Uni-Ref, Inc., a refractory products manufacturer, plans to relocate its headquarters from Sharonville, Ohio to Brookville, Indiana, creating up to 50 new jobs by 2015.

Uni-Ref manufactures a heat-resistant material that is a component of protective linings used in high-temperature furnaces, reactors and other processing units in the foundry, steel, aluminum, cement, lime and power industries.

The company, which is a subsidiary of United Refractories Co. in McMurray, Pa., will purchase and renovate a 270,000 square-foot facility on a 23 acre campus at 8031 Golden Road in Brookville. The facility will be fully operational by early next year. Uni-Ref plans to begin hiring new production, warehouse and quality control associates in Brookville next year.

“There were numerous reasons for choosing Indiana as our new location,” said Fred Daniels, vice president of operations of Uni-Ref. “The number one reason was the business-friendly environment and lower tax base for businesses. The support from local Hoosiers and the Franklin County Economic Development Corporation also made it easy to choose Brookville as the location for our new headquarters.”

“It is not by accident that the national trend of companies relocating work to Indiana continues despite the slow national economy,” said Dan Hasler, Secretary of State and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “By choosing the Hoosier State as the home of its headquarters, Uni-Ref reaffirms Indiana’s reputation for low taxes, high-quality production and talented workforce.”

As an incentive the Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Uni-Ref, Inc. up to $500,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $70,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. In addition, Franklin County will support the project through additional incentives at the request of the Franklin County Economic Development Commission.

“The addition of 50 new jobs is a shot in the arm for Franklin County,” said Franklin County Commissioner Scott McDonough. “We are thrilled that Uni-Ref has chosen Brookville for its headquarters and look forward to a long-standing relationship with the company.”