Kem Krest, an automotive supply distributor, announced that it will expand its operations here, creating more than 50 new jobs by 2012.
The company, which recently completed a change in ownership, plans to invest $3.3 million to move its headquarters to an existing 150,000 square-foot facility on Toledo Road.
"Growth doesn't happen by accident." said Governor Mitch Daniels. "It takes excellent leadership, a great product and a business climate which promotes success and growth. Today we celebrate Kem Krest and more than a dozen other companies this year that will increase their size and investment in Elkhart County and I can't think of better news for the workforce."
The 30-year-old company currently employs more than 50 at its current facility and plans to begin hiring additional warehouse, operations and administrative associates over the next 12 months.
"We began an extensive process of fine tuning our business model, recruiting great people and developing a sustainable infrastructure several years ago which has now put us in a great position in our industry," said Amish Shah, president of Kem Krest. "We found Elkhart's strong workforce and low cost of doing business to be the main drivers to our decision, but in the back of our mind we knew leaving Elkhart would not be good for Elkhart, the city where my business partner and I were born. Elkhart will rebound, and we want to be here to help it."
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Kem Krest up to $140,000 in performance-based tax credits and $50,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. The city of Elkhart has preliminarily approved additional property tax phase-in with the support of the Economic Development Corporation of Elkhart County.
"It has been our pleasure to work with Kem Krest and its management team to develop a program that will be beneficial to both the company and the people of Elkhart. We are proud that Kem Krest has chosen to remain, grow and contribute to the rebound that we are experiencing. This is another example of a company that has faith in this community and its ability to overcome these tough economic times," said Mayor Dick Moore. "Mr. Shah and his management team are the types of young entrepreneurs that we want to support, retain and attract to our community. We appreciate Kem Krest's investment and continued support of the city of Elkhart."
Kem Krest's announcement to create jobs in Elkhart comes on the heels of a recent U.S. Department of Labor report noting Indiana led the nation in job growth for September and was one of only seven states to gain jobs during the month.
About Kem Krest
Kem Krest was founded in 1979 and provides outsourced supply chain management, distribution and fulfillment solutions to OEM's in the transportation industry through its locations across North America. They currently have contracts with for General Motors, Saturn, Honda, Hyundai, Ford and other foreign and domestic automobile manufacturers. Kem Krest is ISO 9001-2008 and is a certified minority owned company. For more information visit www.kemkrest.com.
About IEDC
Created by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Daniels. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Mitch Roob serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.
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