Berne Apparel is expanding its operation in Ossian to accommodate additional warehousing needs.
The company came to the Ossian Town Council Monday evening seeking tax abatements on a $2.2 million, 60,000-square-foot expansion. The current building in the Ossian Industrial Park is approximately 135,000 square feet.
The council granted the tax abatement request on a 4-0 vote as Josh Barkley, Bill Dowty, Renee Sweeney, and Jeff Kemper all voted in favor of it. The fifth council member, Brad Pursley, was not present.
The council’s vote means the company’s property taxes on the expansion will be abated 100 percent in the first year, 90 percent in the second year, and so on until the 10 years of the abatement are concluded.
Berne Apparel has been in Ossian since 2010. It started in Berne as the Berne Overall and Shirt Company in 1915.
“Berne Apparel is a leading manufacturer and distributor of work, safety, hunting and casual wear,” said Rich Honig, Berne Apparel’s chief financial officer. “The expansion is necessary to accommodate significant sales growth.”
Berne Apparel’s statement of benefits filing with the Ossian Town Council said that the expansion would eventually mean five new employees. The company said in a statement, however, that as many as eight new employees could be added to the company’s current 48-member work force.