Swisher commits 60 of 240 new manufacturing jobs to residents within two miles of Jacksonville factory (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — A $135 million manufacturing expansion on Jacksonville’s Northside is now tied to a promise that the jobs it creates won’t just stay within the factory walls — they’ll flow directly into the surrounding neighborhood.
Swisher announced Thursday it is putting structure behind its $135 million expansion, committing that at least 60 of the 240 new full-time roles will be filled by residents living within a two-mile radius of its East 16th Street campus. The hiring allocation, formalized through a partnership with LIFT JAX, is designed to channel a portion of the project’s projected job growth directly into the Eastside, tying corporate expansion to neighborhood-based workforce development in one of Jacksonville’s historically underinvested communities.
Swisher, a family-owned company founded in 1861 that established its headquarters in Springfield in 1924, has grown its Jacksonville campus to more than 800,000 square feet over the past century. The latest expansion will support production of oral pouch products and is projected to generate more than $11.1 million in annual payroll across the 240 new roles, excluding benefits.
“Our partnership with the City of Jacksonville and LIFT JAX strengthens the talent pipeline that makes growth possible, ensuring local residents have access to quality jobs and long-term career opportunities,” Swisher President and CEO Neil Kiely said in a statement.
Under the agreement, LIFT JAX will leverage its neighborhood networks and workforce partners — including the GoodCareers Center at The Corner at Debs Store — to identify, prepare and refer qualified Eastside candidates, while leading community outreach and engagement.
For LIFT JAX CEO and President Travis Williams, the partnership is about more than hiring targets.
“This sets a powerful standard for what neighborhood transformation can look like when proximate private sector partners are willing to collaborate and produce innovative solutions that can build inclusive prosperity,” Williams said in the statement.
Rather than standing alone as a capital investment, the project now serves as a real-time example of how private expansion, targeted hiring and community partnerships can be layered together to amplify local return on investment.
Photo courtesy of Swisher