International Welding Company Opening Portage Facility

(photo courtesy of our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana)

Austria-based voestalpine Böhler Welding Group has announced plans to invest more than $13 million to set up operations in Portage. Our partners at The Times of Northwest Indiana report the company will build a 138,000-square-foot facility at the AmeriPlex at the Port business park and create 50 jobs over the next three years.

The Portage City Council has approve a five-year tax abatement for the project. The facility will be used to produce welding consumables such as low- and high-alloyed welding wires and rods. 

"Voestalpine is a leading partner to the European automotive and consumer goods industries and the oil and gas industries worldwide as well as a world market leader in turnout technology, special rails, tool steel and special steels," Andy Malletta, director of economic development for the city, told the publication. "The corporation employs more than 50,000 people globally and generates yearly revenues of more than $12 billion."

The company plans to hire 25 workers by the end of this year, with the remainder of new jobs being filled over the next three years. The jobs will have an average hourly wage of $18.68 plus an additional $4 per hour in benefits. Salaried employees are expected to average about $55,000 annually.

Eduard Peinhopf, managing director of voestalpine, tells The Times the company plans to hire local. It will work with Indiana Career Connect and the Center of Workforce Innovation to assist with hiring.