Fort Wayne, Ind. (August 6, 2009) — ICON Exhibits, which merged with California-based Delphi Productions in March, announced today that it will expand its presence in Fort Wayne, adding a 20,000 sq.ft. building to its existing 60,000 sq.ft. campus. The development will enhance the enterprise’s overall logistics and operations capacity, and result in the retention of 30 jobs and the potential for nearly 60 new positions. The project will cost approximately $4.3 million overall, and could lead to larger investments in the future. Project completion is expected for 2012.
“We see Fort Wayne as a smart place to grow our business for numerous reasons,” said Justin Hersh, President and CEO of ICON and Delphi. “The central Midwest location offers incredible efficiencies for a production and transportation-intensive business like ours. Additionally, the quality and work ethic of the people has helped build the strong, successful team we have today and hope to build on for the future. We are incredibly excited about the growth opportunities we see for our Fort Wayne operation and greatly appreciate the city’s support and enthusiasm.”
ICON Exhibits was established in Fort Wayne 64 years ago. “The Fort Wayne business community has been good to us and we are proud of our Indiana roots,” said Michael Parrott, founder of ICON and Chairman of the combined ICON and Delphi. “We are pleased to have served the exhibit, event, corporate interior and museum needs of local businesses, and to represent our city and state as we work with companies across the globe.”
“Indiana’s attractive business environment and solid financial position has put us on the map for new jobs and investment from growing companies like ICON Exhibits,” said Governor Mitch Daniels. “In today’s competitive economy, we are pleased to see an increasing number of companies choose Indiana.”
The Fort Wayne Common Council will consider phasing in taxes associated with the project. ICON Exhibits could save approximately $106,467 on real and personal property taxes over ten years, as well as a $46,000 grant from the City of Fort Wayne. The company is also eligible for $65,000 in job-specific training, $16,000 in recruitment and assessment services and $4,550 in computer training from WorkOne Northeast. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) will provide $10,000 through the state’s Industrial Development Grant Fund, along with $485,000 in performance-based tax credits and $40,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.
“ICON’s decision to expand in Fort Wayne is indicative of the city’s resilient business community,” stated Mayor Tom Henry. “I am looking forward to the company’s continuous growth and the opportunities it will bring to the city.”
With the recent merger of Delphi and ICON, the headquarters of the combined enterprise became Alameda, CA – home to Delphi for 20 years – where the company has a 150,000 sq.ft. facility. Both the Ft. Wayne and Alameda locations are full-scale production, sales and service operations.
About ICON Exhibits and Delphi Productions
Delphi and ICON merged in March 2009, creating a diversified enterprise with a more robust product, service and solutions offering for organizations in the tradeshow, events, museum and retail marketplace. Together, Delphi and ICON have nearly a century of combined experience, an extensive geographic reach with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ft. Wayne, Los Angeles and Berlin, Germany, and a strong industry commitment through key affiliations with EDPA, TSEA, HCEA, CEMA, EMI, IFES, AAM. Delphi and ICON serve national and international customers in a wide range of industries and organizations including aerospace and defense, automotive, broadcast, consumer products, electronics, food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing, museums and technology. The enterprise works with several Indiana companies such as Paragon Medical, Tippman Group, Franklin Electric, American Specialty,Do it Best, Lutheran Health Network, Peerless Pump and the John Dillinger Museum. For more information, visit http://www.iconexhibits.com/ or http://www.delphiproductions.com/.