Viking Group, Inc. Announces Plans for New Facility in Richmond

Viking Group, Inc., a Michigan-based manufacturer and distributor of fire protection solutions, will construct a new manufacturing facility in Richmond. The facility will be built on 40 acres of land and is expected to bring 111 new jobs to the area. Construction on the facility is set to begin in 2023, with an expected completion in 2024.

For more information, visit the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County.

IEDC Invests Nearly $23 Million in Manufacturing Readiness Grants to Hoosier Businesses in 2022

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), in partnership with Conexus Indiana, announced today that 186 Manufacturing Readiness Grants totaling $22.7 million were awarded in 2022, supporting $352.7 million in technology-enabled capital investment among manufacturers. The innovative program, structured to allow Indiana based manufacturers to increase production efficiency, invested in 60 counties across Indiana in 2022.

In the 2022 Manufacturing Readiness Grants Impact Report, Conexus Indiana and the Purdue University Dauch Center for the Management of Manufacturing Enterprises provided an in-depth look into the impacts achieved via grant recipients through June 30, 2022. Key findings from the impact report, in addition to a revenue impact survey conducted in collaboration with the IEDC, include: 

• Companies that adopted a smart manufacturing technology on average added five new positions; they also anticipated payroll to grow on average $196,000 per project.
   

• The average revenue impact to companies was $2.5 million, with 37% of those companies reporting that they anticipated revenue growth of more than 10%.
   

• The capital investment coupled with projected increases in both revenue and wages equate to a significant internal rate of return for the state’s investment in the Manufacturing Readiness Grants program.  

For more information, visit the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Liberation Labs Selects Richmond for First Biomanufacturing Facility

Liberation Labs, a large-scale precision fermentation manufacturer providing an alternative source of protein, has chosen the city of Richmond for the site of its first commercial-scale biomanufacturing facility. The new facility will have a fermentation capacity of 600,000 liters with a fully dedicated downstream process (DSP) and will be located on a 36-acre lot in Phase I of Richmond's 700-acre Midwest Industrial Park. The company expects to invest $115 million in the facility and plans to create an estimated 45 well-paying manufacturing jobs.

For more information, visit the EDC of Wayne County.

Lt. Gov. Crouch, OCRA award over $728K to 10 properties

 Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced 10 properties will be awarded $728,671 through the Historic Renovation Grant Program. The program is designed to preserve and rehabilitate historic properties to further incentivize downtown economic development across Indiana.

The following projects will be awarded funding in East Central Indiana:

Dr. Jefferson Helm House (Rushville, Ind.)

Ronald V. Morris is awarded $100,000 to preserve and return to service the Dr. Jefferson Helm House. Located in Rush County, Dr. Helm built the small but distinctive home in 1845 reminiscent of the ideas of Thomas Jefferson. The property represents the faith and promise the pioneer ancestors placed in the aspiring state of Indiana, the power of education and the virtue of science. The property will be adapted into a social gathering place to host tours, special events and educational gatherings. Preservation work will include masonry restoration, chimney restoration, repair/restore roof, replacing non-historic windows with new period appropriate wood windows, repair/restore porch rails and columns, repair and replacement of historic doors, and reconstruction of two missing side porches based on physical evidence.

Historic Davis Building (Winchester, Ind.)

John and Katie Lash are awarded $34,256 for the preservation of the Historic Davis Building, which occupies the corner of Franklin and Main Street on the Winchester Courthouse Square. The building was originally built in 1927 as additional spaces were needed in Winchester as a result of the gas boom. Many small business and residential tenants have fond memories of its service through the years. This historic renovation project will open up the unique glass atrium, restore masonry, and refinish doors and windows. Further, this project will create a space with multi-use opportunities for more community members to enjoy for years ahead.

For more information, visit the Office of Community & Rural Affairs website.

Henry County Ag & Energy Cooperative Breaks Ground on New Building

Indiana-based agriculture and energy cooperative Co-Alliance recently broke ground on a loadout building in Mount Summit.

The $1.5 million investment will provide faster, more efficient, and environmentally friendly product distribution to farmers within a 25-mile radius of the facility. Herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides will all be housed and distributed through this facility. The building is projected to be completed by March 2023.

For more information, visit Co-Alliance.

GM announces $491 million investment

General Motors will invest $491 million to expand and upgrade its electric vehicle (EV) production in Marion.

