Hazen Paper Co. brings business to Osgood
New company brings jobs to area
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Osgood will see growth in the way of at least 20 skilled jobs in the next year, thanks to the diligent actions of town board members.

Hazen Paper Company located in Holyoke, Massachusetts, is in the process of locating a satellite plant at the old US Shoe factory in Osgood. While at first there will only be about 20 positions to fill, Hazen noted they have plenty of room for expansion and every intent to do so in the future.

"We are very excited to get the plant in operation," noted John Hazen, president of Hazen Paper Company. Hazen, along with others were busy last week getting ready to have big machinery moved into the spacious building that he says is "absolutely perfect" for their business, a world-class paper converter company that specializes in film and foil laminations, gravure printing, specialty coating and rotary embossings. "This (referring to the Osgood plant) will be our flagship production line - the latest and greatest," noted Hazen. He explained that the company laminates film to paper board with their customers being box makers. The family company was founded in 1925.

Hazen praised the local town government saying, "the council sold this project." He said of all the cities and towns they looked at across the country, Osgood was the most accommodating. "Everyone here has been so helpful, he noted, "including town employees - police, utilities - just everyone."

The purchase agreement was signed on March 2, according to Pam Sander, executive director for the Ripley County Economic Development Corporation. She has resigned her position due to moving out of the state and commented, "this is a great project for me to go out on, I am thrilled!"

Sander said the Hazen management team had begun looking at the Osgood location last fall. She noted that "Osgood began to rise to the top of the site list mainly because the facility met their operational requirements and the Town of Osgood was very attentive to the company representatives on their many visits to the community," reinforcing what Hazen had previously stated.

"The Town of Osgood, the Ripley County EDC and the State of Indiana Economic Development Corporation began to work together in order to provide incentive packages from each that would be feasible for the three entities, and attractive to the company. As in any new business attraction project, partnerships and working together are the key ingredients to bringing a project such as this to fruition," said Sander.

Hazen noted that they have hired a Ripley County resident to be the plant manager. As of press time that person was not named due to his resignation at his present place of employment. He is expected to assume his duties with Hazen Paper Company on April 3.

By mid to late April the company anticipates being ready to run classified ads in county newspapers about taking applications. Hazen noted the positions are mostly for highly skilled manufacturing jobs that pay well offering good benefits. He further noted that they fully intend to hire locally as much as possible.

Sander concluded with, "It remains the goal of the Ripley County EDC to create a positive business environment throughout the county, so that existing industries will remain here, and new projects, such as Hazen Paper, will locate here, prosper and grow their operations, thus creating new jobs for Ripley County citizens, while at the same time, increase the economic base of the county."

You can go online to find out more about Hazen Paper Company at www.hazen.com.

WANDA ENGLISH BURNETT PHOTO

Pictured from left are: Paul Struckman, Osgood Town Council member; John Hazen, president of Hazen Paper Company; and Jerry Buffam, plant engineer at the Holyoke, Massachusetts location. The three posed just outside the loading dock at what used to be the old US Shoe Factory in Osgood. The Hazen Paper Co. will begin taking applications in mid to late April and plan to employ about 20 employees in the first year.