levin, Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office. “If and when Hedwin decides to add more jobs, they will be tapping into a workforce that is well-trained and well-prepared. And that’s one of the reasons why they chose Delaware.”
