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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Japan-based Heartland Automotive Expands Its Lafayette, Indiana, Manufacturing Center

09/27/2013
Heartland Automotive, LLC, a subsidiary of Japan-based Shigeru Company, Ltd., plans to expand its Lafayette, Indiana manufacturing center, creating up to 224 jobs by 2016.

The company, a manufacturer of interior and exterior automotive parts, will construct and equip a new facility on its 27-acre campus located at 3700 David Howarth Drive in Lafayette. The facility, which is expected to be operational by spring 2016, will allow the company to meet its growing product demand from Subaru of Indiana Automotive's nearby Lafayette manufacturing plant.

"With a partnership from our customers and the local community, Indiana is providing the perfect environment for strong business growth," said Ronan Miot, Senior Vice President of Heartland. "The market for selling cars in the United States is solid and our proximity to our customers and suppliers in Indiana is ideal. When you also consider the competitiveness, strong workforce and very supportive state and local governments, expanding in Indiana was the obvious choice."

Heartland, which currently employs more than 90 full-time associates in Indiana, will begin hiring manufacturing, engineering and manager positions in the upcoming months.

"Optimism was a key theme from my meeting with the leadership of Heartland's parent company in Japan," said Gov. Mike Pence. "Recurring investment from Japan's automotive industry continues to grow the Hoosier economy. With Subaru's expansive growth, we're excited to see this domino effect from Heartland and the company's continued choice of Indiana as its American home. Companies need the freedom to do what they do best, which we provide for them as a state that works through our limited regulation and low taxes. Our mission to make Indiana the most business-friendly state in the country continues because it is the key to expanding opportunities for every Hoosier."

As an incentive, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Heartland Automotive, LLC up to $340,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $200,000 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. In addition, the city of Lafayette will consider additional property tax abatement at the request of the Greater Lafayette Commerce.

Founded in 1987, Heartland supplies automotive manufacturers with plastic molded, painted and assembled parts. Between its Indiana locations in Greencastle and Lafayette, it currently supplies parts for the Toyota Camry, the Subaru Outback and Legacy. These products include instrument panels and doors, consoles, pillars, headliners, aprons, rear gates and exterior cladding.

"Heartland's announcement is an important part of the expansion of Subaru as they bring more auto production here as well as our local economy. The multiplier effect from these companies and their investments will create hundreds of additional jobs in greater Lafayette and throughout Indiana," said Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski. "This is another example of how our team approach to economic development benefits us all."

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