With the unveiling of a new sign and a burst of some confetti, Shindigz’s presence in downtown Fort Wayne was made known to the community Wednesday.

“This step really announces to the community that the party is starting,” Shindigz Owner Shep Moyle said. 

A celebration marked the start of the party at the intersection of Harrison and Wayne Streets. The old Harrison Place building was renamed to Shindigz Place. 

The 92 year old party supply company offers 36,000 items, 13,000 of which are made in northeast Indiana. The company has a manufacturing facility in South Whitley, but the owners have been looking around the country in places North Carolina and Texas for a modern expansion. The decided to stay in the area they are familiar with.

“It allows us to hit the restart of our business and really act like a startup,” Moyle added. “We’ll be changing our culture, we’ll be changing how we attract talent and we’ll be changing the way we go to market, focusing on data science, focusing on technology and software programming. And we want to work with the local business community to help grow a tech community here.”

About 300 people work for Shindigz. With the move downtown, another 20 are expected to join the team. It’s a company that serves all 50 states and 55 countries.

“They chose this because the opportunity,” President and CEO of Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership John Sampson told NewsChannel 15. “This is an emerging community. To be from the Midwest and to have the momentum that we do today, is absolutely incredible. So we as a city and residents can celebrate what we’re doing in northeast Indiana to make this a great place to live and work.”

The staff is planning on moving into the downtown office in the spring.

While the downtown move is worked out, improvements are planned for the South Whitley facility. Operational upgrades are expected to start early next year.