Locally based Impact CNC, LLC, a production machining company, announced plans today to add two additional facilities here, creating up to 80 new jobs by 2018.

The company will invest more than $5 million to purchase and equip 35,000 and 50,000-square-foot facilities in Columbia City to provide computer numerical control (CNC) machining services for customers in the automotive, heavy-truck and agricultural industries.

“Indiana’s manufacturing industry is on a roll,” said Eric Doden, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “Companies like Impact CNC helped the Hoosier State lead the nation in manufacturing job growth last year, bolstered by Indiana policies promoting affordability and designed for their success.”

Impact CNC was named an “Indiana Company To Watch” in 2014. The program celebrates high-performing, second-stage companies in the state. Impact CNC already has more than 70 full-time employees at its location in Gateway Industrial Park, which was recently expanded to provide additional office and warehouse space.

“I am pleased to announce that we will continue to focus the growth of Impact CNC in Columbia City,” said Jerry Busche, founder and president of Impact CNC. “We looked at many options of where and how to better serve our customers, but once again we didn’t have to look far to find the best location for our business.”

This homegrown Hoosier company shares ownership with PDQ Tooling, which designs and manufactures custom indexable cutting tools for the production machining industry, and PDQ Workholding, a manufacturer of hydraulic fixtures and workholding solutions for the CNC machining industry. In 2013, PDQ Tooling announced plans to invest more than $7.2 million to lease and equip a facility in Gateway Industrial Park.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Impact CNC, LLC up to $220,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $60,000 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. The Columbia City Common Council approved additional property tax abatement at the request of the Whitley County Economic Development Corporation.

“Impact CNC has shown tremendous and aggressive growth over the last three years,” said Columbia City Mayor Ryan Daniel, “The purchase and reuse of vacant buildings in Columbia City shows a commitment by the company to our residents and our community. We are excited to be a partner with Impact CNC in their development plans.”Impact CNC plans to begin hiring additional CNC operators, supervisors and support staff in the coming months. Interested applicants should apply at www.impactcnc.net.

Source: Whitley County Economic Development Corp.