By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
International Greetings praises its move here
Placeholder Image
The Gift Wrap Company, a United Kingdom-based manufacturer of gift wrap and accessories, relocated from Massachusetts to the Midway Industrial Park in 1996. Nearly 15 years later, The Gift Wrap Company, now called International Greetings USA, is performing well in Liberty County.
Company representatives say they chose Liberty County over several other Southeastern locations due, in part, to an available 50,000-square-foot speculative building in the Midway Industrial Park that could be expanded to 100,000 square feet. Since moving in, International Greetings has expanded their original building several times and purchased two other buildings. The company’s three structures total more than 500,000 square feet.
International Greetings USA Chief Operating Officer Rich Eckman attributes the company’s growth in Liberty County to several factors.
“New market share, acquisitions of the Stephen Lawrence and Glitter Wrap lines and just overall business growth have led us to expand our presence in Liberty County,” he said.
Along with the facility’s growth, International Greetings’ employment has grown. When the company moved in 1996, it employed 65 people in Liberty County. Today, it has 135 full-time and 60 seasonal employees.
From its Liberty County location, International Greetings handles all company functions with the exception of design, which is based in Atlanta.
Eckman gives the Liberty County workforce high marks. “The area workforce is good,” he said. “We have particularly had great success with military retirees and spouses. We have very little turnover at our Liberty County location.”
Employees at International Greetings’ Liberty County site support manufacturing and distribution operations. In addition to printing approximately 300 million linear feet of wrapping paper per year on their two printing presses, the facility distributes tissue paper, stationery products, gift bags and gift cards that are imported from overseas.
Naturally, International Greetings’ peak season is just before the holidays. “Our busy season runs from May to October each year,” Eckman said. “We actually start printing holiday wrapping paper in February.”
They’ll host a warehouse sale from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20.
Eckman credits Liberty County’s pro-business community as one of the reasons the location has been so successful. “We have had an outstanding working relationship with the LCDA,” he said. “Specifically, as we have continued to grow and need additional space, the LCDA (Liberty County Development Authority) facilitated the process as we expanded our initial facility several times and acquired additional buildings in the park.
“In addition, we have found the community as a whole to be very welcoming and supportive,” Eckman said. “We look forward to many more years together.”

Sign up for our e-newsletters