More Than 60 New Jobs Planned in The Region
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowTwo companies connected to the manufacturing sector are planning to grow in northwest Indiana. La Porte-based B&B Manufacturing is looking to pump more than $5 million into an expansion that could lead to 40 new jobs within a decade. CSO IT Procurement intends to start up in January at the Purdue Technology Center in Merrillville and add more than three dozen workers by 2019. March 12, 2015
News Release
LA PORTE, Ind. – Two companies today announced plans to expand their operations in northwest Indiana, creating 65 new jobs over the next few years.
“Whether it's the latest tech solution or an important mechanical component, Indiana has the workforce to build it,” said Governor Mike Pence. “In Indiana we are helping companies like CSO IT Procurement and B&B Manufacturing further their operations, advanced by an experienced workforce and an affordable business environment.”
Synchronous drive products producer B&B Manufacturing will invest $5.1 million to construct and equip a new 80,000 square-foot facility in La Porte, expanding its operating space by 50,000 square feet over its current facility for the production of parts including timing belt pulleys and roller chain sprockets. With plans to begin operations in the new facility this fall, the homegrown-Hoosier company serves the power transmission and precision mechanical component industries with its team of more than 70 associates. B&B Manufacturing, which has already begun hiring for manufacturing positions, plans to create up to 40 new jobs by 2024. Interested applicants may apply online at www.bbman.com/careers.html.
Launching operations in January, IT hardware and software solutions firm CSO IT Procurement is investing $235,000 to lease and equip a 1,200 square-foot facility at the Purdue Technology Center in Merrillville. A spin-off of Mokena, Illinois-based Competitive Support Options, CSO IT Procurement partners with computer manufacturers to supply the healthcare, financial services, manufacturing and education sectors with technology solutions at competitive prices. Specializing in serving K-12 schools, CSO IT Procurement has already begun hiring for sales, technical and administrative positions, with plans to create up to 25 new jobs by 2019. Interested applicants may apply by sending a resume to hr@csoitp.com.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered B&B Manufacturing, Inc. up to $200,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company's job creation plans. CSO IT Procurement, Inc. was offered up to $226,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $24,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of La Porte approved additional incentives for B&B Manufacturing at the request of the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation. The town of Merrillville supports CSO IT Procurement's project.
About B&B Manufacturing
B&B Manufacturing produces and distributes custom and standard U.S.-made synchronous drive products that include timing belt pulleys, roller chain sprockets and related parts for the power transmission and precision mechanical component industries. Whether you need a custom part engineered and manufactured to your unique specifications or hard-to-find catalog parts, the company serves distributors and manufacturers with thousands of components. Large enough to provide any power transmission or precision mechanical component and small enough to be flexible and fast, B&B Manufacturing offers its clients parts that are guaranteed to be dependable and high-quality.
About CSO IT Procurement
CSO IT Procurement provides IT solutions and support to businesses – both public and private. With its parent company founded in 1995 as a total service provider in the IBM Midrange space, CSO continues to provide IBM Power System support as well as exciting new solutions across IBM i and Microsoft platforms.
Through partnerships with top tier manufacturers and developers like Epson, HP, IBM, Lenovo and RDS, just to name a few, CSO offers a broad range of virtualization, printing and imaging, network management, storage and hosting solutions.
About IEDC
Created in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Mike Pence. Victor Smith serves as the Indiana Secretary of Commerce and Eric Doden is the president of the IEDC.
The IEDC oversees programs enacted by the General Assembly including tax credits, workforce training grants and public infrastructure assistance. All tax credits are performance-based. Therefore, companies must first invest in Indiana through job creation or capital investment before incentives are paid. A company who does not meet its full projections only receives a percentage of the incentives proportional to its actual investment. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.
Company Quotes:
“With the supportive business environment thriving here in Indiana, B&B chose to keep its growth right here in La Porte. We launched our business in La Porte 17 years ago because the workforce here is second to none, helping us grow B&B into the business it is today. We're happy to be expanding that team now in this community, charting the path forward for our business,” said Rick Talbert, vice president of operations at B&B Manufacturing.
“Competitive Support Options, Inc. has provided IT solutions to schools and businesses in northwest Indiana for several years. CSO IT Procurement's focus in Indiana and focus on education means we can better serve our northwest Indiana clients and expand our solutions to the entire state with local support,” said Ray Govert, vice president of CSO IT Procurement.
Local Quotes:
“The city of La Porte is proud that B&B Manufacturing decided to expand its operations in our community. We look forward to growing the strong partnership that exists between the company and this community in the years to come. The company has been in operation for over ten years and continues to experience strong growth in the market,” said La Porte Mayor Blair Milo.
“Merrillville is consistently looking at innovative ways to attracts companies from the tech sector and beyond to our community. It's always great seeing companies like CSO IT Procurement expand at the Purdue Technology Center, creating job opportunities for our residents and growth opportunities for Merrillville,” said Shawn Pettit, member of the Merrillville Town Council.
Source: The Indiana Economic Development Corp.