— Officials at Uni-Ref Inc., a refractory products manufacturer, announced plans Nov. 28 to relocate its headquarters from Sharonville, Ohio, to Brookville, creating up to 50 new jobs by 2015, reported Indiana Economic Development Corp. spokesperson Katelyn Hancock.

The company, which is a subsidiary of United Refractories Co., McMurray, Pa., will purchase and renovate a 270,000-square-foot facility on a 23-acre campus at 8031 Golden Road. The facility will be fully operational by early next year.

Dan Hasler, Secretary of State and IEDC chief executive officer, said, “It is not by accident that the national trend of companies relocating work to Indiana continues despite the slow national economy. By choosing the Hoosier state as the home of its headquarters, Uni-Ref re-affirms Indiana’s reputation for low taxes, high-quality production and talented workforce.”

Uni-Ref, which currently employs 55 associates at its Ohio and Pennsylvania facilities, plans to begin hiring new production, warehouse and quality control associates in Brookville next year.

Fred Daniels, Uni-Ref vice president of operations, explained, “There were numerous reasons for choosing Indiana as our new location. The No. 1 reason was the business-friendly environment and lower tax base for businesses. The support from local Hoosiers and the Franklin County Economic Development Corp. also made it easy to choose Brookville as the location for our new headquarters.”

Founded in 1983 in Sharonville, Uni-Ref manufactures a heat-resistant material that makes up the protective linings of high-temperature furnaces, reactors and other processing units. The ISO 9001-certified company has grown its business to include customers around the world in the foundry, steel, aluminum, cement, lime and power industries.

IEDC offered Uni-Ref  up to $500,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $70,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. Franklin County will support the project through additional incentives at the request of the Franklin County Economic Development Commission.

“The addition of 50 new jobs is a shot in the arm for Franklin County,” said county Commissioner Scott McDonough. “We are thrilled that Uni-Ref has chosen Brookville for its headquarters and look forward to a long-standing relationship with the company.”

Uni-Ref is the 12th company this year to make plans to relocate operations from a neighboring state to Indiana, accounting for more than 780 new jobs and more than $30.7 million capital investment.