Sortera Alloys, an early-stage, high-tech metal recycling company, plans to move its manufacturing operations from Texas, creating up to 100 jobs at its new facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Fort Worth-based company is investing up to $4.2 million to purchase and equip its new 40,000-square-foot manufacturing operation at 909 N. Coliseum Blvd. in Fort Wayne. Sortera is partnering with local metal processing companies to deploy a fully integrated demonstration system, which will be able to produce 100 million pounds of recycled materials annually and is expected to be operational by March 2021.

"This new facility will be the place we take our technology to the next level," said Nalin Kumar, president and CEO of Sortera. "We believe we can make a global impact, and we're happy to take this important step in Fort Wayne."

Sortera uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence to sort and recycle non-ferrous scrap metal from vehicles on a commercial scale. These metals, aluminum, copper, zinc, brass and others, may then be converted into new, high-value products. After demonstrating its technology as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the company recently received an investment from Chrysalix Venture Capital, a global venture capital fund.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Sortera Alloys Inc. up to $1 million in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once Hoosiers are hired. The city of Fort Wayne supports the project in partnership with Greater Fort Wayne Inc.

"Indiana continues to lead the way in advanced manufacturing as companies like Sortera choose to locate and innovate in our state," said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger. "With our skilled and robust manufacturing workforce that employs one in five Hoosiers, Indiana is a great place for cutting-edge innovators to establish and grow."