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Lotion maker relocating operations to Indianapolis

Scott Olson
January 27, 2012
Keywords
Economic Development, Economic Development Agencies, Economic Development Incentives, Factories, Government & Economic Development, Indiana Economic Development Corp., Job Creation, Manufacturers, Manufacturing & Technology, Products, Tax Abatements, Tax Credits
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Indianapolis-based Sunshine Manufacturing LLC, a producer of tanning lotions, announced on Friday morning that it plans to add up to 180 jobs through 2015 by relocating a manufacturing facility to the city from Tempe, Ariz.

The company is a subsidiary of New Sunshine LLC, which is owned by an investment group led by former Conseco Inc. CEO Stephen Hilbert.

Headquartered near West 71st Street and Interstate 465, New Sunshine said it will invest $4.4 million to upgrade and equip a 105,000-square-foot building at 4760 Kentucky Ave. on Indianapolis’ south-west side.

New Sunshine, which has 220 employees at three locations nationwide, plans to begin hiring for manufacturing and administrative positions in the spring, when the facility is expected to be operational. The plant will serve as the company’s primary manufacturing facility in North America.

The jobs are expected to pay an average wage of $13.30 an hour, according to city documents. New Sunshine is seeking a 10-year property-tax abatement from the city to help offset its investment. The Metropolitan Development Commission will consider the request during a Feb. 1 meeting.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. said it will provide Sunshine Manufacturing up to $900,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $75,000 in training grants based on the company’s job-creation plans.

During the life of the abatement, the company should save about $163,422 in property taxes while paying roughly $109,728, according to the city.

Founded in 1987, New Sunshine has grown to become the leading supplier of tanning lotions to the more than 12,000 indoor tanning salons across the country. Its brands include Australian Gold, Designer Skin, Swedish Beauty and California Tan.

Hilbert’s group purchased New Sunshine in 2005. The group, MH Private Equity Fund LLC, is financially backed by retail billionaire John Menard.

 

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  1. First, the Athenaeum is going to have to get past the hurdle with the Lockerbie residents and the agreement that the parcel would be residential. Second, and in my opinion, this prime piece of property should include parking, PLUS, a black box theater(s), some market rate and affordable artist housing and a plan to renovate and reconfigure the second story theater. I would negotiate to add the DeHaan property surface parking lot into the development mix, place a one story surface parking garage on the DeHaan lot on the street level (for the Dehaan tenants use during the daytime) and add a second story to the garage that would become an addition to the current second story theater and then change the direction of the theater by moving the stage across the alley and on top of the DeHaan lot parking. You can add all the stage elements that are currently missing from the Athenaeum stage to make it more attractive for use by Ballet, Opera and traveling productions. Plus, the theater changes would probably help solve some of the soundproofing issues. Alas,it does not seem to be a part of the strategic plan to conduct a study to determine best use of the property. Seems like the current plan is a quick and easy move that ignores the property best use/potential and any strategic property planning for the effect on future generations.

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  3. Accoriding to their website there is no deadline to the Do Not Call list. What is this article referring to??

  4. On what planet are they entitled to this largesse from the stockholders? These people make multi-million dollar salaries: Pay for your own personal travel.

  5. It matters because they're already paid enormously fat salaries: Pay for your own personal travel. Being "taxed on it" isn't a valid excuse--so what? They're still being gifted a raft of luxury perks from somebody else's money on top of an enormous, lavish salary.

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