I joined the crowd  for Dometic’s in-booth party at the International BoatBuilders' Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) to hear that the company will be moving headquarters from Elkhart, IN, to Louisville, KY.

Doug Whyte, president of Dometic USA which inlcudes the RV division, announced that the move will consolidate the company's sales, marketing and financial functions in one location.  Dometic Marine will remain at its Florida location and the company will retain manufacturing facilities in Indiana. About 100 people will work at the new headquarters, which should open by the end of the year. Louisville mayor was on hand in the booth to say a few words about the move.

The creation of nearly 100 new high-paying jobs and an investment of more than $4.1 million will provide a significant economic boost to the region which shows visible signs of the  recent slowdown.  The downtown area is quiet in the evenings and the amusement park across from the expo centre has not been operational in over a year.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority gave preliminary approval to Dometic Corp. for tax incentives of as much as $3 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The incentives can be earned during a 10-year period through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments.