AME Group Now 100% Employee Owned
The AME Group, a Vincennes, Indiana-based IT consulting group, is now 100% owned by its employees. Earlier this week, owners Steve Burkhart, Vance Olson and Carl Koenig passed on the remaining shares of the business they founded more than 23 years ago to the employees of the company.
Since 1998, the company's shares have been continually distributed to the employees. After seeing the benefit of the ESOP over the last 9 years, Burkhart, Olson and Koenig decided to create a plan to sell their remaining shares, making The AME Group 100% employee owned. Earlier this year, the Board of Trustees began negotiations to have employees acquire the remaining shares. For further information visit www.theamegroup.com
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Knox County Schools Awarded $36,000
A meeting of the Knox County Partnership held at Vincennes University brought a welcome surprise to the principals of the three Knox County Public High Schools. Each was presented with a check in the amount of $9,000 to assist with the continuation of "Project Lead The Way". The Project Lead The Way pre-engineering/engineering technology program provides a middle-level technology education focusing on design, electronics, automation, and engineering mechanics.
This scheduled presentation was followed by an announcement by Jim Heck, COO of Workone Southwest, that the schools would be receiving matching funds for this initiative from WIRED (Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development).
Pictured L-R: Tom Gregory of WIN Energy REMC, KCDC Director and a WIRED representative,Melinda Hedge, AME Group, Jim Heck, COO WorkOne SW, Harry Nolting, Principal, South Knox HS, Amy O'Dell, KCARC, Tim Grove, Principal, North Knox HS, Joyce Memering, Director, Twin River Carrer & Technical Center, Greg Parsley, Principal Lincoln HS, Carol Highhouse, Good Samaritan Hospital
The Knox County Partnership is a coalition of business, education and workforce leaders dedicated to the improvement of the workforce readiness of the people of Knox County.
For more information on Project Lead The Way, visit:
http://www.tech.purdue.edu/pltw/index.html
For more information on the WIRED initiative, visit:
http://www.southwestindianawired.com
Work Starts on New Duke $2.35 Billion Power Plant
Jim Rogers, Duke Energy's president and CEO, told Gov. Mitch Daniels and local officials that the 630-megawatt plant's technological innovations were akin to the United States' manned lunar program that beat the former Soviet Union to the moon in the 1960s.
"With this plant we're taking a giant leap for our country," he said.
The southwestern Indiana plant -- one of the first projects of its kind -- is scheduled to go online in 2012 near the town of Edwardsport and use advanced coal-gasification technology to produce power with far fewer emissions than conventional coal-fired plants.
Duke Energy spokeswoman Angeline Protogere said the company expected the cost of the project to result in an 18 percent rate increase that would be phased in between now and 2013.
A ceremony at the site, about 15 miles northeast of Vincennes, was billed as a "celebration" because ground preparation actually began shortly after the plant's state air permit was approved Jan. 25.
Indiana Governor, Mitch Daniels said that the plant will be worth its high cost because its pollution-removal technologies will open more of southwestern Indiana's coal deposits for use as fuel.
Low-sulfur coals are currently being shipped in from other states to reduce air pollution at Indiana's power plants because much of the state's coal has a high sulfur content, he said.
"Our utility customers spend a billion dollars a year to buy coal from other states because ours with previous technology is difficult to burn cleanly," he said. "We should pay that billion dollars to Hoosiers and today marks the start of that new era."
Daniels also said the Duke Energy plant would boost southwestern Indiana's economy.
Unlike traditional coal-fired power plants that burn coal to produce electricity, coal gasification converts coal into a synthetic gas that's processed to remove pollutants such as mercury and sulfur.
That gas is then burned in a traditional turbine power plant to produce electricity.
Knox County has new "Shovel Ready" certification
The US 41 Industrial Park in Vincennes has earned the title of 'shovel ready' paving the way for businesses to quickly locate new operations on property ready for development.
The Knox County site joins other 'shovel ready' sites identified by the state since 2006 that have undergone extensive title work, proof of ownership, legal and environmental review and qualify for expedited permitting with state regulatory agencies.
"With more and more companies looking for sites where they can have a shovel in the ground as quickly as possible, this program gives Indiana an advantage when it comes to competing with other states for new investments and new jobs," said Nathan Feltman, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. "This is another vital tool in our economic development toolbox that will help give Indiana the edge when attracting new and promising investment to the state."
Designed to lower the cost of site development, improve efficiency of state permitting and enhance the marketability of sites statewide, the program has already begun to achieve success, said Brad Moore, shovel ready project manager for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
Passed in the 2005 legislative session as part of Governor Daniels' jobs agenda, 'shovel ready' sites are certified by the state's Fast Access Site Team that consists of representatives from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Governor's Office, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Indiana State Department of Homeland Security.
Certified sites have been eligible for matching grants to assist with eligible costs associated with applying for the shovel ready program.
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Golden Rule to Locate Expansion in Vincennes Bringing 200 Jobs
Governor Mitch Daniels joined executives from UnitedHealthcare's Golden Rule Insurance Company to announce the company's plans to expand its operations here, creating more than 200 new jobs over the next three years.
A national leader in the individual insurance market, Indianapolis-headquartered Golden Rule will invest more than $3 million to transform its southwest Indiana records facility into a state-of-the-art customer care center that will have capacity for up to 400 full- and part-time employees.
"Partnerships like the ones with United Healthcare and Golden Rule continue to create new opportunities for Hoosiers across the state," said Daniels. "We have worked hard to create an environment that allows companies like this to relocate and grow here, and today we are seeing more results of that effort."
Golden Rule currently employs 35 associates at its Vincennes location and plans to begin hiring customer care specialists and supervisors later this year before the facility opens in the fourth quarter.
"Indiana's favorable business climate and state government's open lines of communications with the insurance industry make this an ideal place to do business," said Richard A. Collins, chief executive officer of Golden Rule. "Vincennes and Knox County, in particular, offer us a great place to grow with a large trained workforce, an outstanding university and local and state officials committed to the area's economic development."
Founded more than 60 years ago in Lawrenceville, Ill., Golden Rule became a UnitedHealthcare company in 2003 and has since expanded its presence in Indiana and across the country. In December 2006, the company officially relocated its headquarters to Indianapolis and now employs more than 750 Hoosiers statewide. Together with other UnitedHealth Group companies, there are more than 1,000 Indiana employees.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Golden Rule up to $1.4 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. Vincennes will provide the company with property tax abatement.
"This announcement proves that Indiana and specifically the Knox County community can compete successfully in procuring economic engines to rebuild our economic base," said Mayor Al Baldwin. "Through the efforts and cooperation of state and local economic agencies, this new source of employment will open the door for further economic diversity."
