KNOX — Sabre Manufacturing in Knox is becoming a major success story and will spend $500,000 to expand its plant and add 20 jobs.
Sabre, an environmental equipment manufacturing company, and the Starke County Development Foundation announced the expansion of the Sabre Manufacturing facility on Ind. 8 just east of Knox.
The expansion of the facility and new equipment will permit the company to double the capacity of its blast and paint facilities.

Sabre Manufacturing produces temporary environmental containers known as “FRAC” tanks and “WEIR” tanks for the environmental and petroleum industries.
The start-up company began production in 2005 in the abandoned General Woodworker plant in Knox. That facility had been purchased by the Starke County Development Foundation, the Local Economic Development Organization for Starke County, at a Starke County tax sale. The Development Foundation sold the facility to Sabre Manufacturing in 2005 upon the commitment by Sabre to employ 20 persons within 18 months of the sale. Sabre today employs 99 persons.
Jason Ries, Plant Manager, said “the expansion, which could have been located elsewhere, was located in Starke County, because of the support by the Development Foundation and the City of Knox.” Ries further stated, “The tax phase-in offered by the city of Knox for the expansion weighed heavily in the decision to expand in Starke County.”
Charles Weaver, executive director of the Starke County Development Foundation, stated, “Sabre Manufacturing has fulfilled every promise it has made. This is another example of the Starke County Development Foundation’s success in rehabilitating abandoned facilities into successful manufacturing enterprises.”
Near the end of 2007, Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff houston said that Sabre far exceeded initial expectations. At that time, the plant employed 95 people with an annual payroll of $2.85 million. Sabre initially anticipated an annual payroll of $800,00.