The closing of a Kansas City Hallmark plant will bring 40 new jobs to the company’s Lawrence production facility, a company official confirmed Wednesday.

Mark Garrett, plant manager at the Lawrence production center, said the new jobs would begin in June, and that 175 workers from the downtown Kansas City, Mo., plant already have expressed an interest in working at the Lawrence plant, which now employs 840 people.

“We’re excited about increasing our work-force levels,” Garrett said. “It will take our employee population up by a little more than 5 percent.”

Hallmark announced earlier this month that it planned to close its longtime production plant in Kansas City. The 340 employees at the plant will be offered transfers to either Lawrence, Leavenworth or Topeka plants.

The Lawrence plant conducted its fifth and final tour Wednesday for Hallmark employees interested in transferring to the facility. Garrett said about 175 employees participated in the tours.

“The key message is that Lawrence is a great place to live, work and play, and we would certainly be glad to have them here,” Garrett said.

Not all 175 employees will be allowed to transfer to Lawrence. But Garrett said in addition to the 40 new employees, he will be hiring from the pool of workers at the Kansas City plant to fill job vacancies that occur at the Lawrence facility.

That means the plant may attract some new residents to Lawrence from the Kansas City area.

“I’m certainly anticipating that some of the people who transfer will want to move to Lawrence, but I’m not sure what number that will be,” Garrett said.

The tours, which started late last week in Lawrence, include more than information about the plant itself.

“The tour consists of both a plant tour and a community tour as well,” Garrett said. “We have had area real estate folks in to talk about the local real estate market and what they should expect if they decide to locate here.”

Similar tours also are being given at the Leavenworth and Topeka facilities. After this week, employees at the Kansas City plant will have to declare their preferred transfer destination.

Hallmark, based in Kansas City, Mo., will offer assistance for employees who move to be closer to their work. It also will offer training and help in finding other jobs for those employees who do not wish to transfer.

In addition to new employees, the Lawrence plant will be receiving a new line of products to manufacture. The facility, located at 101 McDonald Drive, will become the lead manufacturer for Hallmark’s Shoebox greeting cards.

Garrett said the addition of the new line will represent an increase of about 2 million cards per week that the plant will produce.

The plant, in addition to greeting cards, also produces ribbons and bows.