Indianapolis – Merchandise Warehouse, a third-party logistics company specializing in temperature-controlled warehousing services, announced plans today to expand its operations here, creating up to 65 new jobs by 2019. As part of its hiring plans, the company is committed to continuing to hire many of its employees through the Edna Martin Christian Center, which provides job training services and employment coaching for community members in need of assistance.
“Indiana’s growing logistics industry plays a key role in our state’s economy, supporting a workforce that employs more Hoosiers than ever before in our 200-year history,” said Governor Mike Pence. “With its Indiana expansion, Merchandise Warehouse is helping connect manufacturers and food producers with customers across the nation and around the world. Indiana is ideal for logistics growth not only because of our central location and thriving business climate, but because of the hardworking Hoosiers who truly make this industry successful.”
The third-generation family-owned business will invest $13.58 million to construct and equip a 90,000-square-foot, 50-foot-tall addition to its food-grade facility at 1414 South West Street in Indianapolis. The addition will increase the company’s operating space by nearly 25 percent, allowing it to meet increased demand from its largest client, a food producer supplying restaurants across the country, as well as new customers. Merchandise Warehouse is also installing cutting-edge technology at its facility, with a robotics system using conveyers and pallet shuttles to select goods stored in racks 33 pallets deep and six lanes high. This system reduces the need for forklifts, maximizes space utilization and increases logistical efficiency for its customers.
Merchandise Warehouse currently employs 69 full-time associates, with plans to begin hiring for forklift and supervisory positions in August. Interested applicants can apply through an employment training program at the Edna Martin Christian Center or through Spherion Staffing.
“Indianapolis remains the ‘Crossroads of America’ and we continue to see a growing demand for our services, due not only to the nature and quality of the service we provide, but because of our location,” said Tim Siddiq, president and chief executive officer of Merchandise Warehouse. “It made sense, when we decided on expanding, to stay right here and build upon our strong team and take advantage of the excellent business climate.”
Founded in Indianapolis more than 65 years ago, Merchandise Warehouse packages, stores and ships goods for the food, grocery, pharmaceutical and general commodity industries. The company’s food-grade facility has been at capacity for the last two years, with large freezer and cooler areas that allow the company to serve a variety of food production customers. In addition to its food-grade facility, Merchandise Warehouse also operates an industrial warehouse at 3000 Shelby Street in Indianapolis.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Merchandise Warehouse Company Inc. up to $300,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Indianapolis supports the project in partnership with Develop Indy, a business unit of the Indy Chamber.
“The continued growth of Merchandise Warehouse in Indianapolis is a testament to the company’s decades-long commitment to our community as well as the resources, talent and connectivity our city provides,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “I welcome the positive impact today’s announcement by Merchandise Warehouse will have on families and neighborhoods across Indianapolis and look forward to many more opportunities like this in the years to come.”
Merchandise Warehouse’s announcement comes on the heels of news last month that Indiana ranks as the best state in the Midwest and among the top five states in the nation for doing business. With Indiana’s strong business climate and workforce, companies have added 136,000 new private sector jobs in Indiana in the last three years, including the addition of 46,600 new jobs so far this year.
