Hachette Book Group adding 130 jobs in Lebanon

Hachette Book Group is planning to add 130 new jobs at its distribution facilities in Boone County after receiving approval for tax incentives from the Lebanon City Council on Monday night.

The New York City-based publisher and distributor said it will invest $2.5 million to create the jobs and add new equipment throughout its three buildings, which total 1.8 million square feet in the Lebanon Business Park. Hachette expanded into its third building at the site earlier this year.

The new jobs will pay average wages of $15 per hour.

The company is the largest tenant in the business park and has more than 400 employees spread throughout the buildings. The 1,250-acre business park is near Interstate 65 between State Road 32 and State Road 39.

The Boone County Economic Development Corp. offered Hachette a $10,000 training grant, and the city of Lebanon agreed to a five-year personal property tax abatement that will save Hachette about $48,000.

“Hachette is a great community partner,” Boone County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Molly Whitehead said at Monday’s meeting. “This would make them one of the largest employers in the county.”