Franklin Electric Company, a manufacturer of systems and components for the movement of water and automotive fuels, has announced will relocate its global headquarters from Bluffton to Fort Wayne, IN, and create up to 35 new jobs by 2014. Company officials said the new facility should be operational by early 2013.

"We evaluated five locations in three other states, and in the end we concluded that locating our headquarters and engineering center in the Fort Wayne area makes the most long term sense for our employees and shareholders," said R. Scott Trumbull, Franklin Electric's president and CEO.

Founded in 1944 by two Fort Wayne businessmen, Franklin Electric started out selling electric generators to the U.S. military. Today, it operates 20 facilities in 13 nations, and employs over 220 workers at its Bluffton headquarters. The hiring process for new associates begins later this year, said company officials.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Franklin Electric up to $2.7 million in performance-based tax credits based on the firm hitting job creation marks. Allen County will consider additional property tax abatement.

"When companies like Franklin Electric are looking to create high-skill jobs, we work hard to make sure that Indiana is in the best possible shape to compete and win new investment," said Mitch Roob, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. "Franklin has called Indiana home for more than 70 years and we're glad to extend that partnership into the foreseeable future."