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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA homegrown maker of cheer outfits, gymnastics apparel and other girls’ activewear plans to expand its operations in Indianapolis and create up to 28 jobs by 2016.
Indianapolis-based Motionwear LLC expects to invest $230,000 in new equipment for its design and manufacturing facility at 1315 Sunday Drive on the south side, as well as another facility nearby, President and CEO Bob Wilson said Tuesday.
Founded in 1987, the firm currently employs more than 180 full-time workers and already has begun hiring new manufacturing, administrative, sales and warehouse employees.
“We are committed to maintaining and growing our operation in Indiana,” said Chief Financial Officer Theresa Mason. “Indianapolis is centrally located for both suppliers and North American customers. We have local resources available at reasonable costs to help fuel the growth of our business.”
Motionwear began in the home of Tom and Emily Wilson, whose daughter, Erin, couldn’t find dance wear that she liked in retail stores. Emily, a professional textile artist, sewed a costume for Erin and soon was fielding requests from others.
Today, Motionwear makes specialty apparel for gymnasts, dancers and cheerleaders that is available in about 1,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
In 2006, Italian sportwear firm FILA acquired Motionwear, and then changed hands again soon after. On Nov. 1 this year, seven members of the firm’s leadership team assumed a majority stake, Bob Wilson said.
“It’s something that we’ve been working on for a long time,” Wilson said.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has offered Motionwear up to $85,000 in training grants, based on the company’s job creation plans. The incentives are performance-based, meaning they cannot be claimed until workers are hired.
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