A Portage company that began as a glass repair and window replacement business in Gary will undergo a four-year, $3 million expansion that will significantly boost a major part of its specialized manufacturing business, a company official said.
John Dumelle Jr., chief operating officer of Konrady Plastics, 1780 Coppes Ct., said the north side business will nearly double its physical size and add 14 full-time jobs at the plastic sheet, rod and tube distributor and manufacturer.
The move will turn Konrady Plastics into more of a one-stop-shop for its customers, which include agriculture, transportation and food processing companies.
“Now, you can buy plastic sheet and tube from us and have us turn it into something you need,” Dumelle said.
The business currently houses its distribution and manufacturing functions in the same space, a 25,000-square-foot facility, he said. The addition will house the manufacturing side, which is growing rapidly, and free up room in the existing facility for the distribution business, Dumelle said.
Portage Economic Development Director Andy Maletta said the city gave Konrady a 10-year abatement on the real property, or the building expansion, and five-year abatement on the equipment and other property going into the expansion.
Such abatements usually begin at zero taxes the first year and work their way up to companies paying 100 percent of property taxes on their developments by the end of the abatement term.
“(Konrady’s) choices are they can expand on that property or they can expand somewhere else,” Maletta said. “It makes a lot of sense to give them the incentives, to help they create jobs.
“Right now, they’re paying nothing in taxes (on the expansion), but in five or 10 years, they’re paying a lot. You just feel this company is going to be here for a long time, and they’re going to be paying taxes for a long time.”
Construction on the 24,000-foot, $1.6 million expansion will begin this month, with the remaining roughly $1.4 million going toward new equipment and modifying existing facilities, he said.
“(Konrady will) gain about 35 percent more room in warehouse and double size of manufacturing capability,” Dumelle said.
It will add the 14 new full-time jobs to its existing 35 employees. Officials already have begun the hiring process, Dumelle said.
Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.