Diamond Pet Foods Breaks Ground in Rushville

Diamond Pet Foods broke ground on a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution center in Rushville. The company will create up to 170 jobs by the end of 2024 with an investment of $259 million.

Local Companies Expand with Assistance from EDIT Funds

Two Wayne County companies - Vandor Group and Dot Transportation - recently announced expansions with help from an Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) grant from the EDC of Wayne County.

Vandor is investing in its Reel Options and Funeral Products divisions. Reel Options is adding a new product line into an existing 41,625 SF third Richmond plant on Progress Drive. Vandor Funeral Products is adding 17,750 SF onto its Rich Road facility. The two projects plan for a combined investment total of $2.8M by the end of 2022 and the creation of 28 new full-time jobs over the next three years.

Dot Transportation, Inc. (DTI), a division of Dot Foods, Inc., will receive an Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) Grant totaling $86,000 to assist with their semi-truck driver training program called Earn to Learn. Dot began work on the office expansion this month with a target completion date of March, 2023. Work on the gate station also began this month with a target completion date of October, 2022.  

For more information, visit the EDC of Wayne County.

ECIRP Spotlights New Job Posting Board

The East Central Indiana Regional Partnership has added a new feature to the Forge Your Path website, a lifestyle marketing brand that aims to establish ECI as a destination where people want to live, work, and play.

Forge Your Path highlights the many positive aspects of living in East Central Indiana, like affordability, accessibility to various entrepreneurial opportunities, and the uniqueness of the region’s many historic districts. The website offers a practical look at amenities – like festivals, themed adventures, museums, and other activities – relocation information for those looking to put down roots, and tools to help current residents looking to forge a new path in their own careers – like finding an internship, accessing job training, or opening your own business.

The new feature, located on Find a Job under the Your Path to Careers tab, allows job seekers to search for available positions in the region. Users can search by title, city, occupation, company and certification. The data comes from the Real-Time Intelligence (RTI) Jobs Posting data set by Chmura – a company that provides labor market software, consulting and data. Jobs are pulled in from over 40,000 websites and are updated daily.

“This new tool will enable current and prospective residents to easily view employment opportunities right here in ECI,” said Trevor Friedeberg, President and CEO of the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership. “This emphasizes the numerous opportunities within our communities throughout the region.”

The feature is possible with the support of a marketing grant from Duke Energy. To learn more, visit ForgeECI.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

CANPACK Celebrates Topping Off Ceremony

CANPACK, a global packaging manufacturer, celebrated the completion of steel framing for its new 862,000-square-foot plant during a Topping Off ceremony with Governor Eric Holcomb and local community officials. The company will invest $380 million and create 345 jobs by 2023. The new facility is located on 139 acres of land on the southwest corner of South Cowan and West Fuson Roads in Muncie.

Peter Giorgi, President and CEO of Giorgi Global Holdings, Governor Holcomb and the Blue Rock construction team signed the steel beam and then put it into place during the ceremony. The timeline for construction completion is fourth quarter 2022.

East Central Indiana Continues to Forge Ahead with READI

With the help and support of the IEDC team, ECIRP and the READI Governing Body has finalized a list of prioritized projects that will be reviewed and considered for READI funding.

On Friday, May 13, the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership entered into an official partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to implement regional investment through the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI).

“As we continue to build on the READI momentum with the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership, the IEDC remains a trusted partner, dedicated to ensuring projects are prioritized,” said Mark Wasky, IEDC’s senior vice president of community affairs. "Your region’s successes are Indiana’s successes, and we look forward to celebrating alongside of you as we progress through this transformational program.”

Launched by Gov. Holcomb and led by the IEDC, READI builds on the framework and successes of the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative and the 21st Century Talent Initiative, encouraging regional collaboration and data-driven, long-term planning that, when implemented, will attract and retain talent in Indiana.

The $500 million READI fund, passed by legislation during the 2021 session, utilizes federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies. The East Central Indiana Regional Partnership, which includes Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Jay, Henry, Randolph and Wayne counties, was awarded $15 million in READI funding at the end of 2021. The award, along with the public and private match dollars required through the READI program, will help support regional improvements across the eight county area.

Following the grant award, the READI Governing Body, which consists of two representatives from each participating county, began to prioritize regional projects based on the $15 million funding allocation. Each proposed effort included in the Forge Your Path Regional Development Plan was reviewed against established criteria including ARPA eligibility, regional impact, project funding and completion timelines. With the help and support of the IEDC, the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership and the READI Governing Body finalized a list of prioritized projects that will be reviewed and considered for READI funding.

