Specialty printing materials manufacturer Armor USA Inc. will invest $3.3 million to expand its production plant in Boone County, Kentucky. The company plans to hire 36 associates.

Armor USA manufactures and sells thermal-transfer ribbons used for printing variable information onto labels and packaging.

The expansion will add 32,000 square feet of office and storage space, increasing the facility’s total footprint to more than 113,000 square feet. It will also free up room in the current facility to expand manufacturing and logistics capabilities. Company leaders expect to increase production by more than 60 percent between 2020 and 2030 as a result of the expansion, allowing Armor to extend its market presence.

“Armor USA has been a proud member of the Kentucky business community for 20 years,” said Randy Culman, Armor USA Vice President of Finance and Administration. “The incentives provided by the state will allow us to continue our growth initiatives and achieve our aggressive targets for market share in the Americas.”

To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $250,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program.

The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets. In addition, Armor USA can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network.

“Manufacturing excellence continues to be a hallmark of Kentucky’s economy, and this investment is further proof of the tremendous growth we are seeing throughout our state,” Governor Matt Bevin said. “Armor USA Inc. will significantly increase its workforce with this move, providing strong opportunities for Kentuckians in the process. The company has served Northern Kentucky well for the past two decades, and we look forward to their continued success in the years ahead.”

Bob Heil, Chairman of the board for the Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corporation, said this expansion demonstrates the strength and importance of the region’s manufacturing sector.

“Manufacturing continues to be a vital part of the Northern Kentucky economy and the success of companies like Armor USA is a testament to the reason why many manufacturing companies choose Northern Kentucky for their operations,” Heil said.