Manufacturer that makes personal protective equipment, cleaning wipes to bring 63 new jobs to Johnston County

BENSON, N.C. (WTVD) -- A manufacturer of disinfectant wipes and other products is bringing more jobs to Johnston County.

Berry Global, which makes nonwoven fabrics and plastic packaging products, will invest more than $70 million to expand its Benson manufacturing plant.

The company said it will add approximately 63 jobs to its existing 217-person Johnston County workforce.

"Congratulations to this longtime corporate resident on the success that has led to this major expansion," said Chad M. Stewart, chairman of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. "Berry Global has been in the trenches in the fight against COVID-19, providing high-quality personal protective equipment, and we're proud they've selected Johnston County for this exciting expansion."

Berry Global is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, and has 295 facilities worldwide and employs more than 47,000 people.

The Benson expansion is being driven by growth in its wipes business.

"The investment by Berry in this state of the art, high-speed proprietary technology at our Benson facility allows us to support both the ongoing demand and future innovation of cleaning and hygiene solutions to meet the global needs of our customers," said Mark Siebert, executive vice president and general manager for healthcare and specialties at the company. "We are extremely appreciative of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners and local Benson officials for their joint support of this initiative."

Berry Global also has North Carolina facilities in Ahoskie, Charlotte, Matthews, Mooresville, Rocky Mount and Statesville

"Berry Global has been an indispensable partner to the Town of Benson for many years, and the benefits of its presence here cannot be measured in dollar terms alone," said Benson Mayor Jerry Medlin. "They are part of Benson's social and community fabric, in addition to the obvious economic role they play. We are proud and we are grateful to be the site of this great company's next phase of growth."