According to a report yesterday by the Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill., USA, the new manager introduced at the Shelbyville, Ill., International Paper (Memphis, Tenn.) plant said business is booming in Illinois for the company and he expects it to continue growing.

"We used to be governed by the seasonal nature of the cup business," said incoming International Paper (IP) Plant Manager Eric Wiley. "But now, with the expanding fast-food market and the need for double-walled paper cups for hot beverages, the demand is year-round."

Wiley was introduced to local officials and business leaders at a reception Monday honoring outgoing plant manager Bob Eads, who is transferring to the company's plant in Memphis, Tenn. Organizers said they wanted to honor Eads for his help in making "the cup factory" an important part of Shelby County’s economy.

"Bob Eads has been a good friend to the community," said Noel Bollinger, VP of the Shelby County Economic Development Council. "IP's continued growth helps the entire area and Bob has worked hard to make sure the Shelbyville plant has continued to grow."

Eads said working with city and county governments and local economic development groups helped expand IP during his tenure, including a printing facility and a warehouse distribution center.

"We’ve been able to accomplish things because of a good team," he said. "A good team at the plant and a good team in our friends and helpers within the community."

IP currently has more than 900 employees in cup producing, printing, and distribution facilities on Shelbyville’s southwest side. Wiley, who spent eight years at the Shelbyville plant before a transfer to Wisconsin in 2011, said changes in demand for the products have kept employees busy year-round.

"In the past, it was expected that we would have several hundred people laid off during the slow season," he said. "Now our labor base remains stable."

IP Shelbyville is currently hiring as well. Wiley said the plant provides a good work environment for company employees.

"It’s a big plant with the structure that goes along with a big company but in each area it is like a smaller community where people get to know each other as they work together," he added. "It’s a good combination."