Hoist Liftruck Mfg., Inc., a manufacturer of high-capacity material handling equipment, announced earlier this month that it plans to expand its manufacturing operations into Indiana, creating up to 500 new jobs by 2022.
The company will renovate a building that was originally designed for Blaw-Knox to manufacture tanks for the U.S. Army. The facility has remained largely vacant for the last 10 years.
“Our East Chicago expansion represents a significant investment in order for us to meet our growing demand,” said Marty Flaska, CEO of Hoist Liftruck. The new site will allow the company to expand its production of heavy-duty forklifts to accommodate a significant increase of new unit orders.
In 1980, Flaska founded Forklift Exchange from his house in the western suburbs of Chicago, specializing in buying, selling and renting material handling equipment. In 1994, he acquired the rights to build cushion-tire forklifts from Brooklyn-based Silent Hoist and Crane, transforming his operations into Hoist Liftruck Mfg., Inc. Production is solely in the U.S.
The company received a number of incentives from a variety of organizations. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. provided tax credits of up to $8.25 million as well as $200,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. The city of East Chicago has approved additional incentives as did the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority and NIPSCO, a utility company.
