Refrigerated-storage provider with Lebanon location to expand into northwest Indiana
HEBRON, Ind. (WISH) — A refrigerated-storage provider broke ground Wednesday on a $124 million facility off I-65 in northwest Indiana, the state’s economic development arm said in a news release.
New Jersey-based United States Cold Storage will build on 110 acres off I-65 near the State Road 2 interchange. That’s in rural Lake County about halfway between the towns of Hebron and Lowell.
United States Cold Storage has 42 U.S. warehouse and distribution facilities, and employs more than 3,500 people. Its sole Indiana facility is on Mount Zion Road in Lebanon, just northwest of Indianapolis.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says the warehouse will have 13 million cubic feet plus a trailer drop and a dock. The business could provide 60 jobs to the area by 2028, and hiring has begun for critical positions, the state’s news release said. The facility was expected to open by May 2025 for the storage of frozen and refrigerated foods, and a solar array will be built to provide a power source.
The nonprofit Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation will spend more than $125 million to make needed road improvements in the area, the state’s news release says.
It also said, “The Indiana Economic Development Corporation is working with USCS to finalize a performance-based incentive offer to support the company’s investment and job creation plans in Indiana. Lake County will offer additional incentives.”
Statements
“This is an exciting day for Lake County and for Indiana as we celebrate the impact of the READI program and our commitment to economic and community development. USCS’s decision to establish a second facility in Indiana reflects the company’s confidence in our skilled Hoosier workforce and in the northwest Indiana community.”
David Rosenberg, Indiana secretary of commerce
“This northwest Indiana location is strategically located in a key market for USCS and will offer additional capacity in the Chicagoland area providing the necessary space for the growth of our current customers as well as Best-In-Cold service to new customers. In partnership with our Lebanon, Indiana, location and our Chicago-area warehouses, we can offer customers coordinated, less-than-truckload distribution savings and help them reach 48 states within the U.S. Indiana and Lake County have been great partners to work with through the entire process, and we look forward to this continued partnership.”
Adam Ashley, general manager at United States Cold Storage
“We will continue to work with landowners and developers to identify projects that fit our county and create new family-sustaining jobs; this is a great first start,” said Lake County District Councilman , indicating that he is focused on orderly growth and development along the I-65 Route 2 corridor.
Randy Neimeyer, a Republican on the Lake County Council
“The state of Indiana and Lake County have been great to work with in support of our project. Not only do they support our new Hebron, Indiana, project but state officials also express continued interest in our USCS Lebanon, Indiana, location. Through grants and other funding measures, Indiana continues to invest in infrastructure and improvements. This all helps to make it attractive for talented people to become part of the USCS Family. We appreciate the state’s ‘business-friendly’ climate and approach. It truly enables USCS to attract and provide a people-first culture.”
Dave Butterfield, senior vice president of central region at United States Cold Storage