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New PackEx facility to enhance Marianna’s economy and eco-focus

Jackson County is welcoming a new partnership that’s set to deliver more than just jobs. PackEx USA is an all-aluminum packaging and bottling company, expected to redefine the beverage industry. The manufacturer is opening up a facility in Marianna, committing to sustainability and local pride. There are almost no aluminum bottle or can filling companies on the East Coast. Officials say Jackson County is the perfect place to fill that void.

“This location will give those brands the ability to create channels and expand their portfolios, expand those products,” said PackEx President and Chief Strategy Officer Michael Clark. “An example of that would be a cruise ship, would be a marketing channel. They have an initiative that is very favorable to aluminum. They want aluminum on those cruise ships. And you look at where we’re located, smack dab in the middle of the Panhandle and all of those ports, and I’ll leave from South Florida to South Texas, so the entire Gulf, and we’re right in the middle.”

PackEx is relocating to a building in Marianna’s industrial park, which a different bottling company previously occupied. Once renovations are completed, the facility will be 400,000 square feet. The project is over a $50 million investment, creating 75 new jobs, ranging from I.T. programming to skilled trades.
Management is hoping to attract a mix of locals and employees from outside of Jackson County.

“I’m from here and one of the pain points being from here is you do not have an amount of middle-class, decent-paying jobs that offer insurance, 401k, and everything a person needs to be able to live here,” PackEx Chief Operating Officer Anthony Snider said.

“I love the homegrown, organic initiatives where you’re offering something to the people of this community, and that maybe will give them the opportunity that they don’t have to leave here to go get a good job,” Clark said.

Local officials say the partnership exemplifies the type of growth Jackson County wants to see.

“We’re excited about the sustainability, the marketplace, the footprint. We’re seeking manufacturing logistics, distribution, tech, particularly clean tech. And this meets all those criteria. And to think that from this location, on the east coast for the first time in scale, we’re going to be providing the solution is very exciting,” Jackson County Economic Development Committee President Darwin Gilmore said.

Jackson county officials say they’re working with PackEx to reduce electric rates and to add renewable solutions to offset their power use. The facility is scheduled to open January 1. PackEx hopes to work with schools like Chipola College and Haney Technical College to prepare future employees. PackEx serves markets like still, purified, flavored, and sparkling water, along with soda, energy drinks, natural juices, and sports drinks. They already have two companies lined up taking about 80% of their capacity.

Posted July 28, 2025

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