Area Development
Specialty glass manufacturer SCHOTT North America will invest $7.2 million to expand production at its factory in Vincennes, Indiana, according to the Indiana governor's office. The New York-headquartered company plans to add 150 new jobs by next year after receiving a contract to fabricate transparent armor for defense contractor Oshkosh's new line of all-terrain military vehicles. SCHOTT North America is a U.S. subsidiary of Germany-based glass maker SCHOTT AG. "SCHOTT's defense business has a strong partnership with both Vincennes and the state of Indiana," says Gerry Fine, the company's president and CEO. "When a tremendous new opportunity opened up for our DiamondView Transparent Armor, we needed to expand production. The skilled labor pool and valuable relationships we have with the local administration made it easy for SCHOTT to grow right here in Vincennes." The state has offered SCHOTT North America up to $2.32 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $50,000 in training grants, contingent on job creation; the city will consider additional property tax abatement.