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Page 2. <br /> Founded in 1934, Schafer is headquartered in South Bend in the Airport Economic <br /> Development Area. The 108,000-square-foot plant is the largest of three production <br /> facilities. The others, in Rockford, Ill., and Fort Wayne, Ind., are 45,000 and 12,000 <br /> square feet, respectively. Each of its plants is considered"world-class" facilities, linked <br /> with modern communication systems, according to Schafer's web site. <br /> "Without the abatement, we would have very seriously considered putting it in <br /> Rockford," said Stan Blenke, Schafer's executive vice president. "There is no equipment <br /> tax in Illinois." <br /> Schafer serves a diverse customer base in aeronautics, automotive, farm implements, off- <br /> highway equipment, power transmission, medical, mining and other industries. <br /> Schafer has received eight previous tax abatements. Previously, it also received a federal <br /> Small Business Administration loan and other funding to buy equipment needed to make <br /> transmission gears for the Segway Human Transporter. It is the sole world supplier for <br /> the machine. <br /> "In our industry, if you do not continue to upgrade equipment, your survival rate is very <br /> low,"Blenke said. "We continue to look to expand here in our South Bend facility with <br /> the help of incentives from both the city and the state." <br /> The company filed the petition for personal property tax abatement on Jan. 9. The city's <br /> department of Community and Economic Development has recommended the abatement <br /> of an estimated $51,360 in taxes over the five year period. The company still will pay an <br /> estimated $26,726 in taxes during the period. <br /> "Our longevity is a direct result of constantly upgrading our production, engineering, <br /> testing and tolerance capabilities to world-class standards of gear-production <br /> technology," according to the web site. "Survival in this business requires being <br /> technologically fit. In the last decade,we have built a world-class production facility and <br /> invested millions more in the latest ... gear-cutting and machining technology and <br /> quality-assurance equipment." <br /> The council meets at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor Council Chambers of the County-City <br /> Building, 227 W. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend. <br /> -30- <br />