Buffington Harbor
Indiana Sugars, Inc., a family-owned, 101-year-old sugar manufacturer and distributor based in Gary, Indiana, announced it has completed the acquisition of 55 acres of land and an additional 22 acres surrounding Buffington Harbor from Transport Properties. The acquisition of the land (previously known as the Majestic Star Hotel and Casino) provides the space for the company to build its next generation headquarters and facilities. Completion of the multi-phased development plan is expected to be fully executed within the next ten years.
“Our customers have always been our priority and their demand for new products and capacities are driving this new expansion,” said John Yonover, President & COO. “This is a true win/win opportunity in that we can build a state-of-the-art facility a mere eight miles from our current Indiana location and allows us to have all our current employees transition to the new facilities over time. As we enter our next 100 years, this move strongly positions Indiana Sugars for the future, and to grow within Indiana makes it that much sweeter.”
The new site is served by two class one railroads and is adjacent to Buffington Harbor which is a deep-water port. Indiana Sugars will own the majority stake of land that surrounds the port. Construction of Phase 1 of the new plant will begin in Q2 2024 and will be fully operational by early 2025. The new company headquarters building, also part of Phase 1, will break ground in the coming months and will be completed in 2025. Phases 2 & 3 of expansion will house additional manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
Mayor Eddie Melton worked closely with the leadership team at Indiana Sugars to keep the company in Gary as they were looking at multiple sites for its expansion and future growth plans. “It was the engaging and thoughtful efforts of Mayor Eddie Melton and his team that has made sure that Indiana Sugars remains a Gary, Indiana based firm,” added Yonover. “Mayor Melton and his team were passionate about our project and transparent that they didn’t want us to leave. They worked tirelessly with us to make a long-term arrangement that worked for both us and the City of Gary.”
Mayor Melton commented: “There is no better place than Gary for Indiana Sugars to grow and expand their historic business. This move was a top priority for my administration’s first 100 days in office. I believe this project is proof that Buffington Harbor and the adjacent footprint will provide Indiana Sugars and future businesses the opportunity to maximize their operations due to Gary’s unique transportation infrastructure.
“With access to our Gary Chicago International Airport, deep-water port, class one railroads, access to three major highways (Interstates 80, 94 and 65) and only 20 minutes from downtown Chicago, the nation’s third largest economy, Gary is positioned to be the home for more businesses,” Melton added. “That means more jobs and a stronger tax base to grow our city and provide a better quality of life for our citizens.”
Indiana Sugars was represented by Ted Gates and David Prell of CBRE on this transaction.
