byTracie Troha/Selma Times-Journal Writer

Mike Savage, president of American Gum Company, wants to get the word out that his company is sticking to Selma.

And with this promised staying power, Savage and his team are really going places.

Rumors indicated that the company

had closed but Savage and American Gum Vice President Mike Miller say nothing could be further from the truth.

Savage and Miller have transformed a former welding shop in the South Dallas Industrial Park into a warehouse full of the new Sensations chewing gum, wrappers, boxes, and an array of plastic houseware.

The handful of employees who work there spend their days packaging the chewy candy and preparing it to be shipped across the country.

In a matter of weeks, Savage says, the spacious, climate-controlled building will have large machines installed to handle the work currently being done by hand, only on a much larger scale.

Both Savage and Miller say they understand people’s skepticism about their claim of so many new jobs, especially since the company seemed dormant after coming to town last May.

Savage said he underestimated how long it would take it get the company up and running, and setbacks have lengthened the hiring process.

Savage and Miller say they are using as many state and local businesses as they can to help them get their product to the public.

For instance, a Montgomery company is supplying them with boxes, while the Birmingham-based Caraustar designed the hologram sleeves the gum comes in.

Once things get settled in the new warehouse, Savage and Miller have plans to expand their company even further.

In fact, American Gum Company has already established a partnership with Plasutil, a Brazilian manufacturer of plastic houseware items, to become the only North American distribution center for the plastic company.

Though the process may be slow-going, American Gum Company will have Selma mouths filled with Sensations.