City OKs tax break for etching firm

By Kayla Brennan | Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly

A Ligonier metal etching firm will get a tax break on new equipment, which is expected to help the firm create three to four jobs.

Blake Geer, owner of Advanced Metal Etching presented a tax abatement request just short of $400,000 before the Ligonier Redevelopment Commission on July 18.

“We have owned two pieces of equipment in the last 25 years,” Geer said. “One machine is 25 years old. It needs to be put out of service and replaced. The second machine is a newer one. We bought it in 1997 and it needs replaced. We are looking at bigger machines.”

Geer said bringing in new equipment will help drive sales upward. Those two components are very important to the company’s growth. He also said the life expectancy for these machines would be about 15-20 years.

Getting this abatement, according to Geer, will make the firm’s operations more efficient so it can provide more products. New machines mean less maintenance. Less maintenance means that the company can get more product through the line and to the consumer faster.

“We’re still a small business,” Geer said. “We don’t have anyone to turn to but ourselves.”

John Mangona, member of the Ligonier Redevelopment Commission, asked if Geer would be hiring more employees. Geer said he would be able to hire three or four people with at least two of them being immediate positions.

The commission approved the resolution for abatement. They were presented with a five-year or 10-year plan. The commission approved the 10-year plan. Geer will need to attend the city council meeting on July 23 at 7 p.m. and present his plan before the council.