With more than 1000 employees, Berry Global is the largest private employer in Douglas County. Appropriate to this size of an operation, the Lawrence manufacturing plant produces single-use beverage cups, lids, food containers, and other items in incredible volumes.
Utilizing injection molding, extrusion and thermoforming production technologies, Berry Global is at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing, where new technologies meet high volume and innovation.
Many people “don’t know what [advanced] manufacturing looks like, and that’s a big part of our economy,” said Jeff Meunier, Plant Director – Molding. “It’s not people standing in the line putting a part in a box.”
Rather, Berry utilizes advanced technologies, robotics, information systems, and other strategies to process 147 million pounds of plastic per year, netting approximately $330 million in sales annually.
Initiatives focused on sustainable production and reuse of plastic goods continue to be a priority for Berry and its customers as well.
“As one of the world’s leading plastic recyclers, Berry has the ability to recycle around 350 million pounds (160,000 metric tons) of PCR and post-industrial recycled (PIR) plastic annually,” said Brandon Sailer, Regional HR Manager, CPNA, “and [we] strive to recover as much of our internal scrap as possible.”
“This enables us to integrate circularity into our business model,” Sailer said, “and gives us access to a reliable source of recycled content, reducing our dependence on virgin, fossil-based resin and helping us support our customers’ sustainability goals.”
To stay ahead with new technologies and innovative practices, Berry’s workforce is similarly dynamic. Employment and growth opportunities abound for employees with all levels of experience and expertise.
“This plant has a lot of diversity of experience,” said Meunier. “So leaders come in from different backgrounds, a lot of developed people in leadership roles or in technical roles. We have people who have engineering degrees working in some of those technical positions, all the way to people who have the right kind of behaviors and the willingness to improve in technical roles as well.”
Employee retention and development is critical to Berry’s continued success. Despite being a massive operation, a culture of community pervades. “It’s certainly a small plant feel for a big plant,” said Chris Erwin, Plant Director – Thermoforming. “You have over 1000 people here, but everybody interacts like you were a plant of a 100 people.”
Many people stay with company for decades because of the community and career opportunities Berry provides. For instance, nearly 200 people have been with Berry for more than 10 years. With three putting in over 50 years at the plant, another 62 employees have been with the company for more than 25 years.
In addition to a tuition reimbursement program where an employee could gain additional skills and credentials, “We have an affiliation with Peaslee,” said Brian Good, Sr. Multi-Site Director, “where we’ll send folks to school and pay for their schooling to develop and get to that next level, get the technical skill sets to make them successful here.”
Of this affiliation, Kevin Kelley, CEO of Peaslee Tech, said, “Berry Global and Peaslee Tech have a strong and long relationship. Berry served on the inaugural Board of Directors of Peaslee Tech and has become a large training partner. The relationship has helped to inform programs developed at Peaslee while at the same time helped Berry develop their workforce.”
Whether it’s the annual pay increases, cost of living increases, profit sharing bonuses, education and training opportunities, or a phenomenal safety record that keeps employees safe, it’s clear that Berry is committed to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce to keep up with increasing demand and continued innovation.