Darana Hybrids’ full-time positions are expected to create $9 million in new annual payroll through the $46 million capital investment.
“We made a business decision to relocate our offices to Hamilton … for several reasons, including abundant access to skilled employees and greater opportunity for growth,” said Darryl Cuttell, CEO of Darana Hybrid, which is an electromechanical services provider in the food and beverage, processing, packaging, and conveyor industries .
“If you can imagine, just about everything you put your hands on touches a conveyor system, especially in the food and beverage industry,” said Julie Bick, the company’s vice president of operations.
The company’s facility in Memphis, Tenn., will remain there, however, offices are being “completely relocated” to Hamilton, she said.
“Hamilton Enterprise Park is located very close to Butler County Regional Airport and provides easy access for our staff to fly in and out to client locations,” Bick told the Journal-News. “Additionally, the area offers a great deal of land for our current endeavor, as well as any future expansion.”
Bick said she expects 200 jobs will be created within 18 months.
Darana Hybrid is an international company that works in both the United States and Canada.
Jody Gunderson, Hamilton’s economic development director, said Darana Hybrid will help the city’s efforts to grow and diversify its economy after attracting, in recent years, communications technology companies such as Barclaycard and Startek, and the expansion of companies from many different sectors, including ThyssenKrupp Bilstein, Community First Solutions, Valeo, Interstate Warehouse and Fort Hamilton Hospital.
“These diverse companies ensure that we have a well balanced local economy that has the ability to provide jobs to employees of all skill sets in this region,” he said.
Hamilton Enterprise Park was a great fit for Darana Hybrid because it is “shovel ready with the best and most reliable utilities already in place,” Gunderson said.
Darana Hybrid is a light manufacturing facility similar to those companies that are already in the business park, he said.
About the Author
