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Jostens to expand Denton plant
Company closes northeast plant, merges with local facility

Thursday, December 6, 2007
By Dawn Cobb / Business Editor, Denton Record Chronicle

Jostens Inc. officials are planning an announcement soon about expanding the Denton plant's capacity after plans to close a plant in Massachusetts were revealed Tuesday.

Officials decided to close the ring-manufacturing plant in Attleboro, Mass., eliminating an estimated 177 full-time and seasonal jobs.

The plants' operations will be consolidated in Denton, where class rings, Super Bowl team rings and others have been manufactured for more than 36 years, said Rich Stoebe, spokesman for the Minneapolis-based company, which is a subsidiary of Visant Corp.

"We're consolidating from two to one," he said. "In addition, we'll be reconfiguring our manufacturing process."

Officials say they will look at advancing technology and improving workflow at the plant, which has operated in Denton since 1970. The single-story plant is an estimated 57,000 square feet and sits on about 16 acres at 3500 S. Interstate 35E, near the city's southern boundary.

Stoebe said officials were considering several options for the plant as equipment is moved from Massachusetts to Denton.

"We're looking at a number of options to expand our capacity in Denton," said Stoebe. "We're looking forward to, over the next weeks, to be able to share more details about the Denton jewelry operations and the coming expansion."

The Denton plant, which has about 250 employees currently, has employed as many as 450 workers in peak times.

"We will be assessing the need to add additional positions in Denton over time," Stoebe said. "It's unlikely that there would be positions transferring from Attleboro."

Linda Ratliff, economic development director for the city of Denton, said the news was good for Denton but sad for the employees in Massachusetts.

"I feel for the folks in Attleboro, but that's wonderful news for Denton because Jostens is one of our great companies here in Denton," she said.

"It's a tough decision about Attleboro," Stoebe added. "But, at the same time, we're enthused about what we're doing in Denton."

The company has garnered fame for designing 27 Super Bowl rings as well as for other championship teams. Officials have said the facility makes more than 35,000 rings per week during peak times.

The company was featured in June 2006 on the Travel Channel's Made in America program, hosted by John Ratzenberger, after recently completing production of Super Bowl rings for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which featured five footballs made of diamonds – one for each of the franchise's Super Bowl titles.

DAWN COBB can be reached at 940-566-6879. Her e-mail address is dcobb@dentonrc.com .