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<p>HAZLE TWP. &#8212; When Ron Merinsky began work as a baler at International Paper&#8217;s Hazleton Container Plant, his starting wage was $3.66 an hour.</p><p>According to the Consumer Price Index inflation calculator, that would be $15.44 per hour in 2016.</p><p>Four decades later, Merinsky is in charge of the shipping department and considering retirement.</p><p>The plant recently celebrated its 40th anniversary in the Humboldt Industrial Park. Merinsky is one of several employees who has worked at the plant since the very beginning.</p><p>The plant focuses on industrial packaging turning paper into corrugated cardboard boxes. A large portion of its business is the food and beverage industry, among other clients, according to plant manager Mark Newton.</p><p>The company, headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., has locations in 24 countries and employs more than 53,000 people worldwide, according to its website.</p><p>Despite its size, the local plant treats employees like family, Newton said.</p><p>He said the plant&#8217;s number one focus is the safety of its employees, from those on the factory floor to sales people out on the road.</p><p>&#8220;Everything we do has to be safe,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Bobby Sundra has worked at the facility since it opened in 1976 and has been president of the Hazleton Box Plant Local 1531 for 32 years. Sundra, a machine operator, cited &#8220;good wages and good management&#8221; as reasons for staying on staff for four decades.</p><p>Sundra stated in a news release the plant ran one shift with 15 production team members and a four-person maintenance crew in 1976. In March 1977, the plant added a second shift and, in July of that year, the facility expanded to a three-shift operation.</p><p>Today, the Hazle Township location employs about 120 people.</p><p>Nadine Veet, director of human resources, said many employees recently retired after serving the company for decades, and the business has been hiring to fill those positions.</p><p>&#8220;We keep our wages competitive, even the starting wages,&#8221; in order to find skilled employees, Veet said. She said the company&#8217;s goal is to find people who spend their career at International Paper.</p><p>With the passing of the years came innovations in technology in the workplace. While technology helped the plant increase in efficiency, Veet said automated machines will never take the place of employees.</p><p>&#8220;We have had no positions eliminated due to technology,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Sundra said the quality of the product is what has changed the most since he started with the plant 40 years ago. He said there is more of a focus on precision and efficiency to satisfy customers.</p><p>International Paper was one of a few businesses to occupy the industrial park in 1976. The Humboldt Industrial Park now has more than five dozen businesses, including Amazon.com, Hershey, American Eagle Outfitters, Michael&#8217;s Handcrafts and more.</p><p>CAN DO, Inc., a nonprofit organization that aids the economic development of industrial businesses in the greater Hazleton area, recently acknowledged International Paper&#8217;s longevity in the community.</p><p>&#8220;On behalf of everyone at CAN DO, I would like to congratulate International Paper on celebrating 40 years of operation in Hazleton,&#8221; said CAN DO President Kevin O&#8217;Donnell in a statement. &#8220;As one of Humboldt Industrial Park&#8217;s original companies, International Paper has been a great asset to Greater Hazleton, and we look forward to having them be with us for many years to come.&#8221;</p><p>For more information about International Paper, visit <a href="http://www.internationalpaper.com" target="_blank">www.internationalpaper.com</a>.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_IMG_1155-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Newton </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_IMG_1155-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Newton </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_IMG_1141-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">International Paper&#8217;s Hazleton Container Plant recently celebrated 40 years in business. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_IMG_1141-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>International Paper&#8217;s Hazleton Container Plant recently celebrated 40 years in business. </caption1><photoCredit1>Submitted photo </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Sarah Hite Hando</p><p>shando@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Sarah Hite Hando at 570-704-3945.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

International Paper celebrates 40 years in Hazle Township