New Haven announces three new developments
By Lucretia Cardenas | Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
If economic development is truly the lifeblood of a community, then New Haven has a healthy stream of activity ahead to maintain it.
New Haven Mayor Terry McDonald announced three new developments during the state of the city address March 13.
“Last year was by far the busiest year for economic development here in New Haven and we are forecasting that 2017 will be no different,” McDonald said.
Recreational vehicle and residential housing supplier Lippert Components Inc., whose parent LCI Industries is based in Mishawaka, plans to build a 400,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on Ryan Road. The new facility would create 275 new jobs, while retaining all of the jobs the company currently has at its location on Nelson Road, McDonald said.
In addition, the Canadian automotive engineer and manufacturer Multimatic purchased the former Vera Bradley factory on Adams Center Road with the plan to create 175 new jobs this year and additional 80 jobs in 2018. Vera Bradley closed its operation in the leased space, where it employed about 250 people, in the spring of 2015.
Also, the former Parker Hannifin plant on Rose Avenue is under negotiation for 100-percent occupancy, long-term lease, McDonald said. The owners of the property have said that they will also need to build a new building on the property and two additional companies are interested in building two more facilities.
Parker Hannifin announced in July 2015 its closure of its New Haven plant that affected about 150 employees.
While McDonald said he’s not at liberty to announce the names of the companies interested in the Parker Hannifin property just yet, he emphasized that all of the companies have “quiet, clean manufacturing.”
“We have potentially four more announcements this year…I hope you are as excited as I am,” McDonald said.
As of March 13, the city had not received any abatement requests for the planned developments, but McDonald expects the City Council to receive requests as the projects move forward, he said after his address.
