Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb and elected officials from the town of Orleans joined executives from Jasper Group, a manufacturer of seating and casegoods products, today as the company announced plans to expand to Orleans, purchasing a new manufacturing site and creating more than 300 new jobs by 2021.
"In Indiana, manufacturing companies like Jasper Group have elevated our reputation as a leader in the manufacturing sector," Gov. Holcomb said. "I commend the Jasper Group team for their continued growth, and I pledge that Indiana will maintain a pro-growth business environment and provide the skilled workforce they need to be successful in the years ahead.”
The company, which is headquartered in Jasper, will purchase and equip the 1.2 million-square-foot facility at 201 E. Martin St. in Orleans, which was formerly occupied by furniture manufacturer Paoli Inc.
With renovations already underway, the company is retrofitting the facility, investing in new manufacturing equipment and upgrading its IT infrastructure.
The new facility, which has already started production, makes laminate casegoods and tables while also serving as a warehouse and shipping hub.
Jasper Group plans to expand its production capabilities at the new site in the future to include upholstered products and veneer casegoods and tables.
The Orleans-based facility will be the company’s seventh manufacturing site and its largest operations center.
Jasper Group, which currently employs more than 1,000 full-time employees in Indiana, has already started hiring for logistics, IT, engineering, customer service, manufacturing and corporate positions.
Interested applicants may apply online.
“Our family at Jasper Group continues to grow as we begin operations at this new facility in Orange County,” said Mike Elliott, president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board for Jasper Group. “Indiana continues to be the ideal location for our growth, and we look forward to welcoming talented individuals of the furniture craft to our growing team as we work to provide a high-quality product and great service at the right price.”
Established in 1929, Jasper Group was founded as Jasper Seating Company, making school and office chairs. Over the years, as demand increased and the product offering diversified, the company evolved its brand platform, acquired additional manufacturing space and entered new markets.
Today, the company is now the parent of four brands that make seating and casegoods products in Dubois and Orange counties, with showrooms across the U.S. in 10 additional states outside of Indiana, including California, New York, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia and the District of Columbia.
Jasper Group’s brands consist of the JSI brand, which makes furniture for business interiors; the Community brand, which makes furniture for public spaces; the Klem brand, which makes furniture for hospitality; and the Jasper Desk brand, which makes custom-oriented furniture for business interiors.
“We are obviously very excited about Jasper Group’s major investment in our hometown of Orleans and re-purposing of the former Paoli building," said Robert Henderson, Orleans Town Clerk and Executive Director for the Orleans Chamber of Commerce. "We are grateful to have Jasper Group's presence continue to grow in the Orange County business community and we endeavor to assist them in any way possible going forward. Both the town of Orleans and chamber officials are proud to have partnered with the state, Orange County Economic Development Partnership (OCEDP) and Radius Indiana in this important effort. We are looking for good things to come.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered Jasper Seating Company dba Jasper Group up to $2,000,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $100,000 in training grants based on the company’s plans to create up to 316 new jobs. These incentives are performance-based, meaning that until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives.
The town of Orleans offered additional incentives at the request of the Orange County Economic Development Partnership, and Radius Indiana will provide additional incentives to support workforce training through its Regional Impact Fund.
As companies like Jasper Group continue to expand in the Hoosier state, Indiana is taking the state’s workforce development to the next level with a focus on the high-priority industries and high-demand jobs driving Indiana’s 21st century economy forward, such as advanced manufacturing.
Next Level Jobs – which provides grants to employers and skill-seeking Hoosiers – is working to strengthen Indiana’s workforce to help fill more than 1 million job openings expected to be created by 2025.