HAMLET — The Starke County Development Foundation is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 16 at Norton Packaging, Inc.’s facility at 5190 Industrial Parkway at 11 a.m., in what officials say is “another day of celebration of success in Starke County.”
The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
Norton Packaging is one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of plastic pails. Norton Packaging, which began in 1901, is a family owned and managed company. This is the second expansion to the Norton Packaging facility at the Hamlet site. This expansion will permit increased production of five-gallon pails and add a new line to produce one-gallon pails. The plant in Indiana is to supply the Midwest and eastern United States with pails. The pails are used in the paint, food and chemical industries.

The expansion adds 30,000 square feet of manufacturing area to the building. It was constructed at a cost of $1.3 million and is owned by the Starke County Development Foundation and is leased to Norton Packaging.
Financing of the expansion was made possible through bonds authorized by the Indiana Finance Authority, an agency of the state of Indiana. Norton Packaging has invested an additional $2,500,000 in new equipment at the facility. An additional 46 jobs will be added for a total workforce of 100 persons.
According to Charles Weaver, Executive Director of the Starke County Development Foundation, “The ribbon cutting is part of a growing momentum of accomplishments by the Starke County Development Foundation, including the announcement by Sysco Corporation of its Baugh Midwest Cooperative Re-Distribution Center in Hamlet; the opening in Knox of PolyForm International; construction of Toll Brothers’ Toll Integrated Systems plant in Knox; Reagent Chemical and Research locating a White Flyer plant and subsequent expansion in Knox; JW Hicks’ expansion in Knox; NorAm Plastics’ start-up in Knox; Sabre Manufacturing’s successful start-up in Knox; Hoosier Plastics’ successful start-up in Knox; Callison’s acquisition of additional warehouse space in Knox for mint production; and Knox Fertilizers’ warehouse, which was  constructed by the Starke County Development Foundation. The Starke County Development Foundation is pleased with the ‘Era of Good Fortune’ in Starke County.”
Starke County won the Hamlet Expansion following competition with other Midwestern States. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation incentives included assistance with workforce development. Starke County granted tax phase-in.