April 25, 2012
04/26/12 Selected Furniture, LLC, a manufacturer of commercial furniture, announced plans today to relocate its operations from Chicago, Ill. to here, creating up to 100 new jobs by 2014.
The company, which supplies customers in the fast food, quick-service and fine dining industries, will invest $1.22 million to purchase and equip a 200,000 square-foot facility located at 1001 W. Culver Ave. Selected Furniture will also relocate its China-based commercial-grade wood furniture manufacturing to this facility, which is slated to be operational in the coming months.
“We welcome Selected Furniture to the Hoosier State and are pleased they will make their new home in northwest Indiana,” said Governor Mitch Daniels. “Companies are leaving high-tax states and discovering that there is no better place to produce high quality and high value products than right here in Indiana.”
Selected Furniture, which currently employs 120 associates nationwide, has already begun hiring woodworkers, painters, upholsters, general labor and administrative positions.
” We chose to locate in Indiana because the state offers so much to business,” said David Elwood, vice president of Selected Furniture. “The state offers an infrastructure already in place – along with a great workforce, taxation policies and real estate.”
Founded in 2003, the company originally began operations as an importer of commercial-grade wood furniture. Selected Furniture, which has a sales network of 20 locations throughout the U.S., currently operates additional distribution centers in Jacksonville, Fla., Chicago, Ill. and Los Angeles, Calif.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Selected Furniture, LLC up to $425,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $87,500 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 Knox City Council approved additional property tax abatement at the request of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation.
“The city is pleased to welcome a new company to our industrial park and the city of Knox was happy to be of some assistance is helping Selected Furniture locate here,” said Knox Mayor Rick Chambers. “We look forward to a long and profitable association with Selected Furniture.”
Selected Furniture’s expansion is the latest in a string of jobs announcements in Indiana’s manufacturing industry. Earlier today, Cummins, Inc., the world’s largest independent maker of diesel engines, announced it will invest $219 million to expand its Seymour campus and add 290 new jobs. Also, ThyssenKrupp Presta, a manufacturer of steering systems, announced yesterday its plans to expand its Terre Haute headquarters, creating approximately 120 new jobs.
About Selected Furniture
Selected Furniture is a vertically integrates, prime manufacturer of commercial furniture catering to the hospitality industry. Customers range from fast food chains and quick-service restaurants to fine dining establishments. Our unique line will fit any style or budget. For more information about Selected Furniture, visit www.selectedfurniture.com.
About IEDC
Created by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Daniels. Dan Hasler serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC.
The IEDC oversees programs enacted by the General Assembly including tax credits, workforce training grants and public infrastructure assistance. All tax credits are performance-based. Therefore, companies must first invest in Indiana through job creation or capital investment before incentives are paid. A company who does not meet its full projections only receives a percentage of the incentives proportional to its actual investment. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.