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Expansion at Tissue Paper Factory Means New Jobs

CASTANEA TOWNSHIP — The largest employer in Clinton County has announced it’s expanding its factory near Lock Haven. Employees drove through the fro...

CASTANEA TOWNSHIP -- The largest employer in Clinton County has announced it's expanding its factory near Lock Haven.

Employees drove through the front gate at First Quality Enterprise near Lock Haven.

The tissue paper company based out of New York has announced it will be expanding its facility in Castanea Township and eventually adding nearly 200 jobs. It's good news for Joseph Dunnion of Lock Haven, who says he is just one of the many unemployed looking for jobs in the Lock Haven area.

"I’ve been looking for quite some time now and the job market has been drying up more and more," said Dunnion.

"184 jobs means 184 families with jobs, so that's a good number," said Beth Blazina from Lock Haven.

First Quality Enterprise plans to add another building to its property for a third paper machine. It should up and running two years from now. The expansion project will not only mean more manufacturing jobs, but also more construction jobs.

Dunnion lives right across the street from the factory with his fiancé, Beth Blazina. Dunnion is among the many looking for a job in the area.

"If I were offered a job there after applying I don' think I would have any excuse to be late for work ever," said Dunnion.

"So the project means more job opportunities for folks around the Lock Haven area, but Clinton County Commissioners say it could also be a boost to the entire county.

"It could produce $1 billion worth of ancillary wages in business because the project itself is worth $300 million,” said Commissioner Pete Smeltz.

County commissioners showed Newswatch 16 plans for the factory at their office in Lock Haven.

"We've also gotten a grant from the state to help put in a new access road that's going to come in over here and down along the railroad tracks," said Commissioner Joel Long.

"This will not increase traffic into the areas it will actually reduce it because of the new access road prior to the paper machine," said Smeltz.

"The job situation out here, that’s a perfect place. A lot of good people need good jobs," said Blazina.

The company hopes to have the project complete and the hiring underway two years from now, in December of 2016.

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