According to a report this past week by BusinessFacilities magazine, Tinton Falls, N.J., USA, Bell Inc. (Sioux Falls, S.D.) will open its first eastern-U.S. facility in Central Ohio and create 275 new jobs, generating $9.2 million in new annual payroll.

Based in Sioux Falls, SD, Bell Inc. produces paperboard cartons for use by food producers, mailers, quick-serve restaurants, and consumer products. The company plans to invest $30 million in a 165,000 square-foot facility in the Columbus area. The exact location of the facility has not yet been determined. Bell’s corporate headquarters and two large manufacturing facilities will stay in Sioux Falls.

"Based on strong customer growth we have built in Sioux Falls, there is growing demand for Bell’s capabilities in other regions of the country," said Ben Graham, Bell’s president and CEO. "With our Sioux Falls plants nearing full capacity and continued growth of our customer base across North America, it made strategic sense to position additional manufacturing nearer our suppliers and customers on the East Coast."

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 1.377%, seven-year tax credit for the project, based on the state’s new method of calculating tax incentives based on payroll rather than tax withholding. The incentives carry an estimated value of $744,000.

"In a consolidating industry, Bell has emerged as one of the fastest-growing packaging companies in North America," said John Minor, JobsOhio president and CIO. "Given the competition Ohio faced for Bell’s latest growth project, this attraction of the company’s first manufacturing facility east of the Mississippi is a great win for Ohio and Columbus."

The company will begin hiring early next year for positions including press operators, machine operators, and production employees.