A True Economic Development Success Story, Sofidel Expansion Will Employ Nearly Double Original 2016 Commitment
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Columbus, Ohio – At a groundbreaking in Pickaway County, just south of Circleville, on July 11, 2016, Sofidel committed to employing 300 Ohioans. Today, under a proposed expansion of their Circleville facility, that number could grow to nearly 600. Sofidel, a tissue paper manufacturer from Italy, first established operations in the United States in 2012. It was in Ohio where they’ve found incredible success.
JobsOhio tweet from July 11, 2016 at the Sofidel Circleville Groundbreaking
Since opening their facility in 2018, production of their products has nearly tripled. Thanks to the massive increase in demand of their products manufactured for sale under the name of the retailer, Sofidel is looking to invest $185,000,000 to expand their facility by 500,000 square feet at their Circleville campus. The expansion will allow employment to grow by 100 people. Pending state and local approvals, construction is expected to be completed in 2025.
“Our success has been Ohio’s success, and I appreciate the ongoing partnership with Pickaway County, the city of Circleville, One Columbus, and JobsOhio to help make it happen,” said Sofidel CEO Luigi Lazzareschi. “The demand for our products is only outweighed by the immeasurable dedication and hard work of our employees, and we’re excited to expand our footprint in the Columbus Region.”
The expansion of Sofidel’s current 1.8 million square foot facility will enable the company to better meet the massive increase in demand for their products, especially since the end of the pandemic, and that’s good news for Pickaway County.
“Since establishing operations in Circleville, Sofidel has been an incredible partner, they’ve become a part of our community,” said President of the Pickaway County Commissioners, Jay Wippel. “We’ll continue to be there every step of the way as they continue to grow, and look forward to doing whatever we can to ensure their success.”
JobsOhio, One Columbus, and the Pickaway Progress Partnership worked closely with Sofidel in 2016 to support their first greenfield investment in the United States in Circleville. In 2016, they broke ground, and haven’t looked back since.
“Manufacturers worldwide have found a winning formula in Ohio, where they continue to grow and succeed,” said JobsOhio president and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “Sofidel’s decision to expand in Pickaway County after exceeding its original commitment further validates the value proposition of Ohio for overseas manufacturers looking to thrive in the U.S. market.”
About Sofidel
The Sofidel Group is one of the leading manufacturers of paper for hygienic and domestic use worldwide. Established in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 13 countries – Italy, Spain, the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania and the USA – with more than 6,500 employees, net sales of 2,801 million Euros (2022) and a production capacity of over one million tonnes per year (1,440,000 tonnes in 2022). “Regina”, its most well-known brand, is present on almost all the reference markets. Other brands include: Sopalin, Le Trèfle, Hakle, Softis, Nalys, Cosynel, KittenSoft, Lycke, Nicky, Papernet. A member of the UN Global Compact and the international WWF Climate Savers programme, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic factor with regards to growth and is committed to reducing its impact on natural capital and maximising social benefits, setting as objective the creation of shared added value for all stakeholders. Sofidel’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets to 2030 have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with reductions required to keep warming to well-below 2°C, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. www.sofidel.com
About Sofidel America
Sofidel America is a subsidiary of the Sofidel Group. It was established in 2012 through the acquisition of the Cellynne tissue company which was founded in 1988 with one integrated plant in Haines City (Florida) and two converting plants in Green Bay (Wisconsin) and Henderson (Nevada) – the latter moved to Las Vegas in 2018. Sofidel America is now active in seven States – the original three already listed, as well as Oklahoma (Inola), Mississippi (Hattiesburg), Ohio (Circleville) and Pennsylvania (Horsham) where the company has its American corporate office. In 2022 the US market accounted for 26.7% of Sofidel’s revenues.
About Pickaway Progress Partnership (P3)
Pickaway Progress Partnership (P3) is the economic development agent for Pickaway County and its municipalities. P3 is a regional member of One Columbus. P3 has three main objectives: promote and market the advantages of locating business in the County; promote a stronger business environment by facilitating retention and expansion efforts of local employers; and deliver a seamless network of economic development services and value-added programs to existing businesses, local government, and prospective companies throughout Pickaway County. Learn more at www.Pickawayprogress.com
About JobsOhio
JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
About One Columbus
As the economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus Region, One Columbus’ mission is to lead a comprehensive regional growth strategy that develops and attracts the world’s most competitive companies, grows a highly adaptive workforce, prepares our communities for the future and inspires corporate, academic and public innovation throughout the Columbus Region. One Columbus expertly guides companies through the location decision process. Through strategic business outreach and customized research, the One Columbus team leverages public, private and institutional partnerships to grow the Columbus Region’s economy and strengthen its national and international competitiveness. Funding is received from more than 300 private organizations, local governments, academic institutions and JobsOhio. Learn more at ColumbusRegion.com.
For Immediate Release
June 26, 2023
One Columbus Media Contact
Jon Keeling
614-657-5917
jk@columbuspartnership.com
Sofidel Media Contact
Lorenzo Azzi
lorenzo.azzi@sofidel.com
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