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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Patriot Porcelain Invests $15 Million To Expand Its Kokomo, Indiana, Manufacturing Facility

10/15/2013
Patriot Porcelain, a manufacturer of vitreous china products, will invest almost $15 million to expand its Kokomo, Indiana, manufacturing complex, creating up to 140 new jobs by 2014.

Founded in 2009 by 6th & Main Inc., the firm is a private label vitreous china manufacturer of high quality sanitary products. It Produces lavatories and toilets using modern pressure casting equipment, robotics, assembly lines and drying equipment.

The company will invest $14,968,000 to purchase, renovate and equip a 330,000 square-foot facility at the former Kokomo Sanitary Pottery Plant in Kokomo. The new facility, which is expected to be fully operational by June 2014, will allow the company to relocate its overseas lavatory and toilet manufacturing to its Kokomo operations. Patriot Porcelain will begin hiring engineering, maintenance, machine operators, quality control and packaging positions by the end of the year.

"Patriot Porcelain is confident the substantial investment being made in this facility will benefit the city of Kokomo, the state of Indiana and ultimately be a key in America's economic recovery by generating new manufacturing jobs," said Jeff VanWeelden, Chairman of the Board of Managers of Patriot Porcelain. "The highly technical U.S. based plant will be a one-of-a-kind operation that will allow us to manufacture the exact product currently manufactured overseas at a competitive price, something unheard of ten years ago."

"Indiana's solid fiscal house and low-tax environment continue to earn us national attention as a frontrunner for new jobs and investment," said Gov. Mike Pence. "Our state's emergence as an economic leader is no accident. We've worked hard to create a stable, pro-business climate that removes roadblocks to growth, paving the way for companies like Patriot Porcelain to succeed."

As an incentive, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Patriot Porcelain LLC up to $700,000 in conditional tax credits and $75,000 in training grants 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. The city of Kokomo approved additional tax abatement.

"It gives me tremendous pleasure to welcome Patriot Porcelain to our community," said Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight. "This project will bring quality jobs back to the United States and the Kokomo community, and will restore new life to an existing property."

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