Jasper-based Indiana Furniture Industries Inc. says it will expand operations and create up to 10 jobs by 2015. The company, which is more than 100 years old, says it needs new machine operators and engineers.

Jasper, Ind. -- Indiana Furniture Industries, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of office furniture, announced plans today to expand its operations here, creating up to 10 new high-wage jobs by 2015. The company will add a 30,000 square-foot addition to one of its existing manufacturing facilities as part of the project. The new addition is slated to be operational by the end of 2012.

"With more than a hundred years of experience in the Hoosier State, Indiana Furniture is continually setting the standard for sustained growth in an ever-changing market," said Dan Hasler, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. "Our nationally-ranked business climate and expansive infrastructure are helping local businesses establish a successful foundation to bring more jobs to Indiana."

Indiana Furniture, which currently has 287 full-time employees in Indiana, plans to begin hiring additional technical machine operators and engineers to coincide with facility construction. Interested candidates should apply at www.indianafurniture.com.

"With our long heritage in the Jasper community, coupled with our Midwest values, it's easy to call Dubois County our home," said Bret Ackerman, president and chief executive officer of Indiana Furniture. "To gain a competitive advantage in this industry, we've recognized that we need to embrace innovation in technology and processes. Therefore we plan on considerable capital expenditures over the next several years."

Founded in 1905, the company was established as Jasper Novelty Works in part as a response to the efforts of the Jasper Business Men's Association's initiative to provide local employment opportunities. Indiana Furniture's ultraviolet finishing technology was awarded the GREENGUARD certification for indoor air quality in 2008 by the Greenguard Environmental Institute for the company's non-toxic curing process.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Indiana Furniture Industries, Inc. up to $100,000 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 city of Jasper approved additional property tax abatement.

"It's particularly gratifying that our new property tax abatement program's first recipient is an existing company," said Jim Dinkle, president of the Dubois County Area Development Corporation. "Indiana Furniture is a century-old company with deep roots in Dubois County."

Indiana Furniture's announcement comes one month after AFCO Racing Products, a manufacturer of parts for the racing industry, announced plans to grow its operations in nearby Warrick County. The company will invest $3.7 million to purchase and equip a new retail facility in Boonville, creating up to 61 new jobs by 2014.

About Indiana Furniture
Indiana Furniture, headquartered in Jasper, Ind. for over a century is committed to providing its customers with office furnishings of the highest standards in quality and craftsmanship. Through advance information systems and state of the art technology we deliver a wide range of environmentally conscious products, styles, and sizes at competitive prices.

About IEDC
Created by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Daniels. Dan Hasler serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC.

The IEDC oversees programs enacted by the General Assembly including tax credits, workforce training grants and public infrastructure assistance. All tax credits are performance-based. Therefore, companies must first invest in Indiana through job creation or capital investment before incentives are paid. A company who does not meet its full projections only receives a percentage of the incentives proportional to its actual investment. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.

Source: Indiana Economic Development Corporation http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=50985&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IIB-Headlines+%28Headlines+-+Inside+INdiana+Business+with+Gerry+Dick%29

The chairman and chief executive officer of Ferdinand-based Keith Fritz Fine Furniture will receive a national award on Capitol Hill July 4. Keith Fritz will be honored with MADE: In America's inaugural William Thornton Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship. The company employs 12 craftsmen, who produce a collection of 40 standard pieces. Keith Fritz Fine Furniture has created tables for two former presidents and congressmen.

MADE: In America today announces that Keith Fritz is the winner of the inaugural William Thornton Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship. The award will be presented at the annual Take Pride in America celebration held at the United States Capitol on July 4, 2011. The William Thornton Award recognizes extraordinary achievement in craftsmanship by an American artisan. MADE: In America joins industry professionals in recognizing Keith Fritz as singular in the field of furniture design and construction, and congratulates the company and its employees for their long standing commitment to making --in America-- the finest hand-crafted furniture.

ABOUT KEITH FRITZ: Established in 1999, Keith Fritz Fine Furniture today employs 12 skilled craftsmen, who produce a collection of 40 standard pieces and work regularly with interior designers to customize individual commissions. Every piece of furniture in the Keith Fritz line is lovingly hand made by these American craftsmen. Dining tables are one of their specialties and they have had the honor of creating tables for two former presidents as well as congressmen, industry leaders and celebrities. The company also designs and crafts occasional tables, cabinets and distinctive mirrors.

Keith Fritz Fine Furniture is known for its modern interpretations of the best of 18th, 19th and early 20th century furniture design and for the use of exotic woods, as well as woods lumbered and milled in its own backyard. The company is represented in high-end decorative showrooms in Chicago, New York, Boston, Atlanta and Dallas, as well as the Michael Cleary showroom in Washington

“I am truly honored to have Keith Fritz Fine Furniture recognized in this way,” says owner Keith Fritz, “and to have the opportunity to share our American success story. I want to do everything I can to promote craft and craftsmanship in America. Our craftsmen in Southern Indiana love preserving the traditions of wood working and putting fine American furniture in the hands of interior designers and architects.”

ABOUT MADE: IN AMERICA: MADE: In America is a not-for-profit educational organization based in Washington, D.C. The group’s mission is foster a business climate conducive to the free exchange of ideas and information for the purpose of revitalizing and sustaining the competitiveness of American commerce and industry in a global economy. Made: In America is a coalition of business leaders, public policy makers, educators and concerned citizens dedicated to designing and articulating new and innovative ways to promote American enterprise in the 21st Century. The organization’s annual BEST: Made in America and Build it in America awards are the culmination of a deliberative year-long search to identify and honor America’s best businesses. The award was created to heighten public awareness of American- made products and a showcase the companies and individuals who create them.
In addition, MADE: In America also conducts the American Treasures Award program, established to recognizing and honor individuals making significant contributions to the American enterprise system. Beyond the awards programs, MADE: In America undertakes a wide range of other educational programs and services in cooperation with a network of coalition partners through the American Enterprise Initiative and In Service to American Business. These strategic educational initiatives are created for both manufacturers and consumers in order to shape public discourse and policy.

Source: Fritz Fine Furniture & InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=48012