Hamilton Economic Development Director Jody Gunderson said the aerospace industry is “such a strong industry for this region.”
“It’s a company that’s been growing and expanding over the years,” he said, “which has necessitated them looking at facilities outside of their other locations. Hamilton happened to have a building that was available and for sale and it fit their needs.”
The Ohio Tax Credit Authority on Monday approved a 1.156%, seven-year tax credit for Wulco to create 55 fulltime equivalent jobs with $2.780 million in new annual payroll. As part of the tax credit agreement, the TCA requires the company to maintain operations at 3550 Symmes Road for at least 10 years.
Ohio is competing with Indiana and Kentucky for this proposed project, and “the state support will help ensure this opportunity moves forward in Ohio,” according to a release from the TCA.
The proposed project in Hamilton includes the consolidation of operations within the region, bringing in outsourced work and increasing capacity. This consolidation involves a building acquisition and the elimination of leased spaces.
In addition to the new payroll, the company will retain $11.5 million in current payroll, and the new jobs are expected to be on the books by Dec. 31, 2029, according to the TCA. Gunderson said they anticipated more than 80 employees will be working on Symmes Road.
The Ohio Tax Credit Authority each month reviews economic development proposals brought forward by the JobsOhio board and its regional partners, such as REDI Cincinnati for southwest Ohio.
Businesses want to be in Hamilton, and it’s beneficial for businesses to be in Hamilton, said Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dan Bates, saying, “city’s easy to work with and we do everything we can, when these businesses come in, to make the barriers as few as possible.”
The business is taking over the iMFLUX building. That company was a wholly owned P&G subsidiary that shut down in June 2023 which resulted in more than 120 job losses. That company’s closure was a result of P&G’s transition to a different way of using its proprietary injection molding technology.
“When you lose one and it gets replaced by another one, that’s always a positive,” Bates said. “I think that shows that space is desirable and in demand in Hamilton, not just downtown but in the business and industrial parks as well.”
Wulco is operated by the Wulfeck family. The company was established in 1990 when two family companies ― Jet Machine and Manufacturing and Rocket Supply ― combined. CIMA Packaging, which is on Hamilton’s west side, was added to the company’s portfolio in 2020. Wulco Inc. expanded its operations when it acquired NextGen Armor in 2022.
According to the company, each Wulco division is dedicated to research, development and application of cost-effective technology, strategies and manufacturing processes.
Wulco’s expansion onto Symmes Road continues the city’s legacy of making things.
“That industry has changed dramatically,” Bates said. “The big smokestacks might be gone, but that doesn’t mean there is really robust manufacturing happening in Hamilton. With modern-day manufacturing, they’re in modern buildings, in business parks and industrial parks, and the dirty, dark and dangerous manufacturing has been replaced by high-technology and with trained employees that earn a nice wage.”
Gunderson said the company said the city’s utility operations were important to the company. “The capacities we had in our utilities was a big deal, as well as the built-up infrastructure around the building,” he said. “It’s a nice facility as they grow their business.”
The iMFLUX building is at the corner of Symmes and Bypass Ohio 4, with accessibility to Interstate 75 to the east and Interstate 275 to the south through Fairfield.
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