Five local businesses invest $268 million in Anderson
Four existing business expansions and a new company that located in Anderson will eventually create 192 employment opportunities. The investment into the local economy by the five businesses amounted to $268.7 million. The largest business expansion announced in 2019 was a $200 million investment by Nestle USA that will create an additional 30 jobs.
The Anderson City Council gave preliminary approval to provide a 70% tax abatement for seven years for the expansion of the Anderson plant. The council will consider final approval of the requested tax abatement on Thursday. The more than $200 million Nestle USA investment is for the purchase and installation of new equipment.
The new investment is expected to create 30 jobs with an annual payroll of $2.25 million. The average hourly wage is $36.06 with benefits.
Nestle first announced it was locating in Anderson in 2006 with an initial investment of $359 million and the creation of 300 jobs. This is the fifth expansion of its Anderson facilities. Since locating in Anderson Nestle has invested approximately $1 billion in its facilities and employs more than 800 people.
Sirmax opened its North American headquarters in Anderson in 2016 and started production in 2017. At the plant’s dedication on the former Guide property, it was announced the company was planning to expand. In March, Sirmax acquired S.E.R., which specializes in the recycling of plastics. S.E.R. is purchasing 35 acres south of the Sirmax property along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The Italian-based company is investing an additional $17.6 million in the Anderson facility. The facility will be approximately 130,000 square feet and the company expects to create 38 new jobs with an annual payroll of $1.3 million plus benefits. The new jobs will be phased in with the first 25 jobs being created by September 2020.
The new facility will produce a high-quality plastic product following a recycling and extrusion process that is similar to that produced by Sirmax. Sirmax North America made an initial investment of $25.6 million in the Anderson headquarters.
The company purchased 26 acres on the former Guide Corp. property on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near the intersection with 25th Street. The company currently has 40 employees. Employment is expected to reach 50 in 2020.
Italpollina announced last year an investment of $6.8 million for the construction of a new research and development center that will eventually employ an additional seven people. The average hourly wage is expected to be $38.46.
Italpollina opened its production facility in Anderson in 2017 following a $10 million investment. The facility employs 38 people just to the west of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.
NTK Precision Axle made an initial investment of $98 million in Anderson in 2018 creating 198 jobs. This past year the company invested an additional $47 million in equipment transferred from its Frankfort facility. The new equipment is expected to create an additional 100 jobs.
Through the collaboration between MOFAB and Barrett Bates, the company located Forged Alliance in the former Pay Less building on Broadway. The new company is expected to create 17 new jobs with an investment of $1 million.
By Ken de la Bastide
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