HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-25-09 Fortis Plastics selects South Bend for corporate center
Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
February 25, 2009
9 a.m.
Fortis Plastics selects South Bend for corporate center
Contact:
Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564
or Don Inks, Director of Economic Development, or Robert Mathia, Assistant Director of
Economic Development, 235-9371
Mayor Stephen J. Luecke today welcomed the designation by Fortis Plastics LLC of
South Bend as a corporate center, a move that will bring as many as 184 new
manufacturing and corporate-management jobs to the city by 2013.
The extruder of plastic components used in a variety of industrial and consumer
applications already has consolidated the operations of two Elkhart plants into a facility
near the airport at 3615 Voorde Drive. But today the company announced that its
corporate management functions will be focused in South Bend with select corporate
activities continuing in Henderson, Ky.
“After considering a number of locations and strategic plans, we believe that this
arrangement will best position Fortis to continue growing and allow us to reach its
potential for continued success,” said Joe Mallak, chief executive officer of Fortis
Plastics LLC. “We appreciate the support and assistance of the various state and local
governments we met with throughout this process, including Mayor Stephen Luecke and
his team in South Bend. We look forward to continuing to work together in the best
interest of Fortis, our employees and the South Bend community.”
The company is undertaking a renovation of the 92,249-square-foot facility in South
Bend, installing docks; upgrading electrical, heating and ventilation systems; and
remodeling the front office. It also is purchasing new equipment for the facility that is
estimated to cost $2,220,000.
“We welcome this decision by the leadership of Fortis Plastics and are excited about the
great investment they already are making in our community,” Mayor Luecke said. “South
Bend residents bring a spirit of innovation and a tremendous work ethic that will serve
the company well. In addition, the city offers many benefits for corporate centers,
including affordability, unsurpassed Internet service and one of the broadest distribution
reaches in the nation for overnight delivery.”
South Bend’s strategic location along the Indiana Toll Road and U.S. 31 makes it a center
for distribution, ranking second in the nation for the number of people who can be
reached by overnight, on-the-road delivery. With the St. Joseph Valley Metronet, a
network of dark fiber-optic cable delivering virtually unlimited bandwidth, South Bend
offers connectivity comparable to much larger cities.
Fortis Plastics is the second company in less than a year to relocate its corporate
management to South Bend. Last spring, Heraeus Kulzer Inc., a maker and distributor of
dental products, relocated the firm’s administrative and managerial staff from New York
to an existing 25,000-square-foot building at 4315 S. Lafayette Blvd.
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