Golden Rule recently completed a major renovation of its Indianapolis headquarters, creating capacity for more than 300 new positions in anticipation of future growth. Its Indianapolis operations also serve as headquarters for parent company UnitedHealthcare's entire individual line of business, which offers health plans under a number of brands in 40 states and the District of Columbia.
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Vincennes University Awarded $185.00+ Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Training Grant
Vincennes University will be the recipient of a one-year grant totaling $185,046 to implement nationally mandated training for the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
VU will use the funds to provide federally mandated training to miners.
The grants cover training and retraining of miners working at surface and underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines, including miners who engage in shell dredging or are employed at surface stone and sand and gravel mining operations. Training topics include hazard recognition, accident prevention, occupational health, roof and ground control, ventilation, mine emergency operations, mandatory health and standards, and first aid.
“This grant allows VU to continue to provide an extensive series of services to the mining industry, helping to ensure the safety of all Hoosier miners. Safety is the highest concern of this training,” said VU President Dick Helton.
VU is Indiana’s designated recipient of state grants issued by MSHA. VU began statewide training in October 2005 for miners in the coal and non-metal industries, including stone, sand and gravel, cement, and many other non-metal operations.
“We have approximately 300 mining operations in Indiana and our instructors travel to nearly every county to deliver high-quality instruction,” said Ron Bucci, director of VU Mining Technology. “We look forward to the coming year as we anticipate training nearly 5,000 miners and 1,500 contractors.”
The announcement of the MSHA grant follows a recent U.S. Department of Labor Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grant in the amount of $50,000 which allows VU to design and implement a command center for statewide mining emergencies.
Veterans Clinic coming to Big Blue
Niehaus Companies Inc. has announced plans to turn the old Big Blue Store on Willow Street into an upscale office complex with the new Veterans Clinic to be the anchor.
Company CEO Bernie Niehaus said work will begin immediately on the clinic, which will occupy approximately 9,000 square feet in the building, about a fifth of the total floor space.
"Our plans are for the clinic to be open by Sept. 1," he said. "Once that is up and going, we'll start work on the rest of the building.
"But we want to get that clinic open first because of how important that's going to be for our local veterans who now have to drive hours to get care," Niehaus added.
C. Kenny Newton, the county Veterans Service Officer, was naturally pleased to hear that a decision had been made on the clinic's location.
"We've been working on this for a long time, and it's just a blessing to know that work is going to get started so soon," he said.
Newton said hundreds of area veterans in need of care now have to travel either to Evansville or Terre Haute to clinics.
"That's just a nightmare for some of our veterans, trying to arrange that transportation," he said. "Having a place local is really going to alleviate a lot of stress for them."
Newton said he had been talking with representatives of VanGo, the public transportation system run by the YMCA, about providing rides for veterans once the clinic is in operation.
While the site holds great promise for veterans, it's also a commercial development in an area that needs a boost, said Marc McNeece, president and CEO of the Knox County Chamber of Commerce.
"There's been a lot of news lately about Beirhaus Boulevard and the work that's been going on downtown, and Willow Street has really kind of been left out," he said. "So having Niehaus willing to invest on Willow Street is great news."
Niehaus Companies has been using the building as a warehouse, according to Eric Niehaus, vice president of sales.
"But it's never really been a building whose layout worked very well as a warehouse," he said. "It's a really sound structure, built with commercial-grade steel, but it's not really a warehouse and is better suited for office space."
Niehaus said future plans are to build a new warehouse in the U.S. 41 Industrial Park.
Bernie Niehaus said the Willow Street site has been attracting a lot of attention.
"We've had several people interested in doing something with us over the last year or so, but nothing has ever come of it until now," he said.
Niehaus said the location of the Big Blue Store was a great selling point with Veterans Affairs.
"It's right off U.S. 41 on a main artery into the city," he said. "That was really important to the VA."
Eric Niehaus said even though news of the project hasn't been widely disseminated, he's already heard from other parties interested in perhaps moving in.
"We've been contacted by a couple of professionals about our plans and how fast we're going to be able to move on," he said. "And I expect we're going to start hearing from others once the news is in the paper."
Niehaus said once the clinic is finished "we'll build out to suit whoever the next tenant will be."
Bernie Niehaus said the company is working with architect Larry Donovan of Donovan & Donovan Associates Inc., 427 Main St., on the renovations. And that won't be the only local business to benefit from the project.
"Obviously, building is not our cup of tea - selling building materials is what we do," Niehaus explained. "So we're going to need a lot of help from the local builders. And we're going to be using local builders."
Niehaus said work would start "immediately."
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VU to Receive $365,00 in Training Funds
Vincennes University will receive $365,000 in federal funding to provide simulation-based training for heavy equipment operators in surface and underground mining. The funding was approved as part of the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations measure approved by both chambers of Congress in December.
VU President Dick Helton said the training program aims to address current and future Indiana labor shortages for trained miners. “The expansion of mining operations in the state combined with the expected retirement of experienced miners means that there are great employment opportunities in mining. This training will help ensure that Hoosiers acquire the skills needed to be a more productive and safer workplace. It is also an investment in Indiana energy,” Helton said.
Helton praised Indiana’s elected representatives for their support of including the training funds in the federal budget. “I am particularly grateful to U.S. Representative Brad Ellsworth, Senator Richard Lugar, and Senator Evan Bayh for their hard work on behalf of VU’s request. Area families and communities will greatly benefit from job skills acquired by Hoosiers thanks to this funding,” Helton said.
Over 600 turnout to lend support for Duke Energy's $2 billion Knox County project
Over 600 supporters of Duke Energy's planned coal-gasification power plant attended a public hearing at North Knox High School,
There was no sign of opposition to the Charlotte, N.C.-based company's plans to build the state-of-the-art plant at Edwardsport, and the hearing conducted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management ended around 7:30 p.m., easily two and a half hours earlier than IDEM officials had expected.
Tony Burkhart is chairman of the board of the Knox County Development Corp., which has been spearheading organizing support for Duke's project.
"This has just been fantastic, that we'd again have this many people not only come out, but who also signed our petitions in support of Duke," he said.
In all, KCDC collected over 1,100 signatures in support of the Duke plant.
Marc McNeece, president of the Knox County Chamber of Commerce, remarked on the difference in the commitment between supporters of the project and those opposed.
"You know, in August, over 300 Knox County residents drove two hours to Bloomington and spent six hours at an Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission hearing on the project to show their support," he said. "That was literally going into the belly of the beast of opposition of Duke's project.
