(Pictured: PGI CEO Anan Bishara)
A major boost is coming to Edwards County as Premium Guard Inc. announced plans Wednesday to reopen the former Champion Laboratories facility in Albion, restoring nearly 200 manufacturing and operational jobs.
The announcement comes after PGI completed its acquisition of Champion Labs assets from First Brands Group, along with related assets from the former Fram facility in Greenville, Ohio.
Champion Laboratories, founded in nearby West Salem in 1955, closed earlier this year, resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs and creating economic uncertainty across the region.
PGI CEO Anan Bishara said the company’s immediate focus is restarting production in Albion and rebuilding trust with employees and the community.
“Today is an important day for Albion and PGI,” said Bishara. “Our team is committed to this community, and our foremost priority is to resume production in Albion. In the last decade, trust was lost by a company that prioritized financial engineering over all else. “Our philosophy is different — we are a customer-, team-, and product-focused company. We’re proud to help bring jobs, R&D investment, and manufacturing back to a community that has played such an important role in the filtration industry for generations.”
The company also announced plans to bring back former Champion employees and industry veterans as operations resume. Hiring for manufacturing, operations and support positions is expected to begin immediately.
PGI said the reopening will not only restore jobs but also bring renewed manufacturing investment and research and development opportunities to a community with a long history in the filtration industry.