Home » R.A. Jones to create 20 jobs with upgrades at Kenton County facility

R.A. Jones to create 20 jobs with upgrades at Kenton County facility

Packaging equipment manufacturer seeing increased demand due to pandemic

COVINGTON, Ky. —  R.A. Jones & Co., a designer, and manufacturer of packaging equipment, announced it will upgrade its Kenton County facility with a more than $2 million investment that will create 20 high-wage jobs.

The company’s investment includes new equipment and other upgrades at the facility on Crescent Springs Pike in Kenton County. New jobs created at the location will include mechanical and electrical engineers, machinists, fabricators, assemblers, and service technicians, among other positions.

Demand for the company’s packaging equipment, including aerosol, cartoning, chub packaging, multi-packing, and pouching machines, has grown consistently in recent years and has seen a surge since the start of the pandemic in 2020. In recent months, consumer goods manufacturers have increasingly relied on equipment designed by R.A. Jones, as demand for products such as sanitary wipes, disinfectant sprays, tissues, beverages, packaged meats, and other food items has increased.

Founded in 1905, R.A. Jones got its start as a soap packaging company and has operated in Northern Kentucky since 1913. The company since has grown to serve a range of industries, including food and beverage, home and personal care, automotive, electronics, chemicals, pet care, and health care. It is a subsidiary of Bologna, Italy-based Coesia, which oversees a group of global innovation-based providers of industrial and packaging products.

The R.A. Jones operation is among approximately 4,500 manufacturing-related facilities in Kentucky, which employ about 260,000 Kentuckians statewide. The state excels as a national leader in manufacturing, with about 13% of its workforce holding a job in the sector compared to the U.S. average of 8.5%.

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in June preliminarily approved a 10-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $200,000 in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $2 million and annual targets of:

  • Creation and maintenance of 20 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years; and
  • Paying an average hourly wage of $43 including benefits across those jobs.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

In addition, R.A. Jones can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training, and job training incentives.

For more information on R.A. Jones, visit RAJones.com.

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