National Pen to add jobs, but few details known

National Pen Company has announced that it will close its operations in Manila, Philippines, and bring those sales and customer service jobs back to the company's existing facility in Shelbyville, but Cathy Tollett of the company could not provide any specifics about how many new jobs would be created, how many jobs existed at the Manila location, or how soon the company might begin hiring.

"This will enable us to simplify our processes and ensure consistency in our customer relations," said Melissa Sterling, the company's director of North American sales and service, in a news release. "We are counting on our Shelbyville team to rise to the challenge."

The company is based in San Diego, Calif., and, according to its web site, has locations in Canada, Ireland, Mexico and the Philippines. The web site states that the bulk of the company's products are manufactured in Shelbyville. The company sells a range of promotional products, including not just writing instruments but cups, mouse pads, calendars, shirts and bags.

Shelbyville Mayor Wallace Cartwright, when contacted Wednesday by the Times-Gazette, said he wasn't aware of the development -- and that it wasn't mentioned at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development and Tourism Committee on Tuesday. But he said he was happy at any announcement of new jobs created locally.

"We're very pleased," said Cartwright. "I'd like to know how many it is."

Cartwright said local industrial recruiters are continuing to try to market vacant facilities to potential employers.

"That is good news to Bedford County," said County Mayor Eugene Ray. "Every job that we can get is good news to us here .... That is excellent news to us. We hope to get more and more like that." He had not heard about the announcement either but said that National Pen has tended to keep such changes close to the vest in the past.

Tollett said that as the company ramps up, available positions will be advertised. She also said job-seekers can e-mail resumes to jobs@pens.com.

National Pen's Shelbyville complex is on Shelbyville Mills Road at the site of what was once a Uniroyal tire plant.