A New York City trash bag manufacturer plans to relocate to a former packaging plant in Hazleton, where it is expected to create at least 101 new full-time jobs over the next three years, Pennsylvania officials say.
Queens, N.Y.-based Mint-X has entered into a 15-year lease at 33 Powell Drive, part of what the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development said will be a $10.5 million investment.
That property, located in the Hazleton Commerce Center industrial park, formerly was home to the WestRock cardboard packaging facility, which closed in 2023.
Mint-X manufactures rodent-repellent trash bags under its own brand, as well as private label bags for Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, Target, Costco, and Dollar General. The company says it uses mint essential oils to produce bags that repel rodents, raccoons and squirrels.
DCED assembled a funding package for the move that includes a $300,000 Pennsylvania First Grant, and Mint-X also received a $1.59 million Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority loan from DCED.
Relocating into a larger facility will allow Mint-X to increase production to meet demand while also providing enough space for the development of new products, officials said.
“We spent more than a year searching for a new home for our manufacturing facility. The strong labor pool and strategic location near the intersection of I-80 and I-81 ultimately made Hazleton the perfect place for us," Mint-X CEO Jeff Dussich said.
The Powell Drive location is about 2 miles from Interstate 81 and 13 miles from the 80/81 interchange.
— Roger DuPuis