TLS readies for new site

TLS by Design began operating out of a pole barn, but soon the growing company will move into a much bigger space.
The company is in the process of purchasing the north building of the former Sheller-Globe plant. That space is 53,000 square feet.
JP Day, general manager, said his family began searching for a bigger warehouse after the company quickly grew out of the warehouse it rents at 415 Water St. in Portland.
“As we’ve grown, the main problem we’ve had is capacity.”
At the new location, Day said, the company will have plenty of room to grow.
The company got its start in 2008 after Berne Furniture Company closed and four of its employees began working for TLS by Design.
Originally its focus was standard frames for pieces of furniture, mostly for Ivy Tech Community College campuses.
Since then, the furniture manufacturer has evolved. Now the company does its own upholstery and sources artwork and lighting.
When looking for a bigger space, the family was adamant about staying close to Portland, despite living in the Indianapolis area, Day said.
“We wanted to stay in this area because of the people,” he said. “Specifically, our workforce is why we’re here.”
The company turned down an offer to build in Muncie because it knew it wouldn’t be able to retain its team, Day said.
So Day and his family looked at the Sheller-Globe building about this time last year.
The building was tied up in a tax sale at that time, so the company offered $40,000 for the building, which was accepted by Jay County in February.
It needed multiple environmental tests to ensure it was not a hazard. TLS by Design received a clean bill of health on the building around June.
Since then, the company has been cleaning and renovating the structure while working to finalize the purchase, which has taken longer than expected.
Day said he’s hopeful the close will be happening very soon.
“It’s going to happen very soon, the close on the structure, so that will finalize all of the mess and we will own the deed outright,” he said.
“It slowed us down, but it didn’t really stop us from doing the cleanup or renovation.
 “We just kind of bulled ahead on the situation,” he said. “I don’t know if it was the smartest decision, but it seems to be working.”
Currently the company has 12 full-time employees and half a dozen part-time employees.
With a bigger location, Day said the company plans to bring more jobs to Portland.
Within the next five to ten years the company will open 15 to 20 new positions, beginning with new office employees.
“We’ve committed to that,” he said. “We’re making room for those people.”[[In-content Ad]]