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creative werks

creative werks

Turnkey food co-packing and manufacturing

Manufacturing Operator 1 - Case Packer

Full-Time
$17 - $21/hr
Entry, Junior
Elk Grove Village, IL, USA
In Person

May require work at other company facilities and shifts ranging from 8 to 12 hours, including weekends or alternate shifts.

About the job

Requirements
  • A minimum of 0–2 years of operator experience is required.
  • Average math skills and the ability to perform assigned tasks are required.
  • The ability to read and interpret company documents is required.
  • Mechanical or machine operation experience is required.
  • The employee must attend food safety training covering Good Manufacturing Practices, Safe Quality Food, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, allergen control, food facility security, and prevention of foodborne illness.
  • The employee must work in an environment where milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, and/or wheat allergens are processed, with or without accommodation.
  • The employee must be able to operate industrial and company-specific equipment.
  • The position requires standing, walking, reaching, bending, and lifting or moving objects up to 10 pounds regularly and up to 50 pounds frequently.
Responsibilities
  • Operate primary packaging equipment, including handling, forming, sealing, weighing, and discharge systems for finished packaged goods.
  • Select and verify recipes for primary packaging equipment and packaging process controllers, and adjust scales to maintain target weights when applicable.
  • Maintain approved centerline settings and restore them after downtime or changeovers.
  • Follow manufacturing instructions for each item.
  • Create finished-good lot codes manually and systematically each day.
  • Perform autonomous maintenance according to line forms and required frequencies.
  • Safely perform startup and shutdown procedures according to standard operating procedures.
  • Perform first-pass troubleshooting of common issues, including film tracking, seal defects, and weight variations.
  • Escalate issues through the help chain and participate in daily management system communications.
  • Maintain equipment to ensure efficient operation.
  • Report machine deficiencies to the Maintenance department as needed.
  • Supply required materials to employees at the line.
  • Complete required quality checks, inspections, and documentation.
  • Maintain 5S standards and equipment cleanliness.
  • Assign duties to employees at the line as needed.
  • Enforce company rules regarding safety, discipline, cooperation, teamwork, and food safety.
  • Participate in company Good Manufacturing Practices walks and attend selected meetings.
  • Work weekends, alternate shifts, or at other facilities when required by business needs.
  • Perform other duties assigned by management.

About the company

Creative werks provides contract packaging and manufacturing services for food and beverage brands, offering turnkey design, manufacturing, and co-packing to move from concept to final retail distribution. It uses the Werkshop Design Group for in-house R&D and packaging development and operates over 70 production lines in a climate-controlled facility with more than 1,000,000 square feet. It can design, produce, fill, and package at scale in formats like bags, cartons, and thermoformed packaging, including candy cane tubes, serving high-volume programs and seasonal launches. Its goals are to streamline production, lower costs, and scale operations with strong quality and safety standards (SQF Excellent, ISO 14001), while positively impacting employees and the community as a family-owned business.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Founded

1999

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Website updates in 2026 highlight fresh capability additions and active capacity investment.
  • The company keeps posting packaging content through February 2026, signaling ongoing customer engagement.
  • SQF and ISO14001 credentials remain visible, supporting food-brand vendor qualification.

What critics are saying

  • Creative Werks faces a 2023 federal discrimination suit; judgment entered March 9, 2026.
  • 2026 workforce data shows headcount slipped to 332, signaling limited scale expansion.
  • Family ownership concentrates control with Steve Schroeder, increasing key-person dependency.

What makes creative werks unique

  • 2026 website lists 70 lines across 1 million square feet in Chicago.
  • Creative Werks added enrobing, bag-in-box, thermoforming, and high-speed small pouching capabilities.
  • Its vertically integrated candy cane operation still supplies over 95% of U.S. tubes.

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Benefits

Flexible Work Hours