Whitley County Company Expanding HQ
(photo courtesy of Sailrite)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowColumbia City-based Sailrite Enterprises Inc. has announced plans to grow its footprint in northeast Indiana. The company, which provides fabric, tools, hardware and sewing supplies, plans to invest more than $3 million to expand its Whitley County headquarters and create up to 50 jobs by the end of 2024.
The expansion will bring its headquarters to more than 100,000 square feet. The company says the addition will include professional office space and new packaging machinery and material handling equipment.
Sailrite provides supplies for the marine, home, outdoor living, RV and hobby markets. The company says the project will allow it to serve expanded markets in in the DIY sewing arena.
President Hallie Grant and Vice President Matt Grant add the expansion was made possible with the help of Whitley County and the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
“It is by the hard work and dedication of our employees and the enthusiasm of our worldwide DIY customer base that such a rapid expansion is possible for our third-generation family business,” the Grants said in a news release. “This expansion will enable us to widen our customer base, and we look forward to serving a larger audience of enthusiastic and resourceful DIYers.”
Officials broke ground on the project Wednesday and expect construction to be complete by the end of the year. Sailrite currently employs 60 in Columbia City and is hiring for various positions, including order fulfillment, customer service, social media marketing, videography, and human resources.
The IEDC has offered Sailrite up to $400,000 in conditional tax credits, which the company will not be eligible to claim until Hoosier workers are hired for the new jobs. The Whitley County Economic Development Corp. and Northeast Indiana Works have approved additional incentives.