a prime spot for international investment as the world economy recovers
By Joseph S. Pete
As real estate agents say, it’s all about
location, location, location.
The lakefront city of Michigan City, Indiana,
nestled along Lake Michigan’s South Shore
between the global metropolis of Chicago and
the cradle of the global brand of Notre Dame
football in South Bend, has distinguished
itself as an ideal location for international
investment. Michigan City recently landed
its first Opportunity Zone Investment in a loft
apartment project near Zorn Brew Works Co.
in the historic Elston Grove Historic District.
“Michigan City is doing well at drawing
national and international investment,
especially from Europe and Asia,” said
Clarence Hulse, Executive Director of the
Economic Development Corporation Michigan
City, Indiana. “As a community, we’re proud
of our diversity and the knowledge that
international investors and immigrants brings.
We would encourage investors to look at our
location. We’re within an hour to Chicago,
and a few hours to Indianapolis, Detroit,
and all the major cities of the Midwest.
Logistically, it’s a great location.”
Since 2012, the Economic Development
Corporation Michigan City estimates it has
drawn more than $1.5 billion in investment
to the city, a local tourist destination that’s
known for its beaches, shopping and gaming.
It’s a also a manufacturing powerhouse that’s
home to many foreign-owned companies
like Shell, Sullair-Hitachi, Frech, Chicago
Faucets owned by Geberit, KTR Corporation,
and Dekker Vacuum, which was acquired
earlier this year by the Sweden-based air
compressor giant Atlas Copco.
The beachfront city on the Lake Michigan
shoreline in LaPorte County, Indiana is
home to many air compressor companies
like Vanair, Sullivan-Pallatek, and has been
attracting foreign investment from Atlas Copco
and Sullair a Hitachi Group Company. In
2017, Sullair broke ground in October on
a new 80,000-square-foot manufacturing
building on its campus in a $30 million
project expected to bring at least 33 new
jobs and $1.9 million in annual payroll to
the city. As part of the expansion, Sullair is
pumping $16.2 million into new machinery
and equipment to boost its production
capacity in Michigan City.
“The Hitachi Group Company’s decision to
expand its Michigan City-based subsidiary
Sullair continues a long trend of Japanese
companies choosing Indiana for growth,”
Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim
Schellinger said. “As we work to strengthen
Indiana’s global economy, we’re committed
to building stronger relationships with longterm investors like the Hitachi Group. We’re
proud of our strong partnership with Japan,
which now supports nearly 320 business
facilities in Indiana.”
Marbach America Inc., a subsidiary of the
Germany-based Marbach Group, also
found Michigan City to be a great place to
grow and prosper. The tool and die maker is
investing more than $4.2 million in Michigan
City as it moves into 16,000 square feet
in the new Haskell Building, one of many
new developments the city has attracted in
recent years.
“Michigan City is very business-friendly
and made the process seamless,” Marbach
America Inc. Chief Operating Officer
Fernando Pires said. “The tax abatement
will allow us to further reduce the overall
costs of this project and to demonstrate to our
parent company in Germany that Michigan
City, Indiana remains a favorable location
for manufacturing.”
Turkey-based Mikropor, a leading worldwide
provider of quality filtration and purification
products for air, gas and liquid applications,
recently invested $400,000 into a new
location in Michigan City. The company,
which manufactures compressor products like
air intake filters and refrigerated air dyers,
expanded by 100,000 square feet and created
16 new jobs. Shell Catalysts & Technologies,
a subsidiary of the multinational giant Royal
Dutch Shell, also invested more than $30
million in new machinery and equipment in its
Michigan City operations. The global leader
in catalyst technology has captured as much
as 30% of the global market and estimates
“all molecules going into vehicles across the
world have a significant chance of touching
material that came from Michigan City.” And
the cable designer and manufacturer, Sanlo
Inc., a subsidiary of Central Wire Industries,
a Canadian Company, added 33 more
jobs over the last three years and invested
$800,000 in new and rebuilt equipment at
its Michigan City factory, which has been a
springboard for entrance into new markets.
As part of the greater Chicagoland area,
Michigan City is perfectly situated in the heart
of the Midwest, Michigan City Chamber of
Commerce President Katie Eaton said.
“For manufacturers, or distribution facilities,
businesses located here have quick and easy
access to numerous North American markets,”
she said. “It is an ideal place for foreign
companies to locate their U.S. headquarters.
And, our location assists with access to great
talent. Not only does Northwest Indiana have
regional campuses of both Purdue University
and Indiana University but we are a short
distance to Notre Dame and a plethora of
top colleges in Chicago.”
Michigan City has seen significant progress
in recent years that’s included a new Hospital
just north of Interstate 94, a recent federal
Opportunity Zone designation that will provide
tax incentives for new investment, and the
game-changing improvements coming to
passenger rail to Chicago, Eaton said.
“Our quality of life for both residents
and visitors makes Michigan City a great
destination,” she said. “Michigan City has a
little bit of everything from beaches, hiking
trails, entertainment, great downtown,
breweries, wineries and we are steps away
from rural communities where there are
farms, camping, orchards, and a quieter
lifestyle or a train ride away from the big
city life in Chicago.”
Michigan City is a major hub in the highly
industrialized metro area of Northwest Indiana,
on the South Shore of Lake Michigan just
outside Chicago.
CLARENCE HULSE
Executive Director
Economic Development Corporation Michigan City.
Two Cadence Park Plaza Michigan City, IN 46360
Phone: 219-873-1211
Email: chulse@edcmc.com