Nonprofit cup maker buys North Flannery facility

Lighthouse for the Blind, a New Orleans–based nonprofit that provides work for visually impaired people, has purchased the old Fantec plant on North Flannery Road. Lighthouse for the Blind bought the building for $1.6 million in a deal that closed today. Bill Price, president of Lighthouse, says the plan is to move equipment from Mississippi into the facility and start manufacturing paper towels and paper cups. “We should have some employees in place and potentially be making paper cups by the end of January or February,” he says. Lighthouse sells paper products to the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. General Services Administration that are used in federal office buildings and military bases. The company had a facility in New Orleans, but it was forced to move to Crystal Springs, Miss., after Hurricane Katrina. Currently, 300 million paper cups are produced annually in Mississippi, but Price says more equipment is being purchased to boost the output. Lighthouse for the Blind will employ 75 people; at least 75% of those directly manufacturing paper cups will be legally blind. Price says all of the people working at the plant will make above minimum wage and get full benefits. Lighthouse is getting a $1.5 million loan from the city-parish and a $1.5 million grant from the state to move and purchase equipment. Hank Saurage of Saurage Commercial Real Estate represented the sellers, while Ty Gose, of NAI/Latter & Blum represented the buyer. —Timothy Boone