Family-owned D. Martin Enterprises has been given the green light as the company takes the next step on its new manufacturing facility.

The requested personal property tax abatement was approved as the company seeks to purchase necessary equipment for the new building, which will expand steel industry offerings with approximately 112,350 square feet of manufacturing space and 4,000 square feet of office space.

“Machinery and equipment that we will purchase for production of refractory shapes has received a five-year tax abatement, with the timeline allowing us three years to purchase the items,” said Cory Martin, director of HR/Communications at D. Martin Enterprises.

The new manufacturing facility will provide an additional platform for D. Martin to serve the local and national steel industry with expanded services, offerings and a range of solutions. Construction was launched in 2024.

“Our facility is about 50 percent complete with a goal for occupancy in Quarter 4 of this year,” Martin said. “We believe this facility will provide over 30 new jobs paying a living wage with full benefits. We strive to hire locally and have positions with varying degrees of requirements for training and education.”

Economic Development Corporation Michigan City Executive Director Clarence L. Hulse said the development process is on track to make a significant impact on the steel industry and business community.

“Our city leaders understand how important our longstanding businesses are to the fabric of our entrepreneurial environment here in Michigan City,” Hulse said. “We are honored to have a family-owned company invest in our city and continue to build on roots established decades ago.”

“Michigan City has a great history of manufacturing and has worked hard to develop a network of technical education programs with LaPorte County Career and Technical Education and Ivy Tech, and we look forward to continued success here,” Martin said.

The company, 310 Commerce Square, began with Don Martin Sr. and his wife Betty, providing a range of solutions for the electric arc furnace steel mills across the country. Today, the company has nearly 100 employees and is on the verge of bringing a new process to the market.

“We’ve been in Michigan City for 40 years, and this growth is exciting. We couldn’t imagine expanding our business anywhere else, it’d be like selling the family home and starting over again,” Martin said. “As we expand into supplying the nation’s steel mills with specialized pre-shaped refractories and continue to grow our core business as a refractory manufacturer’s representative, we know this community will be an incredible support.”