From staff reports

An industrial packaging company is expanding in Elk Point.

BalCon Enterprises Inc., which does business as Helluva Packaging, will build a new processing and warehouse facility, while adding up to 22 full-time jobs.

The company specializes in the production and recycling of FIBC bulk bags, as well as the refurbishment and sale of Gaylord boxes.

“This is a true rural development success story,” Gov. Dennis Daugaard said. “New infrastructure, new construction and new jobs are significant for any community, but this kind of reinvestment is especially significant in a smaller community like Elk Point.”

BalCon’s new facility will be the first tenant in the newly established business and industrial park in Elk Point, a project made possible in part by funding from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Department of Transportation, which awarded $500,000 in infrastructure assistance to help develop the industrial park.

“Our existing facility has served us well since we began the business, but we’ve simply outgrown it,” said Kevin Connelly, BalCon vice president.

“The key thing about our new facility is that it will be properly insulated, allowing us to repair and refurbish more Gaylord boxes for our customers. Currently, during times when it’s especially cold, our repair methods are not as effective when we repair boxes that come into our facility. That means we have to send those boxes to the paper mill for recycling. The problem is those boxes potentially have a lot of life left in them. Our new facility will allow us to salvage 4 million pounds of corrugated cardboard, saving us and our customers a lot of money.”

The company plans to break ground this fall and be operational by next summer.