Lumber Company Details Expansion
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA Michigan-based company has finalized plans to add more than 70 jobs in Elkhart. Zeeland Lumber Operations LLC intends to invest more than $1.5 million to build a new facility, which is expected to be complete next year. September 23, 2013
News Release
ELKHART, Ind. – Zeeland Lumber Operations, LLC, a fully-integrated lumber and building materials supplier, announced plans today to open a new facility here, creating up to 72 new jobs by 2016.
The Zeeland, Mich.-based company will invest $1.56 million to purchase and equip a 60,000 square-foot facility at 3740 Manchester Drive in Elkhart. The new location, which will be complete early next year, will allow Zeeland Lumber to expand its distribution and sales services in southern Michigan and northern Indiana.
“With Zeeland Lumber's growth in Indiana, the company is helping build more than just homes–it's helping build our state's economy,” said Governor Mike Pence. “With Indiana as host to the largest percentage of manufacturing jobs in the country as a portion of the private sector, construction needs are also on the rise. As a state that works, Indiana is prepared to meet the needs of a growing economy, providing a business environment ready to accommodate growth.”
Zeeland Lumber, which currently employs more than 240 employees across Michigan and Indiana, plans to begin hiring production associates, material handlers, truck drivers, truss designers and salespeople next month. Interested applicants apply at www.zeelandlumber.com.
“Our expansion with facilities and equipment in the northern Indiana market fits well with our strategy,” said Mike Dykstra, president and chief executive officer of Zeeland Lumber. “We have a customer base in Indiana currently and this will help us serve our existing customers better, while allowing us the capacity to increase market share. Elkhart serves as a great location logistically to accomplish these goals. Growing our market to Indiana was a natural extension of our long standing reputation in Michigan for being a market leader in the building supply industry.”
Founded in 1947, Zeeland Lumber serves the construction industry with building supplies such as roofing, siding, windows, doors, drywall, flooring and custom cabinets. The family-owned business, which is currently run by third and fourth generation family members, operates six locations across 27 total acres, with long-term plans to stretch farther south into Indiana for larger projects.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Zeeland Lumber Operations, LLC up to $475,000 in conditional tax credits 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 Elkhart approved additional tax abatement.
“Zeeland Lumber has been successfully serving their customers' needs for over sixty years,” said Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore. “They bring the same customer-focused, entrepreneurial spirit that has made Elkhart an ideal place for businesses of all sizes and industries. We are grateful for their vote of confidence in our community and we are proud to have the opportunity to partner with them on this project.”
Elkhart County ranked first in the nation for job growth in 2012, largely led by the area's more than 5,400 new manufacturing jobs created that year. Employment increased a total of 7.4 percent between December 2011 and December 2012 in Elkhart County, compared to a national increase of just 1.9 percent, according to a June report released by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.
About Zeeland Lumber
Zeeland Lumber Holdings is a fully integrated lumber and building materials distributor serving customers with product, design, manufacturing, and labor solutions for residential, multi-family, and commercial construction. Zeeland Lumber and Supply is an independent-owned building materials company headquartered in Zeeland, Mich. With Michigan locations in Kalamazoo, Zeeland, Comstock Park, Hamilton and Mishawaka, Ind., Zeeland Lumber and Supply has served Midwest builders since 1947.
While the company has grown and changed over the years, the values of Zeeland Lumber and Supply remain true to our origins: provide quality materials at a fair price, backed by experience and expertise. For more information about Zeeland Lumber and Supply, visit www.zeelandlumber.com.
About IEDC
Created in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Mike Pence. Victor Smith serves as the Indiana Secretary of Commerce and Eric Doden is the president 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.
Source: Zeeland Lumber