"But tonight, not one opponent made that trip in the othe direction - and we're even on the same time now, which we weren't in August," McNeece added. "I think that speaks volumes to the difference between the two sides."
Gregg was one of the 20 supporters who spoke at the hearing, which was being held to gather comments on amending Duke's permit for the current Edwardsport plant.
Whereas at the IURC hearing in Bloomington in August the focus of comments had been on the economic benefits the plant would provide to Knox County, Thursday night the comments had a different tone, with a focus on the environmental impact of the plant.
And that was not without a purpose.
"We all assumed (before) that no one would actually think a rational person would support something that could possibly harm their family, so we just took that for granted," explained Burkhart. "And then there were some comments from opponents that we down here in Knox County didn't care about the environment.
"So, tonight, we wanted to make sure that we were clear in our reasoning for supporting this project," he said.
Rep. Kreg Battles, D-Vincennes, who is also a chemistry teacher at Lincoln High School in Vincennes, said that while he sees the potential in the plant for his students to get good-paying jobs in the future, he wanted to make it clear that if there was any chance of the new plant creating a public health problem, he wouldn't support it.
"But I can stand here tonight and look you in the eye and say with a clear conscience that I totally support this plant," Battles told the IDEM officials.
Edwardsport town council member Jim Newkirk recalled that while he was growing up in the town there would be black specs in the snow from particulates spewing out of the plant's smoke stacks. He said that wouldn't be the case with the new plant.
Duke officials say upwards of 2,000 jobs will be created during the major portion of the plant's three-year construction period, with average employment of between 800 and 900 workers.
Once the plant is online - which could be as early as 2012 - the workforce will total around 100.
In addition, the increase in assessed property value will both help lower property-tax bills as well as allow the North Knox School Corp. to raise more money with the same or even a lower tax rate.
Duke Energy spokeswoman Angeline Protogere has said the plant is expected to boost Duke Energy customers' rates an average of about 16 percent by about 2012.
She said that could rise higher, however, if the utility installs equipment to remove some of the plant's carbon dioxide emissions.
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JAG program to help prepare students
A partnership between the Vincennes Community School Corp. and the state department charged with workforce development will seek to help students who might be falling through the cracks and are either not getting the preparation they need to find a job after graduation or who drop out of school altogether.
The school corporation has officially agreed to become an affiliate of Jobs for America’s Graduates, a national school-to-career program aimed at keeping students in school. The local office of WorkOne will use federal money to hire a career counselor who, beginning next semester, will meet each school day for an hour with 10-15 members of the junior class.
David Chapman, principal at Lincoln High School, explained that the only “cost” to the corporation was to supply a room - “and the kids, and I think we can do that.”
Chapman said there are programs in place that help the gifted and talented students at one end, and other programs for those with special needs.
But there are students in the middle who need help that currently isn’t available.
“We want to target the right young people who are in some ways slipping through the cracks,” he explained. “We want to keep them in school and hopefully graduate, or provide for those who may not graduate to get a GED or to come back for a fifth year and get their diploma.”
Board president Alan Stewart agreed there were students in the corporation “who need just this kind help.”
“I really feel good about this, that it’s a great program and it’s another example of how we’re doing some really great things to help our students and the community,” he said.
Chapman said the goal was to have 10-15 juniors sign up next semester, and then to expand the program to include juniors and seniors next year.
He said the classroom instruction would focus on “employability skills” for those graduates expecting to move directly into the workforce, and in preparing other students to go on to receive some type of professional training.
He said the career specialist running the class would work closely with WorkOne and Vincennes University, which pleased VCSC board members Bryan Thais and Phil Grounds.
Thais, who works for the state department of labor, says a recent conversation with David Tucker, VU’s vice president for workforce development and community service, convinced him not just that the JAG program was needed at Lincoln, but also that the university was interested in helping implement it.
“That was the impression I got, that they saw the value in this and want to help us,” he said.
Grounds, a retired civil engineer, praised Chapman’s efforts to involve groups outside the school.
“We have assets in the community that we should take advantage of, and I’m glad you’re doing that,” he said.
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Vincennes University Awarded 2 Workforce Grants
Sixteen Indiana school and vocational districts and 10 colleges and universities are receiving “moving forward” grants of nearly $1.7 million to be used to fund new programming that leads to long-lasting systemic change in career and technical education, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development announced today. At the secondary level, $864,360 was awarded to 16 school corporations and secondary vocational districts: Vincennes University received 2 grants, $68,332 and $81,898.
”These grants are designed to better prepare our secondary and post-secondary students for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Teresa Voors, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
“They encourage innovative programming in our career and technical education programs to better equip our students with the skill sets to succeed in the workplace. It is our hope that these grants will provide our career and technical education system with the means and opportunity to help meet these new demands on our emerging workforce.”
The grants are being funded through the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development administers the Perkins Act.
Vincennes/Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau Receives Grant
Lt. Governor Becky Skillman has announced that 11 Indiana communities will participate in a community assessment program designed to help improve tourism and economic development. The assessments are scheduled to take place between April and November 2008 and will be led by Roger Brooks, founding member of the Destination Development group. Each of the 11 communities will receive $5,000 toward the cost of participating in the program, provided by the Indiana Office of Tourism Development.
“Roger Brooks will provide a wealth of knowledge and ideas on how Indiana can create new avenues for tourism,” said Lt. Governor Skillman. “This program offers a unique opportunity for communities to learn ways to increase tourism marketing and achieve future economic success.”
The Association of Indiana Convention and Visitors Bureaus (AICVB) facilitated the grants.
Duke Energy gets Indiana okay for $2 billion coal gasification plant in Knox County
State regulators gave Duke Energy permission Tuesday to build a $2 billion coal gasification plant in Southern Indiana.The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission unanimously approved Duke’s plan for the 630-megawatt plant at Edwardsport in Knox County. The plant would replace an aging traditional coal-fired plant that generates about 130 megawatts.
Mike Roeder, director of corporate communications for Vectren, said: “ … Anything that utilizes clean-coal technology to meet future energy needs, we would see that as a good thing for the state.”
Roeder said Vectren dropped out of the project after officials concluded the amount of energy the Edwardsport plant would generate was way more than Vectren would need to meet future needs.
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Canola Plots Growing at Vincennes
It’s too early to say interest in canola is heating up again. But it is fact that Chuck Mansfield has canola varieties in comparison trials in his research plots at the Southwest Purdue Ag Center located near Vincennes.
