Environmental contractor plans $2.8M HQ in Westfield

Environmental contractor Thieneman Construction Inc. plans to build a $2.8 million headquarters in Westfield’s Custom Commerce Park, more than doubling its staff there over the next decade.

Founded in northwest Indiana 15 years ago, the firm builds water and wastewater treatment plants in Indiana and Illinois. Its operations in Westfield and Merrillville produced about $35 million in revenue last year, founder Kenneth Thieneman wrote in a letter to local economic development leaders.

The existing Westfield office has 16 employees who make an average wage of almost $80,000 a year, he said, and the company expects to add 28 “white collar construction professionals” with annual salaries exceeding $71,000. The employment numbers exclude field personnel who belong to labor unions.

Thieneman is asking for a zoning change that would allow the company to place a screened outdoor storage yard next to the planned construction office at 17219 Foundation Parkway, near Oak Ridge Road north of 169th Street.

If that’s approved, the company would begin construction this year on 26,000 square feet of office and warehouse space. The 4.4-acre property also can accommodate future additions resulting in a facility of up to 60,000 square feet, Thieneman wrote.  

“We are excited about Thieneman Construction’s projected growth and equally excited about the proposition of making that growth happen here in Westfield,” wrote Thieneman, who moved to the Hamilton County community six years ago with his wife, Shannon, and their four children.

Portions of Custom Commerce Park have been designated as economic revitalization areas since 2003, making properties there eligible for tax breaks.

On Monday, the Westfield City Council approved a 10-year tax abatement for Thieneman Construction’s project. Under the terms of the deal, the firm’s property tax obligations would increase each year.

Thieneman said the company plans to move into the new facility in late 2015.