Ardagh is to improve its plant in Winchester, Randolph County, US, thanks to a series of incentives from state and area economic development groups, which include a USD 6.1 million tax abatement over 10 years from the city of Winchester and a grant of USD 300,000 for local equipment purchases and training of employees.
Ardagh Group Glass North America, a division of Luxembourg-based Ardagh Group, has announced that it plans to make upgrades to its 78-year-old facility that employs 400 people in Winchester, Randolph County, US over the next three years. The global container-making firm is making these improvements – costing USD 71 million – thanks to a series of incentives from state and area economic development groups.
“This level of investment in a single glass-manufacturing facility in such a brief period of time is unprecedented for Ardagh Group and extremely rare in our industry,” John Riordan, CEO of Ardagh Group Glass North America, said.
Built in 1937, the facility specializes in manufacturing glass containers for the food and spirits markets. The plant was previously owned by Tampa, Florida-based Anchor Glass Container Corp. before Ardaugh Group purchased it in 2012.
Incentive agreements for the project include a USD 6.1 million tax abatement over 10 years from the city of Winchester and a grant of USD 300,000 for local equipment purchases and training of employees associated with the project from the Randolph Economic Development Corp.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has also offered up to USD 1 million in conditional tax credits and up to USD 200,000 in training grants, according to Ardagh.
Ardagh will retain the 400 workers it already employs, said Bruce Hosier, REDC’s executive director. Ardagh is the second-largest employer in Randolph County.