JNE Group has signed a long-term lease to occupy about 2,000 square feet in Merrillville.

JNE Group is a multi-disciplinary engineering and construction services firm serving industries worldwide. It is based in Ontario, Canada, with an office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The new location at 8585 Broadway will feature engineering services.

“We do a lot of heavy industry work, so this is an area we are familiar with,” said Keith Taylor, JNE Group sales vice president.

JNE opened an earlier U.S. location in Pittsburgh.

“We were able to secure office space in Merrillville, which has been a very positive experience,” Taylor said. “The team is settling in and quite happy with the facilities.”

“For us, it’s about being close to our steel industry customers,” he said. “The talent we were looking to recruit were going to come from that area, so they would be less likely to want to drive into the city.

Antony Miocic of Crown Point-based Latitude Commercial and Brian Edgerton of NAI Hiffman brokered the transaction. The location at 8585 Broadway is an eight-story office building in the heart of Merrillville.

“We’re excited to welcome JNE Group to Merrillville,” Miocic said in a press release. “Their global expertise and reputation make them a strong addition to the professional community along Broadway.”

Latitude Commercial provides commercial real estate services such as purchasing, leasing, landlord representation, tenant representation and commercial property management. It serves companies throughout Indiana and Illinois.