SIRVA Moves Domestic Moving Services HQ to Fort Wayne

SIRVA Moves Domestic Moving Services HQ to Fort Wayne
240 Jobs to be added over next three years; $16 million reinvestment planned

Governor Mitch Daniels joined executives from global moving and relocation giant SIRVA Moving Services, Inc. today to announce the company’s plans to consolidate its national headquarters here, creating 240 new jobs by 2011.

The moving mogul, operating under the two main brands of Allied and northAmerican Van Lines, will invest more than $16 million to consolidate its operations and relocate its suburban Chicago headquarters to the company’s existing 288,000 square foot facility on U.S. Highway 30 in northwest Fort Wayne.

“SIRVA’s decision to centralize its operations here means hundreds of jobs, but it’s also a vote of confidence in our state’s competitive business environment and in the more than 450 Hoosiers already working for the company in Fort Wayne,” said Daniels.

SIRVA currently employs 460 associates at its regional business support center in Fort Wayne and will begin hiring financial, business and sales staff in early 2009 following the completion of initial improvements to the Indiana facility.

“SIRVA continues to pursue initiatives that foster growth, create efficiencies and drive maximum value for our customers, agents and company,” said Michael Wolfe, SIRVA president of moving services, North America. “This decision further demonstrates our commitment to our moving services business.”

The company, which operates in more than 40 countries and employs nearly 4,000 around the globe, conducts more than 300,000 relocations every year.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered SIRVA up to $2.4 million in incentives based on the company’s job creation and retention plans. The City of Fort Wayne will provide a grant of up to $366,000 over the next three years to help offset a small portion of the planned reinvestment. In addition, the Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission will consider up to $634,000 in tax increment finance assistance and the Fort Wayne Common Council will consider phasing in taxes on the project over five years. SIRVA could save approximately $878,427 while still paying nearly $2 million in local property tax over five years. Additionally, worker recruitment, screening and training assistance being coordinated by WorkOne Northeast could result in an additional $600,000 in benefit to SIRVA and its new and incumbent workers.

“Projects like this don’t come around very often, and when they do it takes teamwork to make them happen,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry. “The state and local teams have worked well together for the past several months to secure this project for Northeast Indiana. We’re pleased SIRVA made the decision to consolidate here and together we’ll do everything possible to keep and grow the company in Fort Wayne.”

“We’re obviously pleased with today’s announcement,” added Kristine Foate, president & CEO of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. “SIRVA is a big part of key industry clusters here – specifically logistics and financial services. This is very good news for our region.”

Those interested in employment opportunities with SIRVA should contact WorkOne Northeast at tputt@workonene.org (preferred) or 260.459.1400 x 4506.