USA Big Mountain Paper Inc., which makes and distributes eco-friendly hypoallergenic personal care products, is expanding its Jacksonville operation.
The company’s 157,000-square-foot facility is at 2160 W. 33rd St. in Northwest Jacksonville is about 5 miles west of Talleyrand.
It has 17 employees and the number is expected to grow to 60 in 2023, JaxPort said in a Feb. 21 news release.
USA Big Mountain Paper is a division of Belgium-based manufacturer Nateen, a combination of the words “natural” and “green,” the release said. Nateen sells products to 80 countries under its brand name and private labels.
In February 2022, the City Council approved a $200,000 grant for Nateen to establish a U.S. headquarters and plant in Northwest Jacksonville. The agreement requires the 50 jobs to be in place by Dec. 31, 2024.
USA Big Mountain Paper plans to expand its Jacksonville production from one business line — adult diapers — to five business lines by the end of the year to include waterproof bed protection pads, as well as baby diapers, pull-ups and wipes.
Most of its products are 80% biodegradable and the company is working toward increasing that to 100%.
The company chose Jacksonville as the site for its first North American facility in 2022 based on the city’s proximity to sustainable raw materials and JaxPort’s shipping connections to and from destinations throughout the world, including Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, the release said.
“Shipping through JAXPORT is very affordable and efficient to our customers,” said Gustavo Massagli, president of USA Big Mountain Paper.
“We were shipping from other countries that would take 30 to 40 days. Now, with a Jacksonville connection, we’re shipping much quicker to locations like Costa Rica and Panama. And we have customers in Puerto Rico.”
Massagli said he is looking forward to expanding the product lines throughout the U.S. and providing businesses in Florida with high-quality products.
“Our goal here is to make a presence in the United States with our brand and brands of other companies who want to work with us and be part of the community here in Jacksonville and all of Florida,” he said.
“We want to be well-known for being a good factory that produces high-quality products delivered on time, and everybody can rely on us.”
It also sells through e-commerce and is working to distribute its Made-in-USA products to big box stores, nursing homes, hospitals and pharmacies.
The company is activating its local operation in JaxPort’s Foreign Trade Zone No. 64, a federally designated area providing importers with cost-savings options, the release said.