Saran Industries to close Indianapolis plant with 110 workers

Indianapolis-based Saran Industries said it plans to close its Post Road manufacturing plant by midyear, putting 110 employees out of work.

Saran, which does industrial finishing and machining work, told the Indiana Department of Workforce Development that it expects to close the local facility by June 30, according to a written notice the DWD received Monday.

“Employees may be released on an unscheduled basis during that time frame,” Saran President and Chief Operating Officer Mel Rachal wrote in the notification letter.

Some employees may have the chance to find work at other Saran locations, Rachal wrote. Saran has other plants in Bloomington and Kokomo.

IBJ was unable to reach Rachal for additional information late Monday afternoon.

Saran opened a facility in Shelbyville in 2011. Ryobi Casting Inc. acquired that facility last year as part of a $97 million expansion, according to Brian Asher, executive director of the Shelby County Development Corp.

Saran was founded in 1964 by Greek immigrant Tony Saran, who died in August at age 81. The company was acquired by Titan Equity Partners, a private equity firm located in Chicago, in late 2014.

In 2015, Saran announced plans to spend $4.4 million to lease and renovate a vacant factory in Kokomo, where it would hire up to 60 workers by the end of 2019. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered Saran up to $500,000 in conditional tax credits based on the hiring plans.

The plant had claimed only $36,591 in potential tax breaks by the end of 2016, according to the IEDC. The IEDC said the incentive plan applies only to the Kokomo plant and would not be affected by the Indianapolis plant closure.