“The READI initiative is a testament to the importance of regionalism and what we can accomplish by working together,” said Trevor Friedeberg, President & CEO of the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership. “We believe that our priority projects will help East Central Indiana to become the region of choice for talent and industry.”

Regional Housing and Commercial Development

Nearly 9,000 individuals commute into East Central Indiana for work on a daily basis with more than 1,800 of those individuals living in surrounding states. While vacant housing has increased from 11.1% in 2010 to 13.2% in 2021 and is projected to continue to rise, the vast majority of the region’s vacant homes are unsafe and/or too costly to renovate. The lack of attainable, safe, and desirable housing completely negates talent attraction efforts, which in turn thwarts attraction of new businesses and industries.

With READI investment in Delaware, Henry, Grant and Wayne counties, more than 150 acres will be shovel and move-in- ready for housing and commercial developments. More than 250 new market-rate housing units will focus on multi-family and single-family homes, both of which are in high demand.

Proposed Projects

·        McKinley-Whitely Live Learn Neighborhood, Muncie, IN

·        Albany Commercial Park Initiative

·        Salem Township Shovel Ready Site Initiative

·        Yorktown Downtown Revitalization

·        Ridley Tower, Marion, IN

·        Richmond Rising: Filling the Gap Workforce Housing

·        SR 109 Infrastructure Investment, Henry County, IN

Regional Broadband

Data shows that 17.7% of East Central Indiana residents report lack of access to reliable and affordable high-speed (100/20 Mbps) broadband. Unequal access perpetuates unequal outcomes in education, work opportunities, digital literacy, business development, and attraction of remote workers. While a large number of providers exist, there are insufficient wireless and satellite services available for rural areas, which makes up the majority of the East Central Indiana region. It is difficult for low density areas to provide the required return-on-investment for most new terrestrial landline broadband networks.

READI investments in equitable high-speed broadband service in Blackford County is necessary to retain existing residents, attract new talent, and provide equitable education, employment, and business development opportunities, particularly in our rural areas.

Proposed Projects

·        Blackford County Broadband Improvements

Early Childhood Education and Career Pipelines

A meaningful outcome requires significant work including strategic planning, project management, data analysis, communication, reporting and accountability. The plan to invest in both human and analytical infrastructure is necessary to scale talent innovation and equity of opportunity across the region.

READI investments in the East Central Indiana Talent Collaborative, Jay County Early Childhood Center Program, Randolph County 4H and Vision Corner Learning Center will allow the region to develop education and career pipelines, launch new programs and produce meaningful research and develop opportunities for upskilling and training. The projects will also fully engage and leverage the expertise of industry partners through the establishment of regional industry networks. Each network will work directly with the established cradle to career coalition and develop collaborative solutions to the shared workforce challenges.

Proposed Projects

·        East Central Indiana Talent Collaborative

·        Vision Corner Learning Center, Randolph County

·        Randolph County 4-H Improvements

·        Jay County Early Childhood Center Program

Quality of Place Improvements

Quality of place emphasizes features of the physical environment and characteristics that make a location a desirable, competitive, and economically vibrant place to live. The planning and maintenance of neighborhoods, transportation infrastructure, public education, healthcare, recreational assets, tourism features, and the natural environment play a major role in determining if a place is desirable to live or work.

READI investments in our region’s parks, open spaces, trails, downtowns and cultural art centers will strengthen our ability to attract, produce, and retain high-quality talent for current and prospective employers. Additionally, investment within our region’s cultural and recreational locations will provide unique opportunities for residents and regional visitors to create a lifetime of adventures and experiences within their local community.

Proposed Projects

·        Market Street Plaza, Connersville, IN

·        Grant County Performing Arts Center, Gas City, IN

·        Selma Accessibility Improvements

·        Salamonia Schoolhouse and Park Improvement Project

ECIRP will continue to work with the IEDC to finalize project information and begin submitting recommended projects to the state’s grant management tool for final review and approval.

As implementation continues, regional and local leaders are encouraged to communicate questions and concerns to either Katie Clark (kclark@tswdesigngroup.com) or Trevor Friedeberg (tfriedeberg@ecirp.org).

Duke Energy supports economic development in Indiana with nearly $120,000 in grants

Duke Energy is awarding nearly $120,000 in strategic grants to 26 economic development groups to spur new jobs and investment across the state of Indiana.

