COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. – Indiana Materials Processing, LLC announced today that the company will establish its first production facility at the “Certified Site Ready” Rail Connect Business Park east of Columbia City, creating up to 22 new jobs by 2015.

“Factors such as proximity to customers, available workforce, and overall cost of doing business made Indiana an attractive location,” said Abid Bengali, owner of Indiana Materials Processing, “but the ongoing commitment and dedication of the local officials I have worked with set Whitley County apart as the right place to establish this facility.”

The Indiana Materials Processing facility will incorporate first-of-its-kind operational technology to produce both custom chemistry and physical property feedstock for steel mills and foundry customers. Construction will soon begin on the company’s facility. Indiana Materials Processing plans to begin hiring supervisory, engineering, production, logistics positions in the fourth quarter of 2012.

“This announcement demonstrates Whitley County’s ongoing commitment to work proactively with new and existing employers,” said Whitley County Board of Commissioners chairman Don Amber, “Our local leaders will continue to work closely with Indiana Materials Processing LLC and other growth oriented companies to support the creation of new jobs and investment in our community.”

Rail Connect Business Park is a 120 acre, publicly owned, master planned industrial park with rail and highway access near the intersection of US Highway 30 and County Road 600 East that has received “shovel ready” designations from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. In 2011, Triad Metals International, a distributor of structural steel, opened its newest and first distribution facility in the Midwest at Rail Connect Business Park.

“The Whitley County Redevelopment Commission moved quickly to develop Rail Connect Business Park to support companies like Indiana Materials Processing,” said Redevelopment Commission chairman Bill Overdeer, “Rail Connect Business Park continues to stand apart as a publicly owned, development ready industrial park with rail and four-lane highway access.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Indiana Materials Processing up to $100,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $50,000 in training grants 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. Whitley County today approved additional property tax abatement at the request of the Whitley County Economic Development Corporation.

Indiana was most recently ranked fifth nationally – and tops in the Midwest – in Area Development magazine’s “Top States for Doing Business” ranking. The ranking was based on a survey of leading national site selection consultants. Also, Site Selection named the Hoosier State’s business climate the sixth best in the nation.