White Drive Motors & Steering, a manufacturer of orbital motors and hydraulic steering units, will expand its operations in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The $16 million project is expected to create 25 jobs in Christian County.

The investment includes a roughly 13,000-square-foot expansion to the company’s current facility, moving production of the gearset, known as “the heart of the unit,” to Kentucky, transferring the company’s intended production operations from Germany, to Hopkinsville.

“We are thrilled to announce that we plan to expand our Hopkinsville facility at White, which will bring in jobs and create economic growth for the local area,” said White Senior Director of Operations Shawn Snyder. “We are confident this project will be a major success and look forward to receiving support from the state and local governments. This expansion is an exciting part of our vision of providing excellent products, services and opportunities for the people of the local community and customers around the world. We believe in fostering a vibrant community and investment in the area’s future development. Together, we can make tremendous strides toward improving economic prosperity for everyone involved.”

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority on Thursday preliminarily approved a 15-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $475,000 in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of at least $10.19 million and annual targets of: creation and maintenance of 25 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 15 years, and paying an average hourly wage of $34 including benefits across those jobs.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

“White Drive Motors & Steering is a great example of a company fully committed to serving its community and the commonwealth,” noted Governor Andy Beshear. “Kentucky is experiencing its best two-year period for economic development growth in state history because companies like White Drive Motors & Steering continue to believe in our workforce and resources. I want to thank the company’s leadership and am excited to see this expansion to their Hopkinsville facility bring even greater success.”

In addition, White can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.

“We are thrilled White Drive Motors & Steering is expanding their Hopkinsville location with a 10,000-square-foot expansion and adding 25 incredible jobs,” said South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council Director Carter Hendricks. “Thanks to the company’s leadership and the support of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, local governments and regional partners, our region will enjoy another significant investment and more transformative career opportunities. We look forward to supporting the company’s expansion and continued growth in South Western Kentucky.”

White manufactures hydraulic steering units and orbital motors, primarily used in agricultural, construction and material handling applications. The company is a member of the Interpump Group, a global business specializing in hydraulic fluid power and high-pressure pumps.