POLYWOOD, a manufacturer of outdoor furniture produced with recycled plastics, plans to expand its Indiana operations in Kosciusko County. The company, which has already significantly ramped up its hiring this year with 157 new team members added in 2020, plans to build a new production facility at its Syracuse campus and create up to 95 new jobs by the end of 2023.
"POLYWOOD is a true Indiana success story, and it's incredible to see their growth over the last 30 years," said Governor Eric J. Holcomb. "The company has developed lasting partnerships within its northern Indiana community, and we’re extremely grateful for their commitment to keep growing here and create more than 250 career opportunities for Hoosiers."
POLYWOOD is investing approximately $42.8 million over the next five years to construct and equip a new, 369,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on its campus at W. Brooklyn Street in Syracuse, adding a new recycle line and 30 new extrusion lines. The new facility, which will complement the company’s existing operations, will allow POLYWOOD to meet growing customer demand for its all-weather furniture product lines. Construction will begin this month, and the company expects the new facility to be operational by fall of 2021.
"We are excited about expanding our operations in Syracuse, Indiana because of the quality of work ethic we find in our employees from the greater Syracuse and Kosciusko county area," said Doug Rassi, CEO of POLYWOOD.
The company, which currently employs 600 associates in Indiana and 775 nationwide, will be hiring for numerous positions in the next three to eight months. Positions will be available for all shifts in operations, shipping, and for professional office positions. Interested applicants may apply online.
A homegrown-Hoosier company, POLYWOOD launched operations out of a garage in Syracuse, Indiana, in 1990 and has grown into a nationwide business serving popular retailers including Target, Amazon, Home Depot and Wayfair. Founded by Doug Rassi and Mark Phillabaum, the company specializes in manufacturing heirloom-quality, durable outdoor furniture made from recycled plastic —such as milk jugs and detergent bottles— that withstands all weather conditions, unlike traditional wood furniture. POLYWOOD has an on-site recycling facility that recycles an average of 400,000 milk jugs per day.
“We are thrilled that leaders of POLYWOOD are continuing to grow their operations in our community with this significant investment,” said Syracuse Redevelopment Commission president and Town Council member Larry Siegel. “POLYWOOD is a homegrown success story and this announcement is an economic development case study of how we work hard to support local employers.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Poly-Wood LLC up to $2.5 million in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans to create up to 252 by the end of 2023. The IEDC also offered up to $200,000 in conditional tax credits from the Hoosier Business Investment (HBI) tax credit program based on the company’s planned capital investment in Indiana. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once Hoosiers are hired and investments are made. The Syracuse Council approved additional incentives with the support of the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation.