The sun is shining on northwest Indiana as Fronius USA, LLC, the fourth-largest solar inverter producer in the world, has announced a major move to Portage, where the firm will relocate its North American headquarters from Michigan, creating up to 512 new jobs by 2016.
The Austrian-owned firm, which expanded to Brighton Mich., in 2002, will begin to transition its national headquarters to AmeriPlex at the Port, a 385-acre, mixed-use park developed by Holladay Properties, in August. The manufacturer of solar electronic inverters, photovoltaic inverters and welding technology, purchased a 399,500-square-foot facility known as the Randolph Building. The acquisition is a huge win for the park, where the building has sat vacant since its speculative development more than three years ago.
Bert Cook, executive director of the Portage Economic Development Corp., says that this facility was the last large floor plate available at the park. It will require a significant amount of interior construction to fit the firm’s needs.
Fronuis, which has announced plans to invest $26.64 million into the area, was attracted to the site because of the area’s strong manufacturing workforce, its proximity to major transportation hubs, and the connection to the Chicago market, says Cook.
The firm will move 100-200 employees from its Brighton, Mich. location and then begin recruiting in the area as it expands. The family-owned firm will still retain a presence in Brighton.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Fronius USA, LLC up to $4.25 million in performance-based tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. The city of Portage will consider additional property tax abatement at the request of the Portage Redevelopment Commission and the Portage Economic Development Corporation.
Cook says that the firm considered sites in numerous Midwestern states, but in the end, it was between Brighton, Mich., Portage, and another location in Indiana. The entire process took close to one year.
“This is the exact type of manufacturer we want to attract,” says Cook.
