Packaging company opens with ceremony

After less than five months of construction, the 80,000-square foot Signature Packaging and Paper building has begun manufacturing corrugated boxes and creating displays.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house will be held at 11 a.m. today at the company's location, 1302 Lenco Ave. in Jackson.

Speakers include former Mayor Paul Sander of Jackson, state Rep. Scott Lipke, R-Cape Girardeau, state Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones and a staff member of U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's office. They will discuss the economic impacts new businesses like this bring to the area.

Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Magnet industrial recruitment organization, worked with the president of Signature Packaging, Dennis Vinson, to find a location for the company. Ultimately Signature settled on the Jackson South Industrial Park.

"I don't know if Penzel Construction put the building up in record-breaking time, but it was pretty fast," said Robinson. Construction began in October.

Vinson started the original Signature Packaging company in Conyers, Ga. When the opportunity to work with Procter & Gamble came about in Southeast Missouri, Vinson started meeting with Robinson in Cape Girardeau to make it happen.

In addition to other projects, Signature Packaging produces boxes for Procter & Gamble's baby-care division.

Since Februrary, Signature Packaging in Jackson has hired 20 people and, according to Vinson, will have hired 40 employees by the end of the year. "As we grow we'll be adding on additional personnel," said Vinson, noting that the building was designed for expansion.

He has plans to service more customers in the future.

"As growth dictates, we'll be expanding to other areas also," he said.

tkrakowiak@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137