Material handling systems provider Wynright Corp. plans to open its new manufacturing facility outside Chicago by the end of December, following through on its previously announced plans to close two other sites in the region and consolidate production into the new building.

Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based Wynright will close its existing factories in Elk Grove Village and Oak Lawn—both in Illinois—and open the $26 million facility in Hobart, Ind., the company said today.

The company says it will reduce operating expenses by consolidating two manufacturing operations into one. The new site will expand Wynright's manufacturing from 160,000 to 320,000 square feet, and allow sufficient space on the 44-acre plot to double in size again--to some 640,000 square feet--as Wynright projects it will need to do to meet rising demand.

The company has offered all employees at both sites the opportunity to continue working at the new facility, and more than 80 percent of current employees have confirmed their intention to do so, according to Wynright, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the material handling solutions provider Daifuku North America.

Transition of employees from the Elk Grove and Oak Lawn plants will begin in August. Wynright also plans to fill new administrative, engineering, and manufacturing positions locally, creating up to 582 new jobs in Indiana by the end of 2021, the firm said.

"Centering on the products manufactured at the Hobart Factory, we plan to double sales over the next five years," Kevin Ambrose, president and CEO of Wynright, said in a release. "We are thrilled we were able to find a suitable facility in the Greater Chicagoland area. Being able to retain and consolidate so many of our skilled, hard-working employees from our existing sites in Elk Grove and Oak Lawn is key to the expansion of our business."