Wheelchair lift company shifting work to northern Indiana

A company that converts minivans into wheelchair-accessible vehicles plans adding up to 70 jobs at its northern Indiana headquarters by shifting production from a Michigan factory.

Officials from The Braun Corp. say the company will spend about $7.5 million to modify a production line at its Winamac facility so workers can install rear-entry wheelchair lifts on minivans. The company says that work will be moved from its Kalamazoo, Mich., facility.

The new line is expected to be operational by late next year in the town about 50 miles south of South Bend. Braun has some 800 full-time Indiana employees at plants in Winamac and Elkhart.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says it offered Braun up to $500,000 in conditional tax credits and $100,000 in training grants.