Mansfield is testing the varieties on behalf of a company interested in making alternative fuel from canola seed. The company is located in the western US. According to the canola breeder who helped select varieties for Mansfield to try, canola can reportedly kick out more oil than soybeans. However, the by-product left behind does not apparently make good feed without additional tweaking, vs. products left behind after processing soybeans into oil that feeds soy biodiesel production plants.
Canola is grown successfully in Canada. However, they grow spring canola primarily there, Mansfield notes. The canola farmers were asked to grow here was fall-planted canola. That’s the type Mansfield is evaluating now.
Dow AgroSciences is in the process of developing a large market for canola oil in the food industry. It competes against low linolinic soybean oil as a healthy oil for cooking purposes. So far, the majority of acres used to grow canola for the Dow product have been in Canada.
KCDC Web Site Receives Economic Development Ditectory Award for Content
The Knox County Development Corporation received and award from the Economic Development Directory for achieving and/or exceeding the IEDAs criteria for providing information for site selectors and consultants.
The award was presented with the following statement:
"This website certified to contain development information organized for the requirements of site selection consultants, real estate departments and business people."
Background of award: In recent years, many site selection consultants have asked that economic development agency websites provide more of the kind of information the site selection professionals need. This award indicates that this kind of information is presented on the KCDC site.
Vincennes University Plans Advanced Manufacturing Facilities
The Vincennes University Board of Trustees has approved a record-setting, $120 million budget. VU President Dick Helton announced that $40 million will be spent during the next 18 months to build three new advanced manufacturing facilities. Construction is planned at Vincennes University, Gibson County and the VU Jasper campus.
Helton says the university's expansion of advanced manufacturing helps the university attain its goal of providing a well-equipped workforce.
"We think it's important for economic development in this state," Helton says. "The bottom line is if we're able to continue to develop our economy, that helps the state of Indiana, particularly the state coffers, as we generate more revenue and it's less impacting on everybody. So, it just seems natural to us that we would continue to develop a really good, strong workforce to drive the Indiana economy."
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Purdue to Offer Degree Program at Vincennes University
Starting this fall, individuals will be able to enroll in classes at Vincennes University that lead to a bachelor's degree in industrial technology granted by Purdue University and its College of Technology's statewide technology program.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education approved the degree program June 4, which will be jointly administered by Purdue and Vincennes universities. The 120-credit-hour program will feature the same curriculum currently offered through three other Purdue College of Technology statewide locations and will prepare graduates for jobs in advanced manufacturing.
"For several decades, Purdue's statewide technology program has had a positive impact on the state of Indiana by educating workers for the jobs of tomorrow and, in turn, revitalizing the state's economy," said Niaz Latif, assistant dean for the College of Technology's statewide program. "There is a strong and growing demand for technical personnel in southwestern Indiana, with thousands of job openings in manufacturing ready to be filled with qualified individuals.
"This new degree will give students in the area the kind of education they need to succeed in this rapidly changing manufacturing environment." Arthur Haase, dean of the technology division at Vincennes University, said the new degree will build on the advanced manufacturing and computer-integrated manufacturing associate degree curriculum currently offered at Vincennes.
"The partnership between Purdue and Vincennes University will significantly enhance the quality of the education our students are already receiving," Haase said.
"The technology laboratories housed at Vincennes University will be a wonderful resource that will benefit students and Purdue faculty who will be involved in the program. "
Employers in our area have expressed strong support for this degree program, and we're confident that offering this curriculum will result in greater employment opportunities in high-technology, high-paying fields that are available only to those with advanced education."
Students who want to pursue the bachelor's degree in industrial technology must seek admission through Purdue's statewide technology program. The first two years of the program will be administered through Vincennes University, and the junior- and senior-level courses will be administered through Purdue and taught by Purdue faculty. The bachelor's degree will be awarded from Purdue. Students who are currently enrolled in the associate degree program in advanced manufacturing and computer-integrated manufacturing at Vincennes University can apply for the bachelor's degree program.
Vincennes University will continue to grant the associate degree, and Purdue will grant all bachelor's degrees in the program. The first four semesters of the bachelor's degree program - administered by Vincennes University - will consist of general and introductory courses in such subjects as English, algebra, speech communication, science, computer graphics and problem-solving in manufacturing. The last four semesters of the program - administered by Purdue - will include courses in statistical quality, automated manufacturing, materials handling, fundamentals of electricity, and production and monetary planning.
Graduates will be qualified to work in business, industry and government as industrial engineers, manufacturing engineers, operations managers, product managers and quality-assurance engineers. In addition to Vincennes University, Purdue's College of Technology offers the bachelor's degree in industrial technology at its statewide locations.
The Purdue College of Technology, established in 1965, is one of the nation's largest and was one of the first of its kind in the country. It educates more than 5,700 undergraduates at locations around the state.
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Pride in a Job Well Done Starts Early in Knox County
North Knox Elementary second-grader, Jonah Glass is the Zaner-Bloser Grand National Handwriting Champion. There were 156,000 entrants in the national contest.
Jonah will receive cash prizes, national media appearances and a Nintendo DS. His school received a new computer, $500 worth of Zane-Bloser (language arts and reading text book publisher) merchandise and a trip to Washington DC for the teacher who submitted his work to the competition.
“We are very proud of Josh and his accomplishments,” said Don Osburn, North Knox West Principal. “This shows that if you take pride in your work and do your best, great things can happen to you.”
This spirit of pride in a job well done is apparent throughout Knox County. The need for ongoing training and education is recognized and well addressed in the area.
The Knox County Development Corporation has received a $150,000 grant from the state to be used to fund a workforce and educational development project, "The Business Solution Project." The project will utilize the already established Employment Skills Academy and Vincennes University to provide training for area workers.
The academy is a basic skills certification program sponsored by KCDC, Vincennes University and a number of area employers and organizations including WorkOne and the Southwest Indiana Network for Education.
Selected candidates for the program get free training and help sharpening their job skills. They have to complete 96 hours of classroom instruction to earn a Basic Skills Manufacturing Certification. This continued investment in reinforcing Knox County’s ongoing mission to assist workers in doing their best by providing the necessary tools.
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Knox County Farm to Supply Produce to Wal-Mart
Melon Acres, Inc. in Oaktown has signed a deal to provide fresh asparagus to Wal-Mart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets in the region. Melon Acres, a family-owned business, will sell about 55,000 pounds of asparagus to Wal-Mart. In 2007, Wal-Mart says it spent more than $2 billion for merchandise and services from more than 1,500 Indiana suppliers.
Agriculture comprises 3.4% of the Knox County workforce.
