RENSSELAER – A California-based agricultural biosciences company plans to invest $7.5 million in Jasper County to build a new research facility.
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Jasper County officials on Aug. 30 were joined by executives from Premier BioSource of Ramona, Calif., an agriculture biosciences company specializing in the production of research-purposed swine, to break ground on the company's first Indiana farming operation in Rensselaer.
“With our strong agricultural tradition and thriving life sciences sector, Indiana offers a winning solution for companies like Premier BioSource who provide high-quality swine to research institutions across the U.S.,” said Crouch, who also serves as Indiana's secretary of agriculture and rural development. “We are excited Premier BioSource chose to locate here in Indiana, and I am confident that our hardworking Hoosier workforce will help propel their future success.”
Premier BioSource will construct and equip a 78,000-square-foot, 600-sow, farrow-to-finish farm operation in Rensselaer, the state said. Premier BioSource’s pigs will be used solely for biomedical research and product development, contributing to advancements in heart stents, cardiac repair and rejuvenation, diabetes and insulin research, and surgical procedures.
Company officials say the facility will be operational by June 2019. The facility will house 4,752 pigs at full capacity and supply the company’s eastern U.S. client base.
Premier BioSource, which has 11 employees across the U.S., plans to add up to 21 new jobs in Indiana and begin hiring in 2019 for positions in animal care and transportation services.
“Indiana was a perfect fit for Premier BioSource because of its friendly business environment and rich agricultural heritage,” said Mark Bousema, president of Premier BioSource. “Couple that with Rensselaer's close proximity to our customers and access to quality labor, this was an easy choice for our company.”
Premier BioSource was founded by Tom and Carl Salayer in 1987. Through its partnership with Indiana-based Summit Livestock Facilities, the company’s Jasper County farm operation will be designed to facilitate regulatory compliance, improve animal health and production, enhance operational efficiencies and address social concerns.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered S&S Farms LP (dba Premier BioSource) up to $130,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Indiana residents are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives.
Indiana’s agriculture and agribusiness industry supports more than 107,000 Hoosier jobs and contributes an estimated $31 billion to the state’s economy annually.
