LMI Packaging, 8911 102nd St., held a groundbreaking ceremony for its 50,000-square-foot expansion Wednesday afternoon.

Third-generation owner and CEO J.P. Moran spoke about why the company chose to expand in Pleasant Prairie rather than find a new location.

“I love Pleasant Prairie, I’m very excited to be in the state,” Moran said. “We moved here in 1993, and we’ve never looked back.”

To be used largely as internal warehouse space, Moran said he was happy to see the project begin. The additional space was a necessity with “significant” growth being experienced by the company.

“We’ve doubled our machinery in the last year and a half, I expect that to happen again,” Moran said. “So it’s pretty exciting.”

LMI primarily manufactures heat-seal lids, about 3.6 billion pieces annually. The current facility is about 71,000 square feet according to village documents. The new 49,327-square-foot expansion is planned to be completed by Dec. 6, although Moran said he hopes to have it done earlier.

Read more at the Kenosha News.