Berry CEO Bullish on Continued Growth
The chief executive officer of Evansville-based Berry Global Inc. (NYSE: BERY) says the company’s $70 million expansion in southeast Indiana is the result of being an inquisitive company. Berry is in the midst of hiring what will ultimately be 150 new employees by 2020 and Tom Salmon says he is excited about growing in Evansville, which he calls the “cornerstone of our company.”
In an interview on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick, Salmon said, like other manufacturers, finding skilled workers can be a challenge, but part of that challenge is getting the word out on the types of jobs that are available.
“We’ve got to be competitive in the markets that we serve but we also have to give people the opportunity to know what the career opportunities are at Berry,” said Salmon. “With 135 sites around the world, with the diverse manufacturing base that we have, the career possibilities are limitless for our people, whether it’s back office, engineering or traditional manufacturing roles.”
Salmon says he expects Berry’s growth to continue, especially as the opportunities for more acquisitions come in.
“We’ve done over 40 acquisitions in the time that we’ve been in business. It’s a core competency of Berry, both that and marrying it with unmet customer needs,” Salmon said. “In terms of organic growth, the company continues to grow and morph in size and we expect that change to continue to transpire over the next several years as we continue to be inquisitive around acquisitions.”
The expansion project includes the addition of four new thermoforming lines to produce plastic packaging. The company expects to begin commercial production next year.