It was the summer of 1969. Neil Armstrong took a "small step for man," the "Woodstock Music & Art Fair" opened on a small dairy farm in New York, and the U.S. began withdrawing troops from Vietnam.

And in late August of that year, the first Pampers disposable diapers rolled off the production line at the new Charmin Paper Products plant north of Cape Girardeau. At the time, Charmin Paper Products was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Procter & Gamble.

Over the past half century, the plant has grown from nine acres under roof to more than 80 and from a handful of employees to more than 1,000. Not only has the plant itself grown since the first diaper was produced, but so, too, has the company's reputation as an integral -- and many would say indispensable -- part of the Cape Girardeau region.

The plant annually produces and ships several billion dollars worth of diapers, paper towels and toilet paper throughout North America. Certain diaper products made at the Cape Girardeau plant also have worldwide distribution.

While most people think of the P&G facility here as one big factory, it is actually two production units in one -- Baby Care and Family Care -- each with its own manager and production lines.

TYLER GRAEF ~ tgraef@semissourian.com Old P&G products are seen on display during the Procter & Gamble Cape Girardeau 50th Anniversary picnic Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019, at Procter & Gamble in Cape Girardeau.

Han Oh serves as manager of Baby Care and overall site leader, while Jack Geissinger manages the Family Care side of the facility. Between them, they've been with Procter & Gamble a combined 60 years.

"This December will make 24 years for me," Oh said as he reflected on the plant's history. "I actually started at this site in 1995 and worked here for 11 years until 2006."

From Cape Girardeau, Oh went to Procter & Gamble's headquarters in Cincinnati where he held various positions related to product improvement and production efficiencies. "But I always thought I'd love to come back to Cape," he said. So when he was offered the opportunity last fall to be the Baby Care manager here, he took it.

Geissinger has been with P&G 36 years, and the Cape Girardeau plant is his eighth assignment with the company. "It's certainly one of the better plants I've been in," he said. "This is an awesome site, there's no doubt about that, and I think I'm pretty qualified to say that given my background." Before coming to Cape Girardeau in 2014, Geissinger was responsible for operations at P&G's Kansas City facility, which produces Dawn dish detergent.

"When you've seen as many plants as I have, you kind of get a feel for the place," he said and explained he first visited the Cape Girardeau plant seven years ago. "I was on a business trip following product from a store in Memphis all the way back to a supplier providing materials to Cape, and so I got a chance to go through the plant here for the first time. I spent some time in the plant that day, and I just got a feeling as I looked around and saw people focused on doing the right thing and getting the job done. There's a positive vibe to this place."

TYLER GRAEF ~ tgraef@semissourian.com Baby care product supply director Pedro Capiello, left, laughs with Bill Schaefer, who was recognized for being one of the original 12 workers from the plant's opening in 1969 during the Procter & Gamble Cape Girardeau 50th Anniversary picnic Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019, at Procter & Gamble in Cape Girardeau.

The Cape Girardeau plant has produced diapers since the day it opened and today makes about 40% of all the Pampers and Luvs diapers, as well as their sub-brands, made by P&G in North America.

"Between Cape and our plant in Mehoopany (Pennsylvania), we probably account for 80%," Oh said. "We always switch positions in the volume we produce. One year they (Mehoopany) will be the largest producer and another year we'll be the biggest."

Bounty (paper towels) and Charmin (toilet paper) lines were added to the Cape Girardeau plant in 1999. Cape Girardeau is one of six P&G U.S. locations producing Bounty and Charmin products. The rest are in Mehoopany; Albany, Georgia; Box Elder, Utah; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Oxnard, California. "We cover the country pretty nicely with those six locations," Geissinger said. "We can get product to where it needs to be, and we also send a lot of product to other plants when they can't make enough. Being in the middle of the U.S. certainly gives us an advantage because we can get it to them quickly."

Both Oh and Geissinger credit P&G's local employees for the company's success here.

"Hands down, it's our people," Oh said. "They're proud to work here, and I love the company because of how much it invests in people and how much it centers the business around people."

P&G, he said, is in the business of improving lives, including the lives of its employees. "My favorite statement in the company's core values and principles is that the interests of the company and the individual are inseparable. I use that principle quite a bit."

"There's a reason P&G came here," Geissinger said. "And I'm not talking about resources like the river. I'm talking about people resources."

According to Geissiner, there are "a few key things that stand out about the people who work here. One is the talent level we have in this area. It's outstanding. Secondly, there is an intense work ethic you don't find everywhere. This area has it, and it shows up every day here. The third thing is a drive for excellence. People here want to win. They want to be the best."

Procter & Gamble's payroll supports more than 1,000 employees and their families throughout the region, and the company's presence also benefits a number of related businesses in the area, including Mondi, Jackson Machinery, DHL, DW Tool and Quality Packaging.

From United Way campaigns to service with various civic organizations, P&G plant employees are encouraged to be involved in the community and volunteer their service to others. "We recognize that our employees are from the community, so we want to give back to the community as much as possible," Oh remarked. "It's very rewarding to be in a position where you can help the community. We love it not only because we're helping people, but it also gets our employees out of the context of work, and we start to see each other as human beings."

According to Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO John Mehner, "there aren't enough words to express what Procter & Gamble means to our community. You simply cannot talk about business and industry in Cape Girardeau without talking about P&G."

Mehner's counterpart with the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, Brian Gerau, added "it's impossible to put a number on the time that Procter & Gamble employees have given to enhance our communities. They are extremely active in both of our chambers, with the United Way and with the hundreds of millions of dollars the company's employees have reinvested in our communities. I know Cape County would not be what it is without Procter & Gamble."

"The locating of Procter & Gamble in Cape County has contributed greatly to the growth of Jackson during the last 50 years," commented Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs. Many of city's residents work at or have retired from Procter & Gamble. In addition, Jackson is home to several major companies that are Procter & Gamble suppliers. This has contributed additional jobs and business to Jackson's economy."

Cape Girardeau city manager Scott Meyer agreed.

"Procter & Gamble has made a significant impact on the economy of this region. The initial investment and large expansions, coupled with the support businesses that would not be there without P&G are evidence of that impact," he said. "Beyond that, and even more significant, are the people and families who are here because of that investment."

"It's hard to believe I was a senior at SEMO when P&G opened their plant in 1969," said Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox. "They have been a viable partner and leader in our local economy since that opening 50 years ago, and their involvement in many area communities has been very positive as they have always felt a responsibility to give back to those in need."

"I suspect most people in this community have no idea how much Procter & Gamble quietly contributes, not only to our economy, but to the well-being of our population," said Elizabeth Shelton, executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri. "Without corporate help from P&G and from their employees, our organization and those we support would genuinely suffer, which means our community would, too. There are not enough ways to express how valuable this company and its people are to the people of Southeast Missouri."

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