Eco-friendly global personal care company expands Jacksonville manufacturing facility
USA Big Mountain Paper Inc, a manufacturer and distributor of environmentally-friendly hypoallergenic personal care products, is expanding its Jacksonville operation. The company’s 157,000-square-foot facility is located in North Jacksonville near JAXPORT and supports 17 jobs, a number that is expected to grow to 60 by the end of the year. USA Big Mountain Paper is a division of Belgium-based manufacturer Nateen, a combination of the words “natural” and “green.” Nateen sells products to 80 countries under its brand name and private labels. 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 USA Big Mountain Paper 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.
"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. It's amazing."
Massagli says 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," Massagli 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."
They also sell through e-commerce and are working to distribute their Made-in-USA products to big box stores, nursing homes, hospitals, and pharmacies.
The company is in the process of activating its local operation in JAXPORT's Foreign Trade Zone No. 64, a federally designated area providing importers with cost-savings options.
By: AJOT | Feb 21 2023 at 02:03 PM | International Trade | Ports & Terminals