Wabash Steel named "Industry of the Year"
Wabash Steel, a company which has only been around for a little over a year, is this year's Knox County Chamber of Commerce “Industry of the Year.” Mark McNeece, president and CEO of the chamber, made the announcement today.
“Although it's a relatively new business in our community, what the Burgett family has done to rejuvenate a business that a little over a year ago was all but closed is truly remarkable,” he said. “They've been willing to make a commitment to and investment in our community, and that's certainly worthy of recognition.”
In March 2006 the Burgett family purchased what was then Vincennes Steel, a steel-fabrication plant at 2007 Oliphant Drive, which had all but closed its doors.
The company had been owned by the Day family, which struggled to keep it open against rising operating costs and competition from imported steel.
The company filed for bankruptcy in 2004, but managed to remain open with outside management and with wage and benefit concessions from the plant's 40 workers.
The Burgetts own Kokosing Construction Co., Fredericktown, Ohio, which has been in operation for more than 55 years.
Kokosing used Vincennes Steel girders on its bridge projects. Last year, when company officials learned the local business might not be able to meet its obligations, the family decided to buy the company and grow the business.
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KCDC Director Praises Community Involvement in Growth of Knox County
Gary Gentry, KCDC Executive Director says that the past five years have been good for Knox County. He stressed that the broad community involvement has been key in bringing projects to fruition. With $225 million+ in investment, both public and private, and the addition of hundreds of jobs with average annual salaries of just over $35,000 it appears Knox County is on a roll.
"I feel really good about the last five years, and fortunate to be in this job at this time" Gentry, told members at the organization's annual luncheon, held at Vincennes University's Robert E. Green Activities Center.
And, Gentry added, he feels even better about the future, in light of the prospects for Duke Energy's proposed $2 billion+ coal gasification power plant at Edwardsport and the opening of two coal mines in the Oaktown area by Vectren Fuels.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke Energy is expected to make a final announcement later this year on the project.
Vectren Fuels, a subsidiary of Evansville-based Vectren Corp., needs only final approval of permits to begin work on the mines. If they are approved as anticipated, company officials say the first mine should open in 2009, with a second to follow about a year later.
The two mines are will add over 400 high-paying jobs to the county's workforce and translate to another $125 million investment in the county.
Gentry said the Duke and Vectren projects would represent $30 million in new annual payroll.
Bernie Niehaus Encourages Enthusiasm and Customer Satisfaction to Grow Knox County
Bernie Niehaus, chairman of Vincennes-based Niehaus Companies Inc., and author of “Splinters” was the dynamic keynote speaker for the Knox County Development Corporation’s Annual meeting at the Robert E. Green Activities Center on the campus of Vincennes University.
Niehaus spoke about the growth of the family’s business, their approach to leveraging opportunities and how this enthusiastic customer driven approach, paterned after the Disney model, can be utilized to encourage fcontinued growth and prosperity in Knox County.
Niehaus Companies is a family-owned business founded in 1933 by Benjamin Niehaus and his son, Francis. The company is comprised of eight separate businesses: Three Niehaus Home Centers, three divisions of Wholesale Building Materials (in Vincennes, Nashville, Tenn. and St. Louis),The Top Shop and Karran USA in Vincennes. Niehaus is a major supplier to Home Depot store nationwide.
KCDC Receives $150,000 Grant
KCDC has received a $150,000 grant from the state to be used to fund a workforce and educational development project, "The Business Solution Project." The project will utilize the already established Employment Skills Academy and Vincennes University to provide training for area workers.
The academy is a basic skills certification program sponsored by KCDC, Vincennes University and a number of area employers and organizations including WorkOne and the Southwest Indiana Network for Education.
Selected candidates for the program get free training and help sharpening their job skills. They have to complete 96 hours of classroom instruction to earn a Basic Skills Manufacturing Certification.
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By GAYLE R. ROBBINS, business editor, Vincennes Sun-Commercial
Gary Gentry, president of the Knox County Development Corp., said is was “appropriate and fitting” to have as the featured speaker at Wednesday’s KCDC annual meeting a senior official from Toyota’s Princeton plant.
The reason was simple: Hundreds of county residents are either employed directly at the plant at Princeton, or indirectly at one of the area businesses which supply parts for Toyota, such as Futaba Indiana of America and Excell USA, both located in KCDC’s U.S. 41 Industrial Park.
“Toyota has had a dramatic impact on the Knox County economy over the last 10 years,” Gentry said. “We probably have at least 1,000 county residents working either for Toyota or for a parts supplier like Futaba.
“Having a Toyota plant in southwestern Indiana literally means millions of dollars are added to the economy of Knox County,” he added.
R.J. Reynolds, vice president for administration at Toyota’s Princeton plant, told a near-capacity audience gathered in the Robert E. Green Activities Center at Vincennes University for KCDC’s 26th annual meeting that the Japanese automaker is expected to continue to grow as the newly-designed Tundra truck enters the United States market.
Reynolds said the truck, projected to compete directly with Ford and General Motors truck lines would start being assembled at the Princeton plant early next year.
That news is already having an impact locally, with Futaba expanding and adding workers to meet the demand for parts for the Tundra, according to plant manager Jim O’Donnell.
A 145,000-square-foot addition to the manufacturing facility houses a stamping process to make parts for the truck. Another, 180,000-square-foot addition to the original plant houses a laser-welding operation, also to make parts for the Tundra.
Futaba now makes parts for Tundra double-cab trucks, Sienna minivans, and Sequoia SUVs, all built at Toyota's Princeton plant, plus parts for the Camry and Avalon models assembled at plants in Georgetown, Ky., and San Antonio, Texas.
Futaba opened in 2002 and is now four times its original size, a $40-$45 million investment in the industrial park and the county's economy. It also has expanded its workforce to almost 300 employees.
All that is directly related to the existence of Toyota’s Princeton plant.
KCDC Board Chairman Tony Burkhart, owner of Burkhart Insurance Agency, 1600 Willow St., explained that Toyota’s impact on the local economy can also be seen in rising wages as other businesses in the community compete for skilled labor.
VU to receive $500,000 grant
Staff report, Vincennes Sun-Commercial
It may take awhile, but lobbying federal officials pays off in the end.
That’s what Vincennes University officials have learned after receiving word that Indiana’s oldest college has been awarded a $500,000 grant to develop a forensic technology program within its Center for Applied Technology.
“We are really excited about it,” said Phil Rath, VU’s vice president for Financial Services and Government Relations. “It’s a great place for VU to be, getting support from Washington D.C.”
Rath and then Interim VU President John R. Gregg visited Washington in the fall of 2003 to meet with legislators, including Rep. John Hostettler, R-Blairsville, and Indiana’s two United States Senators, Republican Richard Lugar and Democrat Evan Bayh.
