PGP International chooses Vanderburgh County, Indiana

August 30, 2012 Abby Elpers
For Immediate Release Marketing Communications Manager

PGP International chooses Vanderburgh County, Indiana

VANDERBURGH COUNTY, IN (August 30, 2012) – The Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville is pleased to announce that PGP International will break ground in northern Vanderburgh County today opening their sixth facility in the United States. PGP International is owned by Associated British Foods, a diversified international food, ingredient and retail group with 102,000 employees in 46 countries. PGP evaluated over 45 sites in multiple states before choosing Vanderburgh County for their newest location.

“We are making a significant investment in Evansville to better serve our customers and the people who enjoy their products,” said PGP International Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Hanson.
Terry Doyle, PGP International Vice President of Operations, added: “The site was selected among dozens of Midwest locations due to the talented pool of highly skilled potential employees with manufacturing experience. We are happy to join local employers, and hoping to attract graduates of well-regarded courses in food science, manufacturing, and engineering at nearby universities and colleges.”

As a leading manufacturer and supplier of high protein crisps and grain crisps for the Cereal, Energy and the Nutritional Bar industry, PGP International will soon produce rice based product offerings at their new 70,000 sq ft (expandable to over 200,000 sq ft) manufacturing and distribution facility located in the Vanderburgh Industrial Park. The facility will be constructed under the direction of Evan Beck and Steve Kahre of Woodward Development & Construction, Inc. Initial production at the facility is expected to begin in the summer of 2013.

PGP International will create 41 new jobs in Vanderburgh County with an average wage of $22.00 per hour. The economic impact on the community resulting from these jobs and the investment will total in excess of $28.7 million per year. Because of this impact, PGP International was awarded a 10 year Tax Phase-in from Vanderburgh County on their real property investment of approximately $6 million and personal property investment of approximately $15 million. “PGP International is the type of company that any community would be fortunate to have. They focus on hiring and training local talent, recognizing that investment in their employees provides the greatest return,” said Debbie Dewey, President of the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville.

In addition to Tax Phase-In, local and state officials strived to formulate an economic development incentive package that would attract PGP International to Vanderburgh County. Additional local incentives include; several training grants and/or training assistance from Vanderburgh County, Ivy Tech Community College, and Vincennes University.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered PGP International a Skills Enhancement Grant of $105,000 and EDGE tax credits of $320,000 over a 10 year period. On the-job Skills Enhancement training grants were also offered through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

“Anytime the community leaders can announce the location of a new company in our area with new jobs, new opportunities for our residents and new opportunities for affiliated companies to look at our area for expansion, it is truly a great day. We welcome PGP International to our community,” said Vanderburgh County Commissioner, Marsha Abell. Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke added, “PGP International is a welcome addition to our community. The company’s focus on worker and food safety and its continuous commitment to improvement underscores PGP’s key values and its goals of providing the highest level of quality and customer service. I believe the residents of Evansville and Vanderburgh County will be grateful for the job opportunities that will result from this new venture.”

The Growth Alliance would like to thank a number of departments and organizations that assisted in some way to this project, including: the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Woodward Development and Construction, the Office of Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, Grow Southwest Indiana Workforce, the Evansville Industrial Foundation, the Economic Development Coalition of SW Indiana, Ivy Tech Community College, Vincennes University, University of Southern Indiana, University of Evansville, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center, Vectren, Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Indiana Southern Railroad.