Connersville, IN: Wayzata Home Products, LLC announced the company’s plans to locate manufacturing and distribution operations in the former Ford-Visteon industrial site here, creating up to 309 new jobs by 2018.
Wayzata Home Products, parent company of the online kitchen cabinet resource CliqStudios.com, plans to invest $12.1 million to purchase and refurbish the 1.8 million square-foot plant on a 183-acre campus at 4747 Western Avenue in Connersville. The facility, which is expected to be operational early next year, will house cabinet fabrication, finishing, assembly and distribution operations.
Founded in 2006, Wayzata Home Products produces high quality semi-custom kitchen cabinets for CliqStudios.com. CliqStudios.com is an online retailer for semi-custom kitchen cabinetry, offering free kitchen design and service at prices significantly lower than traditional retail outlets.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Wayzata Cabinetry, LLC up to $2,000,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $200,000 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 Indiana Brownfields Program, an environmental program of the Indiana Finance Authority, provided Wayzata Connersville RE, LLC, the purchasing entity, and Wayzata Home Products, LLC, the operating entity, in addition to their prospective lender, a clarification letter to address concerns about cleanup liability related to environmental contamination associated the historic manufacturing activities on the property. The city of Connersville also offered funds using revenues generated from the issuance of a tax increment financing (TIF) bond.
FairWinds Advisors was retained for site selection and incentive negotiation services.