Lozier Invests in Middlebury’s Future
new jobs by 2018. Upgrades include work on the building, equipment and machinery, and IT equipment. Andrews noted that Lozier has a long history of capital investments in their facilities and products to ensure quality and efficiency.
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“Lozier immediately began looking for ways to improve our equipment and processes, and several new pieces have already been installed,” said Randy Burkholder, Middlebury general manager. “Our employees have more job stability, our business is growing, we’re adding jobs in the community—it’s been very uplifting working for a company that’s willing to reinvest and redeploy resources.”
ozier Corp. may be a name that’s relatively new to Indiana, but you’ve likely seen the company’s products in retail stores across the country for years.
Lozier, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, has been designing and building store fixtures for the retail industry since 1956. In fact, they originated the basics of the shelving systems used across the industry today. In November 2014, Lozier became owner of Syndicate Systems in Middlebury when it bought several assets of that company’s owner, Leggett and Platt Store Fixtures Group. Syndicate Systems had been a key area employer since the company relocated from Indianapolis in the 1980s.
We’ve worked hard to stay a step ahead, identifitying what customers need and the best way to deliver it without sacrificing quality and service.
“The acquisition allowed us to unite two teams of talented, committed people,” said Lozier President/ CEO Sheri Andrews. “The Middlebury facility in particular is valuable because it increases our capacity and provides flexibility to meet peak demand seasons and opportunities. That’s good for all our customers.” The purchase has turned out to be good for Middlebury, too. Since the acquisition, Lozier has begun upgrading the over 1.7 million square-foot facility, announcing plans to invest over $14.5 million and to add 300
50 Progress 2016 • February 2016
The Middlebury location is now one of Lozier’s 10 manufacturing and distribution facilities, totaling over 5.2 million square feet. Middlebury manufactures metal cabinets, gondola shelving, storage products and tubular products. These fixtures are for a broad group of customers including well-known retailers like Walmart, Dollar General, Michael’s, and Canadian Tire. In addition to the steel products manufactured in Middlebury and other plants, Lozier builds fixtures in wood, laminates, wire, solid surface materials, glass, and more. “Retail is changing all the time,” said Greg Maring, Lozier VP sales and marketing. “We’ve worked hard to stay a step ahead, identifying what customers need and the best way to deliver it without sacrificing quality and service. We’re excited to be part of the Middlebury community and look forward to growing our business here.”