(August 15, 2019) BLACK SPRINGS – The staff and employees at CG Roxane in Black Springs welcomed U.S. Senator John Boozman to their facility. Boozman was joined by staff, County Judge Sammy Jones and Norman Mayor Roseanna Markham.
CG Roxane bottles Crystal Springs Alpine Spring Water, as well as a select number of private label products. The plant in Black Springs is one of seven owned by CG Roxane. They bottle several sizes at the Black Springs facility.
Plant Manager Patricia Lappin led the tour of the facility. Senator Boozman chose to include the water bottling facility on a tour of manufacturing facilities. He also toured the Husqvarna facility in Nashville last Tuesday.
The tour began in the warehouse and quickly moved to the bottle molding area of the plant. The bottles start off about the size of a test tube before being molding into their desired size and shape. Lappin stated that the facility can mold around 6,000 smaller bottles an hour and approximately 8,000 larger bottles per hour.
Water is piped into the facility from an 8,000 acre underground watershed. Lappin explained that while they don’t bottle water extracted from an above ground spring, the watershed they utilize is spring fed. This allows CG Roxane to market the water as spring water.
Lappin shared that many larger bottling companies bottle municipal water and market it. She was proud of the fact that the water bottled in the Black Springs facility is natural spring water and not tap water. She added that the watershed they utilize is a renewable source. When asked about the possibility that the water source could be depleted, she pointed out that it wouldn’t happen. She stated that she “was a Montgomery County girl” and that she wouldn’t work at the facility if she thought it was going to hurt the county.
After a brief walkthrough of the packaging area the tour made its way back to the front office.
Lappin stated that their facility currently employees 27 people who work two shifts. She shared that recent contract with Wal-Mart has been a huge boost for their facility.
Senator Boozman was impressed with the facility, citing the efficient use of technology in the facility. He stated that the CG Roxane facility in Black Springs is a model example of how technology can have a positive impact on a rural community.
CG Roxane is a privately owned company with facilities in Black Springs, Benton Tennessee, Johnstown New York, Moultonborough New Hampshire, Weed California, Olancha California and Salem South Carolina.
After leaving the facility Senator Boozman took a short detour in Caddo Gap to visit the Desoto Native American monument. From there he traveled to Glenwood and then to Nashville for a tour of the Husqvarna manufacturing facility.
Article Written by Dewayne Holloway
