Governor Eric J. Holcomb and Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson joined executives from HMD Trucking, a transportation and logistics service provider, as the company announced plans to expand its operations to northwest Indiana. The company, which broke ground on a 35,000-square-foot facility, will designate Indiana as its new corporate headquarters and plans to create up to 500 new jobs for Hoosiers by 2021.
We are thrilled to welcome HMD Trucking to Indiana - home to balanced budgets, a AAA credit rating and a low cost of doing business," said Governor Eric J. Holcomb. "It is clear why HMD Trucking decided to move from Illinois to Indiana. We have become the best state in the Midwest to start, get and grow jobs."
The company, which is currently located in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, and hauls freight across the U.S., will invest nearly $6 million to expand its trucking operations to an 11-acre site at 1350 Texas St. in Gary. The new, state-of-the-art facility, which will serve as the company’s corporate headquarters, will include a 9,000-square-foot office building for its administrative team and a 26,000-square-foot space for truck and trailer maintenance, repair and warehouse. The company, which will maintain a warehouse distribution center in Illinois, plans to complete construction and move into its new Indiana facility in 2018.
“We chose Indiana and the city of Gary for this investment because of the affordability to grow our business and build our new facility, advancements in the logistics industry and central location, which makes it easy for us serve our entire marketplace with more direct routes, avoiding congestion and time delays," said Henry Malukas, president and founder of HMD Trucking. "Locating at this site in Gary is a perfect match and we look forward to a long and valued relationship with the city and the state of Indiana.”
The company, which currently employs 400 office and trucking associates in Illinois, plans to relocate a small number of its executive leadership team to Indiana and locate new growth at its Gary site. HMD Trucking plans to start hiring drivers at the end of 2017 and to list job openings for multiple types of positions, including warehouse associates, office staff, drivers, mechanics and management professionals, in 2018. Interested applicants can apply online.
Founded in 1998, HMD Trucking has over 500 power units and 900 trailers, which have been used to service 1,500 current and former customers across the U.S. The company is focused on striving to achieve high safety scores, ensuring the quality and safety of its equipment and educating drivers on safety protocols.
"The city of Gary is building economic strength and momentum. With job creation plus investment in new construction, HMD Trucking is committed to the growth and prosperity of both their business and the city," said Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson. "I am pleased that HMD and the Malukas family recognize the opportunities in this community and look forward to partnering with them for generations to come.”
Approximately 55 Illinois-based companies have announced plans to relocate some or all of their operations to Indiana over the last decade, together pledging to invest more than $650 million in Indiana and create more than 5,800 new Hoosier jobs. Over the last two years alone, 12 companies, including Hoist Liftruck (East Chicago), Enjoy Life Foods (Jeffersonville), Outstanding Tradeshow Exhibit Services (North Judson) and Franklin Well Services (Vincennes), have announced plans to relocate, together committing to create more than 2,000 new jobs in the coming years.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered HMD Trucking Inc up to $2,950,000 million in conditional tax credits and $75,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Gary supports this project at the request of the Lake County IN Economic Alliance.
The event concludes Gov. Holcomb's three-day unveiling of Indiana’s Next Level Jobs initiative focused on meeting Indiana’s current and future workforce needs. This week, the governor announced two new grant programs designed to put Hoosiers to work in high-demand, high-wage jobs: The Workforce Ready Grant, which will skill-up adults to fill jobs in high-demand industries, and the Employer Training Grant, which will help offset employer costs for on-the-job training. For more information about Next Level Jobs and to take advantage of Indiana's workforce resources, visit www.nextleveljobs.org.
About HMD Trucking
Malukas, founder and president, started HMD Trucking in March 1998 with his wife Daiva when he discovered the expanding transportation opportunities in the six county area surrounding Chicago. With clients across the U.S., HMD Trucking strives to solve transportation needs at affordable rates to its customer base and the quality of its service is the basis its strong reputation as a value leader in the industry. For more information visit https://www.hmdtrucking.com/.
About IEDC
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) leads the state of Indiana’s economic development efforts, helping businesses launch, grow and locate in the state. Governed by a 15-member board chaired by Governor Eric J. Holcomb, the IEDC manages many initiatives, including performance-based tax credits, workforce training grants, innovation and entrepreneurship resources, public infrastructure assistance, and talent attraction and retention efforts. For more information about the IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.