Kimball Hospitality seeking tax abatement to bring production back from China

Another Dubois County business has come forward and has requested a tax abatement from the City of Jasper based on business expansion plans.

The Economic Development Commission of Jasper met this morning and reviewed the application from Kimball International and their Kimball Hospitality division.

Jasper Building Planning and Zoning Director Darla Blazey reports that Kimball scored a 93 out of 120 possible points on the tax abatement assessment. With that score the company is eligible for a 10-year tax abatement which provides a 100 percent abatement the first seven years, 75 percent year eight, 50 percent year nine and 25 percent in year 10 of the program.

According to Marty Vaught, Director of Kimball Public Relations, the application is part of a $1.6 million capital investment in new machinery and production equipment for their East 16th Street location. He reports that the facility is only about 33 percent utilized, and this will allow Kimball to return production from China to better meet demands in the continental United States.

“We’re looking at an addition of 20 jobs here in Jasper,” Vaught said. “Probably 15 production jobs and about five support positions.”

The tax abatement application listed the pay range for the jobs falling between $11.60 to $16.30 per hour.

Vaught pointed out that today’s review and approval of the application by the Economic Development Commission was just the first step in the process.

Blazey also said that the Economic Development Commission approved the request, which will have to be passed by the Jasper City Council in upcoming meetings before it is finalized.

The Jasper City Council already approved a tax abatement request from Kimball in September based on a move of business back to their 15th Street production facility from Post Falls, Idaho for their Kimball Office Division. That tax abatement was on an investment of just over $1 million and provided 30 new jobs to the area.