Italpollina USA Inc., a developer of organic biostimulant fertilizers will construct and equip a 15,000 sq. ft. research & development facility on a seven-acre site across from its existing operations in Anderson, Indiana. Located in a former GM plant complex, the project developed new biostimulants and create a convention and training facility as well as themed exhibit space.

Since 1974, Anderson, Indiana has lost over 21,000 GM jobs, leaving a legacy of vacant facilities and contaminated properties. Italpollina’s relocation is the first private development in the area in many years and the project has partnered with Purdue Polytechnic Institute. The R&D facility will include a phenomics greenhouse and growth chambers to create new–generation bio stimulants. The greenhouse is a fully automated plant phenotyping greenhouse with individual plant monitoring and controls.

With an unemployment rate of 22.4% or 2.7x the national average, the project will create 52 FTEs and 10 new construction jobs. A majority of the jobs are production jobs with low barriers to entry and are expected to be filled by low-income persons and low-income residents. The Project will participate in the Anderson Advanced Manufacturing Program, an innovative workforce program created by the City of Anderson that expressly targets employment outreach in the low-income community, has life skills training and then creates a training regime around the skills necessary to apply for and ultimately succeed in industry jobs created in Anderson.

The unproven and innovative nature of the project did not permit Italpollina to obtain conventional financing to fill a funding gap.