Rubbermaid unveils plan to grow operations

Newell Rubbermaid CEO Mike Polk made a rare trip to Winfield Thursday to mark the launch of a local plant expansion expected to generate 250 new jobs and grow the already large footprint the company has made in Cowley County.

Polk and numerous local, state and federal dignitaries – including Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran and Congressman Mike Pompeo – gathered at the Rubbermaid plant on 12th Ave. to outline the plans for growth and celebrate the investment being made here.

Since announcing, late last year, plans to close a Texas-based facility and consolidate in Winfield, the company has upped employment levels in Winfield from 450 workers to 750. Though officials did say that a portion of that was attributable to the usual ramp up for the summer insulated-cooler season.

The company’s increased presence here will extend beyond job creation.

A 500,000 square-foot warehouse and distribution center, to be built by development partner InSite Real Estate, will give Rubbermaid a 2.5 million square-foot campus locally. The overall investment needed to expand operations is estimated at $27 million.

“We’re really proud of our employees here in our Winfield facility and the opportunity to make this investment is really gratifying,” Polk said. “The thing that drives our success is growth and at the heart of growth is innovation, and this team has a proud history of delivering great innovative ideas.”

He added that Winfield’s pride, history and heritage – specifically the success of Gott, the company Rubbermaid bought in 1986 to establish itself locally – made the decision to grow this operation “relatively easy.”

Michael Grant, director of operations for Rubbermaid Winfield, said the expansion will bring stability to a plant that sometimes struggled with the highs and lows of producing seasonal products.

In years past, the company has generally wound down – and sometimes laid off workers – in the second half of the year when the cooler business dropped off for fall and winter. At present, Rubbermaid Winfield produces mostly water coolers, ice chests and outdoor storage sheds.

But, Grant said, two major product lines are migrating here from Texas – outdoor refuse and home organization products.

“It’ll take a little bit of the seasonality out of it for us,” he said. “Help fill in that third and fourth quarter.”

Thursday also marked a homecoming for Grant, who returned to Cowley County in January. He had spent nearly three years at the Texas plant after working at Rubbermaid Winfield for a number of years.

Numerous state and local officials, and members of the community, were on hand to tour the plant and wish the company well. Mayor Tom McNeish said the entire community would reap the benefits of the company’s investment.

Pompeo agreed and congratulated city, county and state leaders on the efforts made to accommodate growth.

“The fact that Newell Rubbermaid made this incredible investment, this incredible commitment to our state, is something you all should be very very proud of,” he said.