INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Engine maker Cummins Inc. could expand its presence in downtown Indianapolis as property brokers say the company is considering several locations for a new office building.
The Columbus-based company, which now leases space in two downtown buildings for about 70 employees, looking to construct its own building of about 70,000 square feet, or more than double its current leased space, the Indianapolis Business Journal (http://bit.ly/13xhGED ) reported.
Cummins spokesman Jon Mills said it was too early in the process to discuss details about the company’s plans.
“Cummins is evaluating our Indianapolis office presence in an effort to increase efficiencies as well as provide the best work environment for our employees,” Mills said.
Cummins would prefer a new building rather than leasing existing space, said John Robinson, managing director of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Indianapolis office.
“People who have land in the (central business district) area should be excited about talking to Cummins,” Robinson said.
The sites Cummins is considering include one near the Eli Lilly and Co. headquarters campus and at the former Market Square Arena site on the eastern edge of downtown, the newspaper reported.
Cummins has expanded its headquarters operations in Columbus, about 40 miles south of Indianapolis, in recent years and has some 7,500 headquarters and factory workers in southern Indiana.
Mills said Cummins first established its Indianapolis operations in 2004. The company has executive offices, as well as corporate departments such as human resources, legal, information technology and investor relations in Indianapolis.
With $17.3 billion in annual revenue, Cummins ranks as Indiana’s third-largest public company, trailing only WellPoint Inc. and Eli Lilly. It’s unclear whether city officials plan to offer incentives to entice Cummins to build a larger downtown office.
“Any company similar to someone like Cummins choosing to locate, grow and call Indianapolis home is always a good thing for the city and speaks to the attractiveness of the city from a business standpoint,” said Deron Kintner, the city’s deputy mayor of economic development.
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Information from: Indianapolis Business Journal, http://www.ibj.com