After that trip, the first such trip made by VU officials, Gregg recommended hiring Curt Smith, who had served as chief of staff to Hostettler and former senator Dan Coats, to represent VU’s interests on a continuing basis.
“Curt has done a wonderful job getting to D.C.,” Rath said.
Gregg, now back in private practice in Vincennes, said VU President Dick Helton and other school officials should be commended for staying with the lobbying effort.
“There was some criticism at the time of VU’s hiring someone to do what Curt has been doing, but it’s clear that, today, if you want to be a major player in higher education you have to promote your interests,” he stated. “Curt has been able to do that because he has the support of Dick Helton and Phil Rath and (VU Board President) Rod Morgan.
“His efforts are paying off,” Gregg added.
The funds will be used to equip and develop three specialized training labs within the Center for Applied Technology. The labs will provide computer and technology training for students who plan to seek employment in law enforcement agencies. Tools for instruction on computer forensics, intellectual property enforcement, cyber and Internet crime enforcement, and drug enforcement will also be provided by the training labs.
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Strategic plan for future unveiled
By ROB COOPER, staff writer, Vincennes Sun-Commercial
Edwardsport farmer and Knox County Farm Bureau President Brian Schroeder liked what he heard from Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman at Monday night’s annual district meeting in the Robert E. Green Activities Center at Vincennes University.
Skillman was on hand to explain the Daniels administration’s strategic plan for agriculture, a plan that stresses the relationship between farming and economic development.
“I think it will be a move for us and give agriculture a seat at the table for development in Indiana,” Schroeder said. “This plan will help get our voice out. The biofuel is an especially good idea with the current energy demands.”
Skillman said the plan, “Possibilities Unbound: The Plan for 2025,” emphasizes increased production and investment in biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, which are created from corn and soy.
“We want to be the nation’s capital in ethanol and biodiesel production,” she said. “Biofuel is a natural strength in Indiana, and we want to work with local farmers to help establish more bioenergy facilities around the state.”
Currently, four biofuel facilities have or will break ground within the next month in the state, and Skillman said that they expect to exceed the goal of offering 85 percent ethanol fuel pumps throughout the state by the end of next year.
Through legislation, the Clean Fuels Bill will also offer a total of $20 million in tax incentives for the expansion of ethanol and biodiesel production.
During her speech, Skillman outlined the comprehensive plan that will target Indiana’s agricultural strengths and future endeavors.
“Our mission is to make Indiana the global center for food and agriculture, and we want them to be the chief drivers in our economy,” she said.
The strategic plan is a result of Skillman’s working with the newly-formed state Department of Agriculture, the legislature, and farmers from throughout the state.
Farm Bureau District Director Dale Brown said this is going an exciting time for agriculture around the state and farmers should look forward to combining agriculture with economic development.
“This is the first time the two topics have been discussed openly in public,” he said. “At least we have a plan now.”
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Construction of connecting road moving, officials say
Construction on the road that will connect Ind. 61 and Hart Street is moving forward, officials said during Tuesday’s Vincennes Redevelopment Commission meeting.
City Engineering Manager Hunter Pinnell said that studies completed by Duffy Stradtner of Stradtner Rowland & Associates, 518 Main St., and United Consulting Engineers of Indianapolis, will allow city officials to remain on track to let bids on the project the middle of next month.
Permits for the road have been granted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Army Corp. of Engineers, putting the road’s completion one step closer to reality, Pinnell said.
“We’ve worked hard to keep it on schedule and we’re hoping we can get a contract and begin next year,” he said.
The proposed road falls into what’s called a redevelopment zone, which allows a share of revenues generated by new development to be reinvested back into that area. This in turn allows for future development and revitalization projects.
Currently, the $2.7 million connector road project is being funded through both the city and the Indiana Department of Transportation. Vincennes will pay for 10 percent of the project that comes from revenues generated through the redevelopment zone and the remaining 90 percent billed to INDOT
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State Partners on Miner Training Program
InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report, 8/19/2005
Governor Mitch Daniels announced today a partnership with Vincennes University, the Indiana Department of Labor and Indiana's coal mining industry to establish a miner training program.
The program is aimed at training miners to be productive and safe.
Source: Inside INdiana Business
Press Release
VINCENNES, Indiana (August 18, 2005) – Governor Mitch Daniels announced today formation of a partnership among Vincennes University, the Indiana Department of Labor, and Indiana’s coal mining industry to initiate a miner training program.
The program will offer individuals the 40 hours of initial training required before beginning work as a miner. Proposals to develop continuing education courses for experienced miners, certificate programs, and a degree in mining technology through Vincennes University are also being considered.
“This program is consistent with our goal of creating a well-educated and talented workforce that will meet the needs of current and future Hoosier employers,” said Daniels.
Miguel R. Rivera, Sr., the Department of Labor commissioner presented Richard E. Helton, Vincennes University president, with a check for $10,000 to help start the program, part of a grant received from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
“It is important to train our miners to be productive and safe. This program will help accomplish that,” he said.
The program will begin this fall with part of the training taking place at Vincennes University as well as an on-site component at a local mine. State Representative Troy Woodruff, R–Vincennes, initiated discussions that led to the partnership for the new program developed in conjunction with the Miner Training and Technology Advisory Board.
“Because of the close proximity to underground and surface mines in Knox, Vanderburgh, and Vigo counties, our campus is a perfect location to host such a program,” said Helton. “Vincennes University is excited to be a partner in Indiana’s economic comeback.”
Source: Office of Governor Mitch Daniels
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Connector road closer to reality
By GAYLE R. ROBBINS, associate news editor, Vincennes Sun-Commercial, 8/17/05
Bid letting for work on the connector road to link Ind. 61 and Hart Street should go ahead as planned in November, members of the redevelopment commission learned Tuesday.
Chris Hammond of United Consulting Engineers and Architects, the Indianapolis firm helping to design the mile-long road, said rights-of-way have been purchased and concerns about soil erosion in the area have been addressed to the satisfaction of both the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
"I think we're in pretty good shape," he said.
However, both Cinergy/PSI and Vectren have been slow coming up with plans to relocate their respective electric and gas lines in the area, Hammond said
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New township fire station now open at industrial park
By JENNIFER EARLES, staff writer, Sun-Commercial, May 06, 2005
Business owners and employees of Vincennes' U.S. 41 Industrial Park might feel a little safer now that their new neighbor has moved in.
The Vincennes Township Fire Department recently opened a new location at 3279 S. Keller Road, near businesses like Vincennes Ford, Futuba Indiana of America, Indiana Department of Transportation and Con-Way Central Express.
