Logistically speaking, the site fit the company’s needs perfectly. After all, Indiana is known as the Crossroads of America. And the view wasn’t too bad either. So ultimately, CertainTeed Corp., one of North America’s foremost building products manufacturers, decided to set up shop in Lebanon, Ind.

The subsidiary of Paris-based Saint-Gobain unveiled plans for its window fabrication facility last August.

“This new facility will bring much needed production capacity for our windows into the Midwest,” said Larry Patterson, vice president of operation for CertainTeed’s Window Group. “Logistically, Lebanon is the perfect location for this facility and will help drive a high level of service for our wholesale distribution customers.”

The vinyl components of the windows are produced at CertainTeed’s Hagerstown, Md., window facility. Employees at the Lebanon facility will use the components in assembling the windows, which will subsequently be distributed to customers throughout the region.

The multi-million-dollar facility, expected to be operational by this spring, is currently under construction in the Lebanon Business Park about 25 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

While initial employment figures will range from 100 to 120 people, employment could climb to 350 within five years.

Hoosiers Win Headquarters

There is little doubt that so much of what residents love about Indiana is also part of what draws businesses to the state.

For sports enthusiasts in particular, Indiana plays host to a stellar collegiate sports scene, showcasing such well-known names as Purdue University, Notre Dame and Indiana University.

However, there are plenty of professional sporting events as well — from football to basketball to tennis championships to offshore powerboat racing. Of course, the Indianapolis 500 is run every Memorial Day weekend at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

While these venues provide plenty of opportunity for recreational fun, they also double as a good place to do businesses. Not all business dealings have to take place in the office or on the fairways.

With such an exciting backdrop, it’s little wonder that Indiana is a choice location when it comes to headquarters projects. And notably, automotive-related projects.

In October, Illinois-based Grand Vehicle Works Holdings LLC said it would build a $3.1 million, 34,500 square foot headquarters and training center in Union City in Randolph County. Of course, it didn’t hurt matters any that the company’s Indiana roots date back 103 years.

The new headquarters will serve as the hub of operations for three Grand Vehicle Works subsidiaries: Union City Body Co., Workhorse Custom Chassis LLC and Autocar LLC.

About 170 corporate executives and technical professionals will be housed in Union City. The project should also result in about 50 new jobs for the area during the next few years.

The company enjoyed a $325,000 incentive package from the state that included $250,000 from the Skills Enhancement Fund to train the 365 current, as well as new, workers, and a $75,000 from the Industrial Development Grant Fund, which will be put toward building roads, laying fiber-optic cable and accommodating drainage. Randolph County also provided some assistance.

In a related event, Grand Vehicle Works Holdings Corp.’s subsidiary, Autocar LLC, said it would move its world headquarters to Hagerstown, Ind., and establish a new truck manufacturing plant there. The January announcement helped Indiana ring in the New Year on a bright note.

The company was established in 2001 when Grand Vehicle Works bought the name Autocar and the Xpeditor truck line from Volvo Trucks North America.

The Hagerstown plant is slated to start pilot production in the second quarter of this year, with full production scheduled to begin no later than July.

“Our management team has worked hard to locate a world-class production facility that will meet our long-term manufacturing needs and accommodate our aggressive growth plans,” said Bob Enright, president of Autocar. “Hagerstown, which was one of several potential sites, clearly meets our criteria.”

The company also plans to produce a heavy-duty, diesel-powered chassis for its sister company, Workhorse Custom Chassis. The Xpeditor vehicle will be produced on a separate line.

All told, the Hagerstown facility is expected to bring more than 200 jobs to the area.

Proximity to several of Grand Vehicles Works’ operations in nearby Union City and other suppliers was an important factor in the site decision.

Other Auto News

The auto industry has made — and continues to make — a major economic impact all around the state. This comes as no surprise when one considers the fact that Indiana lies is within a 625-mile radius of 65 percent of the U.S. population and three major Canadian cities. The Hoosier State provides prime access to both the primary and second markets for auto products.

Overall, of Indiana’s 92 counties, at least 79 have one or more facilities directly related to the automotive industry.

It’s usually a safe bet that at any given time, there is an automotive-related expansion or relocation project taking shape somewhere in the state.

In recent months, companies like ALLETE, Toyota and Ford have grabbed the media spotlight.

In November, ALLETE Automotive Services, a division of ALLETE, Inc., announced it would move its corporate headquarters to Carmel, Ind., from its present location in Indianapolis.

The move will bring greater efficiency to the company’s operations by combining several of its businesses, which are currently operating in different locations.

Nearly 400 employees will work at the new 180,000 square foot facility, which is expected to be complete in early 2004. An additional 250 new jobs could be created during the next 10 years.

The decision came after a seven-month site selection process, which included such location contenders as Orlando, Fla., Detroit, and Providence, R.I.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana (TMMI) made headlines in January with the news that it planned to add 400 new jobs to its Gibson County, Ind. plant. The expansion will bring the plant’s total employment to 4,700.

TMMI is located just south of Princeton in Southwest Indiana and is the production site of Tundra pickup trucks and Sequoia sport utility vehicles.

And operations at a new Ford Motor Co. parts distribution center were expected to get underway in March in Princeton.

The 200,000 square foot facility will serve Ford dealers within a 225-mile radius in states such as Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. The facility is expected to employ 55 people.

—Rachael Hedgcoth