(La Porte, IN) - A manufacturing company is closing its operations in La Porte which will result in the loss of more than 170 jobs. 

 

 

Freudenberg Residential Filtration Technologies on Factory St. is relocating to a new facility in downstate Lebanon.

 

In a letter to state and local officials, the company revealed the plant will officially close on December 5.  The company based in Germany makes things like filters, seals and cleaning products for over three dozen markets worldwide.

Bert Cook, Executive Director of the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, said the city was not in a good position to compete for keeping the plant here.

 

He said there were not many incentive programs left for the city to offer since incentives provided by the city to the company in years past cannot be offered again once used.

 

“Most of those incentives are centered around new investment like attracting companies to your community.  There are less tools for retaining companies once they’re in community,” he said. The company employs more than 52,000 people in 60 countries. Cook said he likes the odds of another company once the plant closes occupying the facility at some point.