“Duke Energy is working hand in hand with our local and regional economic development partners to accelerate growth and job creation in the communities we serve,” said Erin Schneider, director of economic development for Duke Energy Indiana. “We’re proud to support these organizations, each of which plays a critical role in marketing Indiana’s communities to attract businesses and enhance the quality of life for our customers.”  

The funding is through Duke Energy’s Partnership Program, which supports organizations that increase awareness of a community or region’s economic development strategies and product availability. This may include tours and special events to promote business sites and communities; marketing campaigns and promotional materials; and website development and updates.

Since the program was established in 2017, Duke Energy has contributed nearly $600,000 in grant funding to organizations that are helping create vibrant economies in Indiana.

To qualify for program consideration, each applicant submitted a plan that would have a direct impact on their community’s economic growth. These awards help local and regional economic development organizations fund marketing and strategic efforts in the communities they serve. Amounts varied depending on the size and scope of the project.

The East Central Indiana Regional Partnership was awarded a $5,000 grant to enhance the Forge Your Path website.

Indoor Vertical Farm Expanding to Muncie

A Minnesota company that bills itself as the world’s largest indoor vertical aeroponic farm is setting up shop in Delaware County. Living Greens Farm says it will invest nearly $70 million to establish a 200,000-square-foot farming, processing and packaging facility in Muncie and create up to 120 jobs by the end of 2024.

The company says the new location will allow it to expand its bagged salad and salad kit offerings to retailers and consumers throughout the Midwest and Midsouth regions.

Chief Executive Officer George Pastrana says Muncie is an ideal location to begin the company’s national expansion.

“It will help us to better supply our current retail partners, such as Walmart, Whole Foods, HyVee, UNFI and others, as well as allow expansion into additional leading retail and wholesale operations across the Midwest,” Pastrana said in written remarks. “I wish to thank the fine people of Muncie and Delaware County for the work they put into making this new farm a reality. As we are from a rural town in Minnesota, they made us feel that Muncie would be exactly the environment that would work well for us.”

Living Greens says the Muncie facility will use an advanced farming system that requires “significantly less” water than traditional farming methods. The farm will be able to grow and harvest nearly 5 million pounds of pesticide-free leafy greens annually.

The farming system is expected to save an estimated 103 million gallons of water per year.

The company expects to begin hiring for production, processing, shipping, management, and administrative positions for the Muncie location beginning in the second quarter.

“We are so pleased to have the Living Greens Farm investment in Delaware County,” said Delaware County Commissioner President Sherry Riggin. “Diversification of industry in our community is incredibly important. The leafy greens product is a wonderful addition, and we’re happy to welcome them to the county.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has offered Living Greens Farm up to $1.2 million in conditional tax credits, which the company will not be eligible to claim until Hoosier workers are hired for the new jobs and the planned capital investments are made. Delaware County has approved additional incentives.

By Alex Brown, Inside Indiana Business

East Central Indiana Regional Partnership Names New President & CEO

Ashley Savieo, Past Chair of the East Central Indiana Regional Partnership’s (ECIRP) Board of Directors, announced the selection of Trevor Friedeberg as the new President and CEO of ECRIP, the regional economic development organization representing Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Henry, Jay, Randolph, Rush and Wayne counties.

“After an extensive search, the board of directors is pleased to welcome Trevor Friedeberg to lead East Central Indiana’s regional economic development efforts,” said Savieo. “Trevor brings rich economic and business development experience and a level of professionalism needed to further build collaboration among the 9 county region,” she continued.

Friedeberg is a certified Economic Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council (NDC). Trevor comes to the ECIRP from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, where he was the Director of Business Development Projects. He led a team of highly skilled professionals on matters related to business projects and leveraged state incentive tools to secure high impact growth in the State. He has 13 years of economic development experience, ranging from programmatic compliance, community program management, federal grant writing, business development and project management, and has worked on numerous projects leading to thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars of investment across Michigan.

“I am thrilled to lead ECIRP and am honored by the board members and selection committee for providing me this opportunity,” said Friedeberg. “I am excited to work with all the partners and stakeholders to align efforts and maximize impact to make east central Indiana a preferred spot for business growth and investment.”

American Woodmark Expanding in Gas City

American Woodmark, a long-standing cabinet manufacturer, in Gas City is growing. The company recently announced a $9 million expansion which will provide 145 new jobs. A tax abatement will allow them to add new products and expand into an empty building.

