MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Family-owned D. Martin Enterprises is laying the groundwork for expanded offerings with a more than $20 million investment in a new manufacturing facility to serve the local and national steel industry.
Martin Enterprises Vice President of Operations Cassie Martin Graham said the new building will include 112,350 square feet of manufacturing space as well as 4,000 square feet of office space. The company is expected to initially add 30 new employees with the opportunity to hire more workers in the first two years of operation.
“My grandfather opened the DME office in Michigan City over 40 years ago and it’s always felt like the right place to be – central to many of the mills we do business with and in a community that has grown exponentially in that time,” she said.
“D. Martin Enterprises has a strong foundation here in Michigan City and has been a central component of the steel industry since 1975, with decades here in our city,” said Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch. “To have a multigenerational company continue to cultivate roots in Michigan City signifies how we continue to provide a strong base for our business community.”
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.
“In less than 10 years, we have increased sales revenue over four times,” Martin Graham said. “In the time that we have had our current production facility in Michigan City, we have grown from a single product line to designing more than 10 discrete product lines.”
EDCMC Executive Director Clarence L. Hulse said the innovations that a seasoned company brings to the region create a spark for even more opportunities.
“The value of a longstanding family-owned business expanding in our city is immeasurable,” Hulse said. “Retaining and helping our core companies level up is just as important as welcoming new businesses and impactful projects.”
Martin Graham added that it is vital for the DME team to be an intrinsic part of Michigan City as the community continues to flourish.
“We recruit employees locally and participate in mock interviews at A.K. Smith Career Center and provide continuous learning for our teammates at Ivy Tech,” she said. “We donate regularly to MCFD, MCPD, LaPorte County Sheriffs, LaPorte County Amvets and LaPorte County VFW. Both of my grandfathers were in the service, so continuing to support servicemen and women is in our blood.
“While Michigan City’s proximity to major freeways, Chicago and Midwest steel mills has been integral to our business’ success, we also love that the growth we’ve seen around us has created a community that we enjoy being a part of whether it’s lunch at one of the local restaurants or a stop off at the lake on the way home to relax after work.”
The D. Martin Enterprises team is working on design plans and is looking to break ground in October 2024. The new facility is expected to be operational in early 2026.