Aiming to get closer to its American customers, Canada-based grill and cookware manufacturer Crown Verity plans to build its first U.S. plant in Warren County’s Kentucky Transpark.

Approved Thursday for state tax incentives at a meeting of the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, Crown Verity will build a $3.6 million, 60,000-square-foot plant on a 7.1-acre build-ready site between Mizpah Road and the Interstate 65 connector that’s under construction.

The company, which makes commercial grills, fryers, griddles and steamers for restaurants, hotels and country clubs, will hire about 25 employees, although Crown Verity President Andy Incitti said that number could go higher as the company builds its U.S. business.

Incitti said locating in Warren County simply made sense for a company that has been growing in the U.S.

“We need to expand our capacity in the U.S.,” Incitti said. “What brought us to Kentucky was the ability to service customers in the fastest and best way. We can reach 80 percent of the U.S. population in 24 hours (from Warren County).”

The transpark site also made sense because of its build-ready status. Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ron Bunch explained that build-ready sites save companies time and expense by certifying that pre-construction requirements are already in place. Build-ready sites include a building pad of at least 50,000 square feet and utilities that extend to the site’s edge.

Incitti said the Crown Verity building will be expandable to 100,000 square feet or more, and he can foresee a need to expand.

“We’ve been selling in the U.S. for 20 years,” he said. “That market has provided the fastest growth for our business. I think we’ll see it become the majority of our business eventually.”

The Crown Verity president said he anticipates employment at the plant to grow beyond the initial 25, particularly if the company expands its product line.

“In the future I can see us introducing a residential line of products that will go into stores,” he said.

Crown Verity was approved for tax incentives of up to $300,000 that are tied to the employment numbers. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.