Diamond Pet Foods Bringing 170 New Jobs to Rushville

Diamond Pet Foods, a leading manufacturer of quality pet foods, announced today that it plans to build a new manufacturing facility and has selected the city of Rushville, Indiana, as its preferred location. The plant would bring more than 170 new jobs to the area by 2023. “With its proximity to suppliers and customers and access to a high-quality workforce, this facility will allow us to continue offering quality pet foods at competitive prices,” said Mark Schell, executive vice president at Diamond Pet Foods. “Diamond is family owned and we look forward to adding to our family in a state that’s considered to be ‘the crossroads of America.” Founded in 1970, Diamond Pet Foods, a privately held company, works with quality ingredients to provide families a wide range of pet food formulas at a price they can feel good about. The more than $200 million investment will create a 700,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facility, including machinery and equipment.

For more information, please visit the Rush County Economic & Community Development Corporation.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition Invests $17.5 Million and Plans to Create 64 Jobs at Richmond Plant

Hill’s Pet Nutrition, a large-scale producer of nutrition for companion animals and a division of Colgate-Palmolive, is investing $17.5 million to expand production capacity at their location at 2325 Union Pike in Richmond.

The company plans to carry out the expansion in two phases. Phase 1 will involve the transition from a 5-day to a 7-day a week operation and the creation of 44 new jobs. Phase 1 will begin in 2021 and end early in 2022. Phase 2 of the expansion will add an additional packaging line and the creation of 20 new jobs. The second phase is expected to begin in late 2022 and end mid to late 2023.

For more information, visit the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County.

Calumet Expanding In Muncie-Delaware County

The Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance announced today that Calumet Paralogics, LLC, a specialty wax blending and packaging company, will expand operations in Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana.

Calumet Paralogics will invest $2.7 million to add new equipment and capabilities in their current location at 301 S. Butterfield Rd. in Muncie. The investment will contribute to growth, including the addition of up to 20 new jobs at an average wage above the county average for manufacturing. Calumet currently employs 1,400 people across 12 facilities nationwide.

At the request of the Economic Development Alliance, the Muncie City Council demonstrated support of the project with approval of a 5-year tax abatement on new personal property.

For more information, visit the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance.

Muncie Power Products growing, filling under-used building

Muncie Power Products, founded in 1935, has acquired, through a purchase agreement executed on June 3, 2021, a former industrial building at Interstate 69 and Ind. 332, the company and the Delaware County commissioners announced.

Muncie Power Products, which makes power take-offs that transfer power to hydraulic equipment — widely used in industry — will consolidate some of its operations into the building.

The company will substantially expand the building at 2500 N. Priority Way, Yorktown, in the Park One/332 industrial park, adding 100,000 square feet to the existing 127,000 square-foot building and investing over $20 million in the real estate and equipment.

By Keith Roysdon

For more information, visit Muncie Power Products.

East Central Indiana to Apply for up to $50 Million in READI Grant Funds

The East Central Indiana Regional Partnership (ECIRP) will apply for the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration Development Initiative (READI) program, which could result in up to $50 million in local funding. The region includes seven East Central Indiana counties – Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Randolph and Wayne.

READI, which was announced in May by Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), is an initiative that is dedicating $500 million in state appropriations to promote strategic investments that will make Indiana a magnet for talent and economic growth.  

Indiana regions, each of which are eligible to receive up to $50 million in funding, have until July 1, 2021, to notify the IEDC of their intent to seek funding through READI. East Central Indiana, through ECIRP, intends to submit its letter of intent in the coming days.

“We are excited and grateful for the opportunity to apply for the state’s READI program,” ECIRP President Mindy Kenworthy said. “East Central Indiana is a great place to live, work, and play, and it is critically important not only to continue to build pride and empowerment among our current residents, but to attract talented people to our area and diversify our population. These state funds could represent transformational investments into our local communities.”

Upon submitting its application by the July 1 deadline, ECIRP will convene its stakeholders—including major employers and other anchor institutions—to create a regional development plan that outlines the current state of the region, its vision for the future, and a game plan to invest in its growth and prosperity.

Ball State University played a significant role in helping the region obtain its status as a 21st Century Talent Region in January, which recognizes Indiana communities focused on working collaboratively to attract, develop and connect talent.  The university along with IU Health will provide support to the region as the plan is developed.

Regions have until August 31, 2021, to submit those regional development plans, which will then be reviewed by IEDC. Funding decisions are expected to be made by December 2021.