Hilex Poly makes it official – Jerome, ID company sees rapid growth

With a machine that looks like a robotic taffy puller, a stream of thin, white plastic begins its journey from raw material to grocery bag at Jerome’s Hilex Poly Co http://www.hilexpoly.com .

The company — one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of plastic bags — celebrated its official ribbon-cutting Tuesday. After just 15 months in business, company officials say Hilex Poly has grown three times faster than scheduled. Southern Idaho’s work force has helped the company grow beyond expectations, Hilex Poly officials said.

"When we were looking for a new site, we never thought we’d end up in the state of Idaho," Hilex Chairman Leon Farahnik said. "When we came here people welcomed us with open arms. It has been a great decision."

The company opened just over a year ago with about 30 employees. Now it is at 100 employees, with plans to add more. The company fielded complaints in June for recruiting workers out of state, but Operations Manager Scott Houtz said those concerns were taken out of context. The bulk of the firm’s employees are local.

By Karma M. Fitzgerald
Times-News writer

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