New Jersey-based RonPak, Inc., plans to invest almost $17-million to build a 155-thousand square foot manufacturing plant at the Port of Shreveport/Bossier.  RonPak is a major supplier of food-grade consumer packaging paper products for national chains like Taco Bell and Chick Fil-A.  The new plant is expected to create 175 direct jobs and about 500 indirect jobs here in northwest Louisiana.  Company President Ron Sedley says it was the quality of the workforce and the state's Fast Start job training program that attracted RonPak to this area.  Construction on the new plant is expected to start later this year but RonPak isn't waiting.  A job fair is planned for next month at LSUS with hiring expected to start in September.  The company plans to begin production from an existing 60-thousand square foot building at the port in October.

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