Empire State Development: Bison Bag Co. will expand operations, creating new jobs in Niagara County

Packaging manufacturer will build a 45,000-square-foot addition in Town of Lockport

Empire State Development on Thursday announced Bison Bag Co. Inc. has outgrown its current space and will build a 45,000-square-foot addition at its facility located at 5404 Crown Ave., in the Town of Lockport. The company manufactures packaging, mainly for the food industry. Customers include Rich Products, King Nut, U.S. Sugar, Rosina Foods, Tropical Nut, and other food manufacturers located primarily in the Northeast U.S. In order to better accommodate demand for its products, Bison Bag will also purchase new machinery and equipment. The company has committed to creating up to 10 new jobs as part of the $4 million expansion project; 90 jobs will be retained.

“The Bison Bag Co.’s sustained success and commitment to Niagara County is reflected in its decision to expand locally to meet growing client demand,” ESD Acting Commissioner and President and CEO-designate Hope Knight said. “Gov. Hochul’s dedication to retaining small businesses, by supporting forward-thinking projects like this one, will continue to strengthen the economy and create high-quality jobs in Niagara County and across the state.”

A press release stated, “Founded in 1968, current leadership at Bison has been at the forefront since 1999. With $32 million in annual sales, Bison is a market leader in providing innovative packaging solutions for the food industry, including custom-printed plastic bags, custom-printed pouches and rollstock.”

The expansion project involves the construction of a 45,000-square-foot addition to its current 92,000-square-feet facility. The addition will be a steel structure made to house food-grade materials. Upon completion, the current warehouse will be moved into the new addition while the existing warehouse area will be converted into additional manufacturing space. A laminator, slitter and regenerative thermal oxidizer will be purchased to support new markets that Bison previously hasn’t been able to compete in.

“Bison Bag’s continued success is the result of our team’s dedication and commitment to quality and customer care. We look forward to the next phase of expanding and investing in our products, service and team,” President Scott Zgoda said. “We are grateful to Empire State Development for providing us with an opportunity to advance our business. Western New York is an Ideal place for us to operate, service our customer base, and further expand our offerings.”

ESD will provide Bison Bag up to $143,000 in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits in exchange for job creation commitments.

The new positions at Bison Bag include machine operators, warehouse attendants and quality technicians with an average annual salary of $46,600. Bison Bag expects to be operational in the new space by fall 2022. Additional information on Bison Bag Co. can be found here.

Town of Lockport Coordinator of Economic Development Tom Sy said, “The Town of Lockport IDA was pleased to be able to support Bison Bag’s third expansion in our IDA Park. Bison Bag has received support from Town IDA in previous projects and is a tremendous success story. Bison Bag is an innovative and ever-forward company that will now employee over 100 employees in the Town of Lockport.”

New York State Sen. Robert Ortt said, “As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, our state must be laser-focused on assisting and supporting small businesses across New York. Bison Bag’s expansion is welcome news as their growth will help provide new and exciting employment opportunities for Niagara County residents. Small businesses are the backbone of our Western New York economy, and we must continue our work to provide these vital job creators an economic climate that they are able to flourish within. I want to congratulate Bison Bag Co. on their success and wish them the best of luck as they continue to operate in our community.”

Assemblyman Michael Norris said, "Especially during this time, it is critical that New York state continues to invest in local business to grow high-quality, competitive and long-term jobs to retain our greatest asset, our people. I commend this project and look forward working with my colleagues in state and local government to continue to grow our economy in Western New York."

Niagara County Legislature Chairpwoman Rebecca Wydysh said, "We are very excited about the expansion of Bison Bag, as it is another tremendous example that Niagara County is a great place to own, operate and hopefully expand your business. Bison Bag has long history in Niagara County and has been one of the companies on the radar of our business retention and expansion program over the years. I congratulate them on their success."

ESD is New York’s chief economic development agency. For more information, visit www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov and www.esd.ny.gov.