Tuesday was an earth-shattering day for the city of Hobart. NB Coatings, an Illinois-based manufacturer of automotive coatings for plastics, broke ground on its new Northwest Indiana facility.
The company will create up to 22 new jobs by 2018. It currently employs 395 associates in North America and plans to begin hiring material handling positions later this year. Hobart mayor Brian Snedecor said he felt that Tuesday was a big day for The Region as a whole.
“It shows another investment in what Hobart has to offer and what The Region has to offer,” Snedecor said. “NB Coatings sees not only an effective transportation, they see a very attractive work force and an an attractive tax base.”
NB Coatings plans to start moving into the facility in January 2017. New positions are expected to pay average salaries above the Lake County average. Jack Wickham, NB Coatings Manufacturing VP, said he felt that the new location is ideal for the company.
“The financial stability of the state of Indiana brought us here,” Wickham said. “The welcoming Hobart gave us and the way they wanted us to locate here was great.”
Wickham expressed gratitude for being closer to Interstate 94. In a press release, Governor Mike Pence said he was ready to add another growing business to the Hoosier state.
“As a state, we’ve made it a top priority to establish a pro-growth business environment that is attracting job creation from across the globe,” Pence said. “Leaders at NB Coatings had a world of options to consider for this new facility, but they chose Indiana because we are a state that works.”
Snedecor said he felt fortunate to watch Hobart join forces with NB Coatings.
“I commend this company for their vision and trust in coming to Indiana,” he said. “I don’t think they will be disappointed.”