NEW BUBBLE GUM FACTORY BOOST TO EMPLOYMENT
New bubble gum factory boost to employment
The Irish Press, Tuesday 8th September, 1959.
A £150,000 bubble gum factory to be opened on Friday in Kilcock, Co. Kildare, will employ from 100 to 200 workers in the first year of operation. When in full production the factory will export gum to Europe, South Africa, Australia and Canada.
The minister for posts and used Telegraphs, Mr. Hilliard, will Open the factory, whose parent company, Leaf Brands Inc, Chicago, Illinois is one of the leading manufacturers of chewing gum and confectionery in the United States. At a press conference in Dublin yesterday, Mr Marshall Leaf, one of the five directors of the Irish company, said that in Chicago they had 1,200 production workers in three plants totalling 950, square feet. Leaf Machine Company, a subsidiary, was engaged in the design and construction of specialised chewing gum and confectionery equipment. The company furnished most of the machinery installed in the Kilcock plant.
Irish workers
The working force at the Kilcock factory will be from 100 to 200 employees the first year. With the exception of the general manager, Mr. Sterling Douglas, an American who had taken up permanent residence in Dublin, all employees will be recruited in Ireland. Mr. Leaf first b e c a m e acquainted with the Government’s programme to encourage the establishment of American Industries in Ireland in 1957 when he met Mr. Robert Briscoe, who was touring America as lord mayor of Dublin. Six months later a final decision was made on the location of a factory in Kilcock. Ireland’s wealth of sugar was one of the inducements for starting a factory here.”We are one of the largest producers of candy or sugar-coated gum in the world. Our production capacity in the Kilcock factory will be one million pieces of gum per day, and for that we will use up two million lbs of sugar a year. Irish glucose will be used also in the manufacturing process,” said Mr Leaf.
Foreign market
The emphasis would be on the use of Irish raw materials. When the finished product went on the world market 92 per cent of it would be home manufactured including wrappers and packing. While the factory was geared for the foreign market about five per cent cent of the gum would be sold in Ireland. The Irish factory, Mr. Leaf said, would mean a big reduction in the company’s big freight costs. It will be much cheaper to supply the markets in Europe, South Africa, Australia and Canada from the Irish firm than from Chicago.
One of the big problems facing the company in the establishment of a gum factory in Ireland was the climatic conditions. “It is pretty wet here.” said Mr. Leaf, “and in the production gum it is necessary to have very dry conditions because if the moisture in the air got inside the balls of gum it would cause discoloration and the gum would not be very appetising in appearance. We got over this difficulty. Our new modern 16,000 sq. feet building is entirely air conditioned and humidity controlled.”
Mr Leaf said he was convinced that in a short time there would be greater efficiency in their Irish factory than in the American plants. “The Irish show a great willingness and ability to learn fast.” The directors of Leaf Limited are Messrs Sol Leaf, chairman: Sam Shankman, managing director : Marshall Leaf and Martin Leaf, directors, Americans: Georges Charlier, a director, living in Belgium and Robert Briscoe.
At the press reception by Messrs. Leaf at the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin, yesterday. Left to right: Mr.Sterling Douglas, general manager; Mr Marshall Leaf, director, and Mr.Robert. T.D.
