According to a report, Forest River RV plans to expand its operations in Ligonier (Indiana) and is expected to add 500 employment opportunities for Noble County during the next few years, the county’s economic development corporation said on Wednesday.
The Elkhart-based RV manufacturer announced that it had acquired three buildings that total 160,000 square feet within Ligonier Industrial Park to house its IBEX Travel Trailer production, service center, and parts. The amount of the purchase was not made public.
Forest River RV operates a Puma plant in Ligonier, which employs around 160 people. The company pointed to “record growth and a tightening labor pool” as the reasons to expand into Ligonier.
IBEX expects to increase production by the end of November, and the initial travel trailer is scheduled to be off the production line in early December, the announcement revealed. Job applicants may apply online at https://forestriverinc.applicantstack.com/x/openings.
In the announcement, Forest River RV also declared that it will invest over $4.4 million to purchase 65 additional acres within Ligonier Industrial Park. This is to construct three 95,000-square-foot buildings and invest $400,000 in new machinery and equipment.
Specific plans for the acquisition have not yet been announced. Still, the company anticipates that the acquisition will create more than 300 new employment opportunities for Noble County when completed, according to the statement.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation and local officials have offered incentives and the Ligonier Industrial Development Corporation has agreed to invest in site preparation.
The City of Ligonier is expected to look into the possibility of a 10-year tax abatement for personal and real property investments, according to the release. It was also revealed that the Noble County Economic Development Corporation is looking into a possible investment to create another access point for the site.