"What a great neighbor to have," said Tom Betz, general manager of Vincennes Ford, 3467 S. Keller Road. "Not only will it help cut down on the cost of insurance for our businesses, but it will absolutely improve public safety for our employees."
Prior to the completion of the new Industrial Park fire station in mid-April, the closest station was at 1265 S. Hart Street Road.
"Having the new station will literally cut our response time to that area down to seconds," said Chief Tim Smith. "It really was a joint effort between the city and us to improve the safety of residents."
Smith said construction on the new fire station began last year. It has three bay doors and living quarters. Two trucks and one trailer are housed at the station, and although no new trucks were purchased, Smith said one truck was recently replaced.
Two new fire fighters were also welcomed to the team, including Richard Dillon and Paul Stark, both of Vincennes. Smith has been with the department since 1980. He became township fire chief in 1989.
Smith said the department is planning an open house sometime in the next few months. No date has been set.
The township department now claims four fire stations in Knox County, including the Old U.S. 41 North and Ft. Knox Road location; the station at 1465 S. School House Road; the Hart Street and Felt King Road location; and its latest addition at the U.S. 41 Industrial Park.
Smith said the department now has nine trucks, eight career firefighters and approximately 75 volunteer firefighters.
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Continuing to grow: U.S. 41 Industrial Park to receive funding to make sites ready for development
By GAYLE R. ROBBINS associate news editor, Vincinnes Sun-Commercial, August 12, 2005
The Knox County Development Corp. has received a $385,000, three-year commitment from the county council to help pay for additional improvements in the U.S. 41 Industrial Park south of the city.
The organization also got assurances that if it needs more money in the future the council would be willing to listen to its requests.
Tony Burkhart, president of the KCDC board of directors, said the money will help pay to make additional sites within the 235-acre park ready for development.
He said the average cost of preparing a site for a company to move onto - having utilities and other infrastructure in place and ready for use - was $18,000 per acre, more than the selling price.
Burkhart said some counties which compete against Knox County for new business development actually gave away property, something KCDC won't do.
It was important to have sites ready for occupancy because businesses want to be up and running within 120 days of having made their decision on where they want to locate, he said. Having multiple sites within the park ready for occupancy increased the county's chances of successfully landing new businesses, Burkhart said.
He said there are three sites ready now for companies in addition to the sites which are currently occupied by Futaba of Indiana America and Excell USA Inc., both of which make parts for Toyota vehicles.
Councilman Tim Ellerman said that in approving the money for KCDC the county was sending a message it was willing to help businesses locate here.
The council's approving $125,000 this year and $130,000 each of the next two years, Ellerman added, was an especially strong message of support for KCDC given the county's current tight financial situation.
KCDC's work brought jobs and helped lower property-tax rates in the county, so financially supporting the organization's work was a sound investment by the council, he said.
Burkhart said KCDC was "selective" in its business-recruiting efforts, looking at only those businesses which paid wages "that people can raise their families on."
Burkhart also said KCDC's efforts weren't solely focused on the industrial park but that the organization also looked to bring new businesses inside the city as well as in Bicknell and other areas throughout the county.
He said over half the organization's operating budget came from private donations with the remaining money coming from the city and county.
In addition, the commissioners have pledged $141,000 in economic development income tax money to help pay off bonds sold to purchase the property where the industrial park is now.
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Good Samaritan Hospital Purchases Alliance Financial Management From Avega
By PRNewswire, May 26, 2005
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Avega Health Systems is pleased to announce that Good Samaritan Hospital, located in Vincennes, IN has purchased Alliance Financial Management, myAlliance, and Key Indicators, components of the Alliance Suite.
Good Samaritan Hospital first opened its doors to the public in 1908, becoming the first county hospital in the state of Indiana. By 1958, Good Samaritan Hospital had 221 beds, and in 1984 they added 40 new intermediate and critical care beds, along with a new emergency services area. By July 1995, Good Samaritan Hospital had performed their first open heart procedure. Today, Good Samaritan Hospital continues to remain focused on improving the health of the communities it serves, one patient at a time. Most recently, in April of 2005, Good Samaritan Hospital received notification that Modern Healthcare and Solucient were recognizing them as a Top 100 Hospital -- a national designation bestowed as a result of their dedicated work and commitment to high quality patient standards.
Good Samaritan Hospital considered several vendors during their selection process, including EPSi and Kreg, before ultimately deciding on Avega's Alliance Financial Management product as their new budgeting tool. The hospital also plans to use Key Indicators (Avega's Executive Desktop) to provide Senior Management -- including the CEO -- with direct access to key information. According to Rob McLin, CFO, "A key component of Good Samaritan Hospital's IT Strategic Plan included a long-term investment in a Decision Support System that would include an Executive Management Dashboard and Automated Budget System. Our objective was to find a system that would improve management's ability to receive important key performance indicators at a glance and automate the budget process to improve efficiency as well as accuracy.
The key components we required of a financial management system included:
- A Dashboard that would provide daily, weekly, monthly or annual key
performance indicators such as admissions, patient days, outpatient
visits, etc. with an ability to be updated through multiple systems.
The information must be presented in a fashion that provides an "at a
glance" view per the end user's preference. - A Budget System that would automate the budget process, provide
quality process control, significantly reduce the time required to
produce a budget, improve budget calculation accuracy and provide
reporting capability to improve departmental information access.
- A proven track record of dedicated quality service to Hospitals that
Good Samaritan Hospital could verify independently.
Because this system will become an integral part of our budgeting and decision-making process well into the future, we felt strongly that Avega was the best fit for our hospital. We not only look at the software, but Good Samaritan made its final determination based additionally on the company we believe will give us the greatest opportunity to be a successful business partner".
Alliance Financial Management provides full budgeting and financial management tools for the healthcare industry. Organizations have the ability to manage unlimited variations of a budget, including case-based budgets, flex budgets, productivity models, capital budgets, and long range plans. The system allows organizations to move to a completely paperless budget process, where those involved in the budget access data and reports on-line. Avega clients utilizing Alliance Financial Management have decreased their budget cycles, decreased the hours required to manage the budget, and have found great value in the flexibility available for budgeting. Additional components of the Alliance Suite offer tools to manage costs, manage and negotiate contracts, monitor product line performance, and more. All information can be distributed throughout the enterprise efficiently via myAlliance, Avega's web-based report distribution tool.
Avega has been providing decision support software and services to the healthcare industry for over 21 years. In addition to its corporate office in El Segundo, CA, Avega maintains an office in Nashville, TN.
