A long-time electrical systems and automation contractor celebrated the opening of its new Greenwood headquarters Thursday.
ERMCO, Inc. hosted the open house for business leaders and officials to check out their recently-completed 205,220-square-foot headquarters located at the northwest corner of Main Street and Graham Road. During the open house, attendees were able to tour the facility, its office spaces and service facility to see the company’s expertise first-hand.
ERMCO is a full-service, employee-owned specialty contractor that began operations in 1962 in Indianapolis. The company does everything from an electrical service call to a person’s home, to work in major sporting facilities like Heinz Field and the Toyota Center, said Greg Gossett, ERMCO’s president and CEO.
“We’ve actually performed all the electrical and systems work on over 31 major sporting facilities around the country,” he said. “We do hospitals, convention centers, hotels, you name it.”
The company first announced its plans to move its headquarters to Greenwood in April 2021. The company invested $18 million in its new headquarters, relocated 150 jobs from its previous Indianapolis location, and added 30 new employees. They also received $1.5 million in real and personal property tax breaks for the company. By the time the 10-year abatement has run its course in 2031, ERMCO will have paid more than $2 million in property taxes.
Groundbreaking for the building took place in 2021, and the building officially opened in December 2022, Gossett said.
When ERMCO first began searching for a new headquarters, they partnered with a firm that looked at employee zip codes to determine what area would be best. The firm’s software said the area of Interstate 65 and Keystone Avenue was the most centrally located, Gossett said.
With this in mind, company officials began searching for an area south of Interstate 465. Every time they found a prospective site, they always ended up being drawn back toward Greenwood, he said.
“We felt like the amenities that were available, from dining, shopping, the entertainment in the area, just seemed like the best fit,” Gossett said. “It was the best culture for our employees. We’ve got a very family-oriented culture and we felt like the Greenwood area supported that.”
Once they settled on Greenwood and began planning the facility, company officials looked at what would best benefit employees. This includes a state-of-the-art lunchroom facility, an exercise room and gathering spaces, along with a large service area, he said.
The gathering spaces are especially beneficial, and employees love the new building, he said.
“We’ve got people from different departments that never would’ve crossed paths at our old building just because it wasn’t as welcoming, that now spend time together and visit with one another,” Gossett said. “We’ve got friendships being kindled that never would have happened in their old facility. I think it’s all based on this building.”
The new building is also designed to showcase the company’s work. Many areas of the building have an open ceiling concept, allowing visitors to see how the wiring in their buildings can look.
Conference rooms in the building feature touch panels and examples for full integration of audio-visual equipment, company officials say. Also prominently displayed throughout the building are snapshots of the company’s history, including awards.
On the north end of the building is a 102,000-square-foot service center that houses ERMCO’s fabrication shop and services including shipping and receiving. The new service center is over three times bigger than the company’s previous centers, and allowed them to expand their fabrication capabilities, officials said.
The entire building is also fully integrated with technology and automation.
“It’s a truly smart building. You hear people talk about smart buildings, smart cities, that’s what we do,” Gossett said. “We can’t wait to continue to bring that technology to the area.”
By building their headquarters with technology and automation in mind, Gossett hopes they can show potential clients what the future could have in store for them.
“It can truly revolutionize our society,” he said. “It’s going to make a big difference in the near future.”
Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers is excited to see ERMCO’s relocation complete. Companies like ERMCO are the quality businesses the city wants to attract, he said.
“They’re a company that can bring somebody in off the street, train them, take them through an apprenticeship and help them get their licensing,” Myers said. “They want to keep their employees, they want to take care of their employees, they value their employees, and that’s what we want in our community.”
