The plant employed 2,700 workers at its peak. But cellophane had its drawbacks. It was expensive, time-consuming and messy to make. Meanwhile, new plastic wraps made from petroleum cheaper and more durable came on the market. There was also the much-discussed smell.
Locals didn t complain, but visitors often compared the odor to a paper plant or rotten eggs.
The smell was caused by sulfides used in the process of making the cellophane. Once you got used to it, it didn t bother you anymore, Burks said. Enticing shoppers When Dennis Bryant started working, he didn t consider applying at the FMC plant. He worked for two years in Spotless hardware store, then moved across Caroline Street to Leggett. Of course, everybody did their shopping there because there was no place else to do their shopping, he said.