FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 29, 2015) – In a show of pure strength, Hercules Manufacturing Company is adding more jobs in Henderson.
Gov. Steve Beshear today announced that Hercules, a manufacturer of van bodies and trailers, will hire 14 new employees.
"Hercules Manufacturing is flexing its muscles in western Kentucky by adding more than a dozen new jobs," said Gov. Beshear. "Manufacturing drives our economy, and investments like this are one of the reasons Kentucky is at the forefront of the industry."
Hercules is making the investment in its 65,000-square-foot facility on Bob Posey Street to keep up with growing demand for its products. The hiring is expected to be completed over the next five years.
To encourage the investment and job growth in Henderson County, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $180,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
"These incentives from Kentucky will help us to facilitate the purchase of a new Enterprise Resource Planning system, which will provide us with an integrated view of our core business processes in real time, enhancing our ability to support the sustained growth of our company moving forward," said Hercules CEO and owner Jeffrey A. Caddick. "We appreciate the support of local and state development officials and other entities in expanding our operations and growing our workforce in Henderson."
Hercules started in Evansville, Indiana, in 1902 and relocated to Henderson in 1957. The company manufactures insulated and dry freight van bodies and trailers, which are sold to customers throughout the eastern and central U.S. The company's products serve a variety of industries, including ice cream, meat, food service, ice, pipe relining, appliances, commercial dish washing and laundry services and document destruction.
"I am always pleased to see a business succeed, and the planned improvements with the addition of more jobs are good reasons to congratulate Hercules on its success," said Sen. Dorsey Ridley, of Henderson. "Our community welcomes this growth and has the skilled workforce to fill the new positions. We are proud to have Hercules as a corporate partner and look forward to building on that partnership in the future."
"I'm really pleased to see Hercules Manufacturing take this step and invest further in our community," said Rep. David Watkins, of Henderson. "These new jobs come at a great time and offer further proof that our door is open for business."
"Hercules has been a consistently good company for our community with a stable workforce and producing a product that is known area wide as top of the line," said Henderson Mayor Steve Austin. "We are extremely happy that Hercules has an opportunity to expand its operations and grow its workforce in Henderson."
"Hercules Manufacturing has had a longtime presence in Henderson County," said Henderson County Judge-Executive Hugh McCormick. "From the initial construction of buggies which were built in Evansville to the van bodies currently manufactured here in Henderson, Hercules has invested thousands of dollars and diversified their business in order to remain a viable employer and provide the services and equipment required in an ever-changing economic environment. We are extremely proud to have Hercules Manufacturing as an industrial partner in Henderson County."
Hercules is eligible to receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies are eligible to receive no cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced cost customized training and job training incentives. Last year, the Kentucky Skills Network trained more than 84,000 employees from more than 4,100 Kentucky companies.
For more information on Hercules Manufacturing Company, visit www.herculesvanbodies.com
A detailed community profile for Henderson (Henderson County) can be viewed here.