Rockwell Automation, a Milwaukee-based Fortune 500 company specializing in industrial automation and information, announced June 5 it plans to consolidate operations from Champaign, Ill. and Memphis, Tenn. to Indiana.
A statement from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. said the move combined with Rockwell’s projected growth could create up to 231 new jobs in Indiana by the end of 2023.
Rockwell plans to invest more than $16.4 million to renovate and equip a 369,000-square-foot facility at 4255 S. 500 E. in the All Points at Anson development along I-65 in Whitestown about 30 minutes northwest of Indianapolis.
The state said Rockwell’s new facility will serve as a distribution and warehouse operation, consolidating its existing distribution centers in Illinois and Tennessee to enhance efficiencies and meet growing demand for its products, including its Allen-Bradley and Rockwell Software brands. Those products help companies optimize plant performance and improve productivity.
The state said Rockwell plans to be fully operational in Indiana by spring 2019 and will partner with Switzerland-based Kuehne + Nagel, a logistics company, to operate the facility.
The IEDC will offer Rockwell up to $1.75 million in conditional tax credits based on the company's job creation plans. The incentives are performance-based, meaning the company is not eligible to receive incentives until Indiana residents are hired, the state said.
The town of Whitestown and Boone County will consider additional incentives for Kuehne + Nagel at the request of the Boone County Economic Development Corp., the state said.
Rockwell plans to close its Illinois and Tennessee facilities in 2019 and will assist current employees in applying for similar positions in Indiana. The company plans to begin hiring for its Whitestown facility in the next few weeks, the state said.
Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people and serves customers in more than 80 countries.
