Lippert Components, based in Elkhart, announced Friday plans to locate inside the Midwest Trade Center building along U.S 421.
The company bills itself as the nation’s leading supplier of components for the recreational vehicle industry.
LCI, founded in 1958, is also a supplier of components for manufactured housing and the bus, cargo, equestrian trailer, marine and heavy truck industries.
The firm has over 9,000 employees in 68 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe.
“There have been a lot of uncertainties in 2020, but we are grateful to be able to continue to increase our presence in the Northern Indiana region,” said Ryan Smith, LCI Group President, North America.
The plan is for the Westville facility to begin running with 40 to 60 employees on Jan. 18, said Jaycee Galarno, LCI vice president of human resources, operations.
Galarno said starting wages will be $14 to $16 an hour plus benefits for general labor, machine operators and other positions in areas like shipping and receiving.
She said the making of doors for manufactured housing at the company’s plant in Goshen will be moved to Westville.
Galarno said the making of windows at the Goshen facility is being expanded, while product lines for other components will be added at Westville over the next 12 to 18 months.
The company’s Westville site could employ as many as 200 people.
“We’ll definitely see some growth,” she said.
Lippert Components has scheduled a hiring event for 12-6 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Civic Auditorium at 1001 Ridge St. in La Porte to help fill the new positions.
Tony Rodriguez, executive director of the LaPorte County Office of Economic Development, said LCI under a lease will occupy a large chunk of the available space at the former Spartan Nash food warehouse.
The 680,000 square foot structure was empty for about two-years when purchased in 2018 by North Point Development.
The Kansas City, Missouri-based company invested about $24 million into the facility before leasing to Dollar General space for a food storage and distribution center.
Pratt Industries later came on board to run a paper products warehouse and distribution center.
Another manufacturing building, empty for the last 20 years on 500 West between Westville and LaPorte, will be occupied soon by Corsicana Mattress Co., based in Dallas, Texas.
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