Truth Staff
ELKHART -- Fortis Plastics, formerly Atlantis Plastics, is moving some operations from Elkhart to its facility in South Bend.
The company operates in three buildings in Elkhart, two it leases and one it owns. Fortis will keep the profile extrusion in the plant it owns on C.R. 3, said Joe Mallak, president and chief executive officer.
The company will move an additional profile extrusion and injection molding processes from the two buildings it leases to a building at 3615 Voorde Drive in South Bend.
Monomoy Capital Partners, a private equity group that has Fortis in its portfolio, owns the South Bend facility.
A "majority of the people" who work in the Elkhart plant will get jobs in the South Bend facility, Mallak said. He declined to say exactly how many employees are being transferred.
"We have some very good employees coming with us," he said.
Fortis did obtain two tax abatements, worth a little more than $146,000, on the Voorde building from the South Bend City Council in January, according to Tom Price, assistant to South Bend Mayor Stephen Luecke. The company also got a building permit to install two loading docks on the building, pour concrete pads for air conditioning and heating units and put fencing around the property.
The move, Mallak said, will cut costs and therefore provide a financially stable work environment for the employees.
Mallak noted Fortis is well capitalized and making plans to supply the home building, automotive and appliance markets. He is confident the operations in Elkhart and South Bend will do well.
"My intent is to expand these businesses big time," Mallak said.