Delta’s formula for winning over New York travelers is simple: floor-to-ceiling windows, abundant power outlets and a burger joint with a cult-like following.The airline opened a sprawling $1.4 billion terminal at John F.Patrick Industries Inc. is investing up to $3 million and creating up to 65 new jobs as it grows operations in Kosciusko County.
The manufacturer’s AIA Countertops division will expand into a second facility as it broadens its product line to include more granite and quartz countertops. The company is buying, renovating and equipping a 142,000-square-foot factory at 203 S. Huntington Ave., Syracuse.
Patrick Industries makes and distributes building and component products for the recreational vehicle, manufactured housing and industrial markets.
Products include pre-finished wall and ceiling panels, drywall and drywall finishing products, vinyl and cement siding, interior passage doors, roofing products, lighting, flooring, electrical and other related products, according to the company’s website.
AIA Countertops now employs about 175 full time in Syracuse at 501 W. Railroad Ave. The new production jobs – which will be added by 2014 – will pay $12 to $13 an hour, a spokeswoman said Friday.
Patrick Industries acquired AIA Countertops in September for about $5.5 million, spokeswoman Julie Ann Kotowski said Friday.
Kotowski said the company has acquired the second building but hasn’t started renovations.
Although some of the manufacturer’s other factories make countertops, they make lightweight versions for the RV industry. It made the most sense for the company to expand its granite and quartz lines in Syracuse, she said.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. on Thursday announced it has offered Patrick Industries up to $325,000 in tax credits, based on the company’s job-creation plans. The employer won’t get the full amount if it doesn’t fulfill its hiring projection.
The town of Syracuse also approved additional property tax abatement, as requested by the Kosciusko County Economic Development Corp.
Larry Siegel, Syracuse town council president, said officials want to help existing employers remain competitive.
“We’re excited to see this expansion in a company that plays an important role in one of our key industries,” he said in a written statement. “Manufacturing in Syracuse continues to show strong signs of growth and is another example of our economy’s continued post-recession improvement.”
Kosciusko’s June unemployment rate of 7.3 percent is a full percentage point below the state’s 8.3 percent for the same month.
