51�Թ���

The “slam dunk” tax reform bill is leading to big bonuses, new jobs and a huge nationwide investment says the team at Wilmington, North Carolina’s, Atlantic Packaging.

The 75-year-old family-owned business specializes in commercial packaging for some of the biggest companies in the country. Thanks to tax reform, they’re making sure to pass along the savings to their employees, who Wes Carter, president of Atlantic Packaging, describes as their “number-one asset.”

Immediately after tax reform passed, “we decided to hand out bonuses right away,” said Carter. “We knew this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The culture of our company is all about our people. We think that the quality of our people is what differentiates us in the marketplace and makes us a unique supplier. For us, handing out bonuses was an investment in our most valuable resource: our people. Companies create culture by having happy, dedicated employees, who want to have a long-term career at a quality organization. Giving bonuses didn’t even take any debate—we all knew it was the right thing to do.”

As a result of tax reform, Atlantic Packaging employees will be joined by many new coworkers—because tax reform has allowed the company to add jobs, grow the number of facilities and take their company nationwide.

“Tax dollars will help us grow our business,” Carter said. “Atlantic is positioned to become a national company, enhancing our ability to service our clients across North America. Tax reform will help us open new facilities and hire new employees nationwide.”

That’s exactly what Atlantic Packaging is doing. A new $10 million packaging center in Charlotte opened last fall and is now the most advanced package testing facility in the world. Carter also plans to invest in new equipment that will increase productivity and efficiency, including new printing presses and die-cutters for Atlantic’s manufacturing operations.

“All of that takes cash,” said Carter. “We’re able to make these investments, in part, because of tax reform.”

The increased number of facilities means that Atlantic Packaging plans to add up to 20 to 30 jobs a year for the foreseeable future as demand continues to increase. In 2018 alone, the company already has created 25 new jobs and completed a strategic acquisition in the Northeast.

Carter told the 51�Թ���, “We’ve hired sales and sales support people in Kansas City, in Los Angeles, Dallas, Texas and in Portland, Oregon. We opened a new facility in Memphis, Tennessee and in Greenville, South Carolina. Certainly, tax reform has given us the additional confidence to push ahead with these strategic moves.”

“I know tax reform became a partisan issue in Washington, but to me, it was pretty plain and simple,” said Carter. “Because we are all operating in a global economy, U.S. companies need a fair and competitive tax code to remain healthy and vibrant. To me, tax reform was a slam dunk. It’s already proving itself by bringing jobs and major corporate investment back to the United States. The future for American manufacturing is really bright, and that’s the first time in my career I can say that. I’ve never seen so much confidence in the marketplace.”

Thanks to tax reform, Complex Chemical Company Incorporated of Tallulah, Louisiana, is hiring more workers, raising wages and making critical new investments that will help grow its business.

Travis Melton, Complex Chemical’s vice president of sales and marketing, said that his company’s first order of business after tax reform passed was to give an immediate raise to every single one of its 120 employees. It’s the first time in several years that the company was able to give such substantial, across-the-board pay increases.

Melton also explained that tax reform is helping Complex Chemical reinvest in its business and accelerate its expansion plans.

“We’ve had an expansion in the works for two years,” Melton said. “Because the corporate tax rates have been reduced, it’s easier for us to move forward with this expansion and another one we have around the corner. Tax reform helps move these investments.”

One of the biggest additions is the installation of a new distillation column, which Melton says will help increase production capabilities and leave the door open for future expansion. Right now, Complex Chemical’s facilities are operating at maximum capacity.

To staff its growth, Complex Chemical plans to hire new workers in the coming months—offering high-paying, highly skilled jobs that will help operate the new expanded facility.

Melton is optimistic about the future, largely as a result of tax reform.

“For the first time in 20 to 25 years, you have some major players in the U.S. natural gas industry announcing new facilities in the United States,” he said, referring to Complex Chemical’s suppliers. “They decided to do their expansion here because the tax bill makes it worth it. That means more readily available byproduct, which we purchase. And more byproduct allows us to increase the amount of product we sell.”

“Tax reform is having a major impact,” Melton added—not just for Complex Chemical, but for its suppliers and the industry as a whole. “It’s like throwing a rock in the middle of the pond—the ripples hit all sides of the pond.”