By Zach Spicer
Two Seymour companies are investing in equipment to benefit their workforce.
During a meeting Oct. 26, the Seymour Common Council approved 10-year tax abatements for Walmart Distribution Center and Lannett Company Inc.
A tax abatement occurs over a 10-year period in which companies pay 10% more on taxes each consecutive year. Companies do not pay any property taxes on the improvements in the first year of a tax abatement.
Walmart’s $87 million personal property investment is for the purchase and installation of logistical material handling equipment.
“This is the continuation of Walmart’s modernization of their fulfillment center in Seymour, which began in 2024 and continued earlier this year when the company was granted abatement for an investment of $105 million,” Jim Plump, executive director of Jackson County Industrial Development Corp., said while speaking on behalf of Walmart Stores East LP.
“That followed investment of $57 million, which occurred by the end of 2025,” Plump said. “Tonight’s investment will bring the total projected cost for the project to $249 million.”
In 2023, Walmart announced a project to renovate its 42 regional distribution centers. The retailer continues to modernize its vast supply chain network to provide customers with better reliability, service and speed. The new technology system works to sort, store, retrieve and pack freight onto pallets, and the company is using automation to revolutionize intake, increase accuracy and change how freight is handled.
The new investment will allow the local distribution center, located just west of Interstate 65 on Seymour’s far east side, to retain its current workforce of 959, which is an increase of 22 employees since the last abatement was granted.
“The intention is to keep those employees in service,” said Erik Hingst, director of public affairs and government relations for Walmart. “That’s what this investment is for. It’s all about streamlining our flow and to keep these employees in place.”
In April 2027, Walmart will celebrate 40 years of a retail store opening in Seymour in 1987. The distribution center opened three years later.
“It’s been a wonderful relationship for our corporation in this town and in this county, and this kind of investment, I think, speaks volumes to our relationship with you all and what we’re trying to do with your constituents that are our associates,” Hingst told the council.
Walmart’s project will begin at the start of 2027 and be completed by the end of 2028.
Lannett’s $4.5 million personal property investment is for new manufacturing equipment to support business opportunities for the generic pharmaceutical manufacturer located in the Freeman Field Industrial Park on the far west side of Seymour.
“This is the first of what we anticipate to be more new investment since Lannett has been acquired by Aurobindo Pharma,” Plump said. “We have had communications with the company, and they are excited to have acquired the assets of Lannett at Freeman Field.”
He said while the company is under new ownership, it will keep the Lannett name. Aurobindo is based in New Jersey.
No new jobs are planned with this investment, but there are plans for employment growth in the future.
Tom Lewis, vice president of global supply chain and CDMO management for Lannett, said the number of employees at one time was nearly 800, but that declined significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic. The company currently has 402 employees.
“We don’t have projections at this time to be that high,” he said. “We will be submitting within the next six to 12 months a plan that has more of a significant investment as we’re planning on transferring anywhere between 10 to 20 products from Aurobindo’s plants in India to Seymour, Indiana.”
Lannett’s project will begin after Nov. 15 and be completed by June 30, 2027.
