The Ports of Indiana on Aug. 19 reported that voestalpine Roll Forming Corporation (RFC) will invest more than $77 million on an expansion project at its rail-served Jeffersonville, Ind., location on the Ohio/Mississippi river system.
Voestalpine RFC, a subsidiary of steel and technology group voestalpine AG, supplies custom roll formed metal components for the aerospace, construction, material handling, off-highway, office furniture, solar, and transportation industries, including railroads. Based in Shelby County, Ky., it has seven production facilities across three states: five in Kentucky and one each in Pennsylvania and Indiana. The Indiana facility launched in 2001 at Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville (1205 N. Access Drive, Jeffersonville; see map above), and the new investment will go toward construction, equipment, and other related services. The expansion is slated to create 110 new jobs that the Port said “will meet or exceed the Clark County average wage.”
Based on the company’s job creation plans, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) will commit up to $2 million in the form of incentive-based tax credits and up to $2 million in Hoosier Business Investment tax credits to voestalpine RFC, according to the Port. These tax credits, it noted, are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once employees are hired.
“This next chapter of growth for RFC would not be possible without the support from state and local leaders,” voestalpine RFC President and CEO Kevin Dierking said. “We look forward to expanding our business operations with this transformative project adding long-term infrastructure, employment opportunities and overall value to the Jeffersonville community for years to come.”
“Our team is very pleased that voestalpine RFC has chosen Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville for its new operations,” Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock said. “Voestalpine RFC is a forward-thinking leader in producing specialized roll-formed metal for vital sectors like aerospace, construction, solar energy, and transportation. Establishing the new facility adjacent to their current operations allows voestalpine to capitalize on the port’s multimodal connections, comprehensive logistics services, and operational synergies, thereby strengthening their competitive edge.”
“The company’s continued growth and industry partnership in Southern Indiana will help advance critical industries, from aerospace to energy to infrastructure and transportation, while supporting job growth and community development in Jeffersonville and the surrounding region,” IEDC Chief Strategy Officer Ann Lathrop said.
“Voestalpine has operated in this region for years, and when a customer of ours chooses to expand here, it’s a win for Hoosiers,” Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar said. “We are glad to work with them to help make this possible. This will bring both capital investment and jobs—both permanent and construction—to the community.”
The Ports of Indiana has three locations: Jeffersonville, which is just across from Louisville, Ky., on the Ohio River, and handles more than 2 million tons of cargo annually; Mount Vernon, which is in southwestern Indiana and is the closest major port to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers; and Burns Harbor, which is on the southern tip of Lake Michigan in Portage.
Among the railroads directly serving the Ports of Indiana are Evansville Western Railway, CSX, Louisville & Indiana Railroad, and Norfolk Southern.
In related developments, United Steel Supply LLC is investing up to $10 million to open a steel processing and painting facility at Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville, and infrastructure investments surpassing $1.1 million were recently completed at Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville through a yearlong series of road and rail projects by the port and MG Rail, its rail switcher. Also, OmniTRAX on June 27 reported being selected as the exclusive rail operator for Ports of Indiana-Mount Vernon.
