October 10, 2012
10/11/12 Headsight Inc. has announced plans to construct a new R&D and manufacturing facility outside of Bremen, in Marshall County.
Headsight is a highly innovative agricultural technology company specializing in the design of corn and grain header height control sensors and row guidance products for corn harvesting. These intelligence-adding accessories are designed to increase agricultural yields and profits for the farmer.
The small, entrepreneurial family company has been in business on Fir Road in Bremen since 1997, and in recent years has experienced phenomenal growth, as much as 50% annually. Headsight owner Rich Gramm calls himself more of an “inventor” than anything, and gives credit to a team of talented engineers who implement the vision and continually seek to improve upon Headsight products.
The expansion project will include a new 18,000 sq. ft. building which will house new R&D, CAD, and prototype production equipment. The new building will be an approximate $1.7 million investment, while the new equipment is valued at another $1.7 million. These investments are expected to create an additional 6 jobs with an average annual salary of $60,000 plus benefits, and will aid in retaining the existing 10 jobs at the facility.
Real and personal property tax abatement applications were filed at the September Marshall County Council meeting. A public hearing was held at a special evening meeting of the County Council on Monday, October 8th.
On behalf of Headsight, Jennifer Laurent, Executive Director of Marshall County Economic Development Corporation, made a presentation to the Council about the company’s growth and a recommendation in favor of the abatement request.
Gramm reported that the plan is to begin construction yet this year, and expressed appreciation for the County’s role in helping facilitate the decision to move forward. He said that while his company did not employ a large number of individuals directly, the jobs are attractive ones. Gramm also noted that significant indirect benefits of his company’s success will be realized in its supply chain, which is largely local.
A 3 year real property abatement and a 5 year personal property abatement were approved by the Council, with an estimated time-frame of two years to complete the addition of new employees.