A producer of drink mixes and zero calorie sweeteners, Heartland Food Products Group will invest $21.2 million to expand its operations campus in Indianapolis, Indiana, with plans to create up to 160 jobs by 2017. The homegrown-Hoosier company will renovate and equip 435,000 square feet of production and distribution facilities on the city’s north side.

The expansions, which are all expected to be operational by the end of the year, include multiple new production lines, high speed filling machines, end-of-line packaging equipment and blending equipment. The company will also add resources at its headquarters in Carmel, Indiana, to meet the rampant growth in demand for its products.

“Central Indiana is where this business was founded,” said Ted Gelov, CEO of Heartland. “We are proud to be investing in the community in which we live, creating jobs and receiving the support of local and state officials. Indianapolis offers a strong local workforce, great logistical advantages and a manufacturing and technology infrastructure to fuel our growth.”

As an incentive, Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Heartland Food Products Group up to $1.2 million in conditional tax credits based on the company's job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. In addition, the city of Indianapolis will consider additional tax abatement at the request of Develop Indy, a business unit of the Indy Chamber.

This is Heartland’s second major expansion in just three years. In 2011, the company made plans to create 68 new jobs by 2015. Heartland, which currently employs approximately 300 full-time Indiana associates, has exceeded that goal, Indiana Economic Development Corporation said. The company is currently hiring for additional general manufacturing positions.

“If you are searching for the heartbeat of our Hoosier economy, look no further than Heartland and Indiana’s homegrown companies,” said Governor Mike Pence. “They are enhancing the vibrancy of Indiana, placing our state at the forefront of job creation in the United States. We are leading the charge in defining what it means to be an innovative state creating new opportunities for businesses, home to an affordable climate in a state that works.”