JASPER, IN —  Indiana Furniture Industries Inc. announced plans to expand its operations, creating up to 10 new high-wage jobs by 2015. The office furniture manufacturer and distributor said it will also add a 30,000 square-foot addition to one of its existing manufacturing facilities as part of the project. The new addition is slated to be operational by the end of 2012.

Indiana Furniture currently has 287 full-time employees in Indiana. The company said it will begin hiring additional technical machine operators and engineers to coincide with the expansion. Indiana Furniture will receive up to $100,000 in training grants from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. According to IEDC, the tax credits are performance-based; until state residents are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. Th City of Jasper approved additional property tax abatement.

Indiana Furniture President and CEO Bret Ackerman said, "To gain a competitive advantage in this industry, we've recognized that we need to embrace innovation in technology and processes. Therefore we plan on considerable capital expenditures over the next several years."

Founded in 1905, the Jasper, IN-based company has become known for its sustainability in manufacturing. Indiana Furniture says 100 percent of its product volume is  BIFMA level certified for sustainability: all casegoods are certified at level 2 and all seating products are level 1. In addition, Indiana Furniture's ultraviolet finishing technology was awarded the GREENGUARD certification for indoor air quality in 2008 by the Greenguard Environmental Institute for the company's non-toxic curing process. The company has nine showrooms located throughout the United States.