Bastian to build manufacturing site north of Indianapolis

Systems integrator Bastian Solutions LLC will build a 90,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Westfield, Ind., at a cost of $8 million, the Indianapolis-based unit of Japanese forklift company Toyota Industries Corp. (TICO) said yesterday.

The facility will include 10,000 square feet of office space and will house the company's advanced manufacturing operations. Construction is expected to begin in November, with operations anticipated to begin early next year. Located in Hamilton County, Westfield is about 28 miles north of Indianapolis.

Bastian said it will create 87 jobs at the new location, which will be the company's fifth facility in the state. Besides its corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, the company has manufacturing and sales offices in Evansville, Fort Wayne, and Greenfield.

Bastian was acquired in February by TICO, which created a division to sell e-commerce, labor-cost, and productivity solutions to the North American material handling market. TICO markets Bastian's services through a division called Toyota Advanced Logistics Solutions (TALS), which operates separately from Toyota's forklift business.

"Toyota Advanced Logistics and Bastian Solutions are honored to join the Westfield community, and we look forward to building a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that will not only provide jobs but also become a catalyst for the local economy," TALS President Michael Romano said in a statement.