I Supply Company, a food service distributor in Fairborn, is looking to expand its operations, and it could lead to a relocation to Indiana, according to the company’s chairman and CEO.
I Supply operates a 123,000-square-foot facility at 1255 Spangler Road in Fairborn, but has outgrown that space and needs to expand there or elsewhere, said Jerry Parisi, I Supply’s chairman and CEO.
If the company were to move, Richmond, Ind., would be the likely destination, Parisi said. The cost of expansion would be in the $5 million to $6 million range, and a final decision is expected in the spring, he said.
“We don’t have enough information yet,” said Parisi, whose company has been in Fairborn since 1987. “We’re in the early stages of exploration.”
I Supply employs 200 people and had $275 million in sales in 2014. The company is one of the top 10 employers in Fairborn, according to Chris Wimsatt, the city’s economic development director.
“I am hopeful that they remain in the community,” Wimsatt said. “We’ve been talking about their options — what’s important to them and what their needs are. We’re trying to be as helpful as possible.”
Wimsatt said local incentives could include roadway improvements and helping with utility needs, such as water, sewer and natural gas. The city is close to completing a $1.7 million project to upgrade Spangler Road — a project I Supply had lobbied for.
“I can’t comment on what the incentives will be because we don’t know the exact details of the project,” Wimsatt said.
I Supply announced Tuesday its plans to open a new distribution facility in Kalamazoo, Mich., on March 1. The company is leasing 99,000 square feet that will initially employ 35 people, with more than 100 employees projected by 2017.
Parisi said the new facility will result in $50 million to $60 million in additional sales. The company is starting out primarily with one company, Rally’s, with hopes for growth, he said.
The expansion into Michigan will allow I Supply to enter new markets in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin, officials said.
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