Ag Tech Company Selects Westfield for Global HQ

(Stock photo of drone courtesy: Pixabay/DJI)

Indiana’s growing agbioscience sector has landed another precision agriculture company, as the ag technology firm Taranis has announced plans to locate its global headquarters in Westfield.

The company says it will invest more than $10 million to lease and equip a 6,000-square-foot facility and create up to 60 new jobs by the end of 2023.

Leaders from Taranis, which was founded in Israel, met with Governor Eric Holcomb and other Indiana officials during a trade mission to Tel Aviv in 2018.

“They met in Tel Aviv with the founders at an early stage of the company. So, they got to know the company and the company got to know the potential in Indiana and the area,” said Mike DiPaola, general manager of North America and vice president of global sales at Taranis

Taranis’ technology uses drones to capture high-resolution photos of fields. Using its artificial intelligence, the platform can point to crop challenges, such as disease or insects, during each growth stage.

DiPaola says the technology is so precise it can detect tiny insects on lower leaves. The high-definition mages can then be used to make real-time decisions about fertilizer, pesticides and cultivation.

“Locating our global headquarters in the heart of America’s largest commodity crop production region enables us to interact more directly with our customers to better address the agronomic challenges of their growers,” said DiPaola.

DiPaola, who lived in Westfield five years ago, knew returning to central Indiana was a good strategic move for the company.

“Let’s take a look at a map. I’m 30 minutes or less from downtown. I’m 45 minutes from Purdue. I’ve got AgriReliant, Corteva, Becks, ag companies that are already in the area. Plus, I have tech companies that are around so talent and access to people and logistics. This area this part of the state makes a ton of sense,” said DiPaola.

The company says it plans to consolidate its sales, marketing and administrative functions at the new Westfield facility and continue to significantly expand its workforce during the first year of operation.

“The addition of Taranis to our community grows our influence in the region as an attractive location for businesses and job seekers,” said Westfield Mayor Andy Cook. “Its emergence as a leader in precision scouting coupled with Westfield’s commitment to advancing agricultural innovation in our region makes this an ideal and exciting partnership.”

The company is hiring for positions in drone and aviation operations, customer success, marketing and sales.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered Taranis Inc. up to $1.25 million in conditional tax credits based on the company’s high-wage job creation plans.