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"The Year of the Worker."
By Gayle Robbins, associate news editor, Vincennes Sun-Commercial
"The Year of the Worker."
That's what 2005 is going to be as far as the Knox County Development Corporation is concerned.
President Gary Gentry said the organization plans to place special emphasis on workforce development over the next 12 months because in today's economy businesses demanded skilled employees.
Gentry, who took over the organization in 2002, spoke Wednesday at Vincennes University's Robert E. Green Activities Center during KCDC's luncheon meeting. It was the organization's 25th annual meeting.
A committee chaired by Scott Brown, deputy director of business and industry assistance at VU and a Vincennes City Councilman, will be working with such organizations as the Southwest Indiana Network for Education, a not-for- profit organization that addresses educational and lifelong learning issues, to develop programs aimed at improving the skills of members of the area workforce.
"We have to have a skilled workforce if we are going to compete successfully for new jobs," Gentry said. "That's a demand that businesses make when looking at coming to a community."
Board Chairman Tony Burkhart said KCDC intended to work with VU and the area high schools in developing ways to make opportunities available for area workers to improve their skills to give them a bette chance of finding a higher-paying job.
While the focus will be on improving worker skills, Gentry said KCDC would not neglect its main responsibility: Helping existing county businesses.
"That's our first obligation, to meet the needs of existing businesses," he told members of an audience of more than 250. "And that's what we'll continue to do."
Gentry added that the large turnout for Wednesday's luncheon was proof of how much residents cared about the future.
KCDC's Annual Meeting Drew over 250 Community Leaders
"I know you care or you wouldn't be here," he said.
He said similar meetings in other counties would be lucky to draw 30 or so interested residents.
"The cooperation and support of local businesses and organizations (for KCDC) has just been phenomenal," Gentry said.
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Futaba Indiana Plans Major Expansion; Adds Jobs
Futaba Indiana of America tells Inside INdiana Business that it will break ground next month, more than a year earlier than anticipated, on a new part-stamping facility in Vincennes, creating 100 new jobs. The expansion is expected to be complete by February.
The company, which opened its Knox County plant in 2002, says over the next six years it expects to quadruple the size of its current facility, investing more than $45 million and creating an additional 100 jobs.
“What’s fueling that is our sister plant up in Chicago they’re land locked they can’t expand and they’re at full capacity as far as stamping,” says Futaba Plant Manager Jim O’Donnell.
Futaba makes parts for Toyota Sienna minivans, Tundra double-cab pickup trucks and Sequoia sport utility vehicles, which are assembled in nearby Princeton. Later this year, the company will begin production on parts for Toyota's Camry and Avalon.
Source: Inside INdiana Business
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Futaba to get new president
By Ryan Wilson, staff writer, Vincennes Sun-Commercial
Futaba Indiana of America President Takashi Suzuki will be leaving the local plant in the U.S. 41 Industrial Park at the end of the month.
Suzuki, who has been the presided over FIA since it opened in 2002, will retire on March 25 and return to home in Japan. "I miss my wife," he said.
"I enjoyed working here in Vincennes," Suzuki added. "The people here are very diligent and very honest. It has been a great three years."
Knox County Development Corp. President Gary Gentry will be sad to see Suzuki leave given not just the strong working relationship he's had with the FIA boss, but also because of the close personal friendship that developed between the two men.
"We've really developed a friendship beyond the business relationship that's paid off for both FIA and the county," Gentry said. "He's been a friend as well as a strong business partner."
Gentry said Suzuki agreed to do sort of a commercial for Knox County that was included in the KCDC video used during a trip Gentry and Mayor Terry Mooney took to Japan last fall. "He did that for us, really out of friendship, and his little spot was the hit of our presentation," Gentry said.
FIA Plant Manager James O'Donnell said he learned a lot from Suzuki. "I was the first person hired at FIA. So, in the beginning, it was just me and (Suzuki)," he said. "I truly am losing my teacher, and it is very sad for me."
Suzuki cited the factory's need for a younger leader as a reason for stepping down as President. "I believe this plant needs younger energy to take it into the next level," he said.
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Yukihiro Yoshimoto will step in as the new FIA President |
Yukihiro Yoshimoto will step in as the new FIA President. Yoshimoto, who previously worked for 18 years in the Futaba factory in Kota, Japan, said he has the highest hopes for FIA.
"All of our plants are competing with each other to be the best, and FIA is no exception," he said. "My goal for this facility is to be the best in the world."
According to FIA Engineer Documentation Specialist Barry Baldwin, the factory is well on its way. When the expansion is completed in January 2006, FIA will begin providing automotive parts to Toyota factories in Kentucky and Texas.
FIA currently provides parts for Toyota Siennas, Tundras, Sequoias, and Avalons built at the automobile company's plant in Princeton.
Vice President Mike Nishio said FIA will hire several new employees in the next four years to handle the larger production volume. "FIA will hire 20 new employees in 2005, 30 in 2006, and 50 in 2007," he said. "We hope to have 180 new employees by 2008."
Itsuo Kozuka, President of Futaba Industrial Co., Ltd., visited Vincennes for an inspection of FIA on Thursday. Baldwin said Kozuka visits each Futaba factory at least once a year to ensure that things are running smoothly. "When he comes to the factory, he wants to know everything that goes on," said Baldwin. "He asks the hard questions, and we are expected to answer. But the factory runs more efficiently for it."
Kozuka said he is happy with the way Vincennes has treated FIA for the past three years. "We have 13 locations worldwide outside of Japan," he said. "I believe Vincennes offers the best environment in the world for my factory.
Kozuka also said he hopes the community continues support FIA for years to come. "Throughout our expansion, I would like to ask the (Vincennes) community for its support," he said. "Also, we will continue to do whatever we can for this great community."
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Vincennes University to build Advanced Manufacturing Training Center
By Gayle Robbins, associate news editor, Vincennes Sun Commercial
Vincennes University officials don't know yet where they will build it, but build it they will, and once the $7-million Advanced Manufacturing Training Center is up and open for business they believe VU will be in the forefront in training as well as educating workers for high-tech, high-paying jobs.
"This is really going to be something special, and not just for the university but for the community and all of southwestern Indiana really," explained Phil Rath, VU's vice president for Finance and Government Relations. He predicted the facility will draw new business to the area.
"The university has been very active in economic development efforts in Knox County and the surrounding counties as well," Rath said. "And one of the things I've been hearing again and again when talking with business people is their need for places to train and retrain workers. "And that's what we're going to have with the AMT center."
VU President Richard Helton said the ATM center would be the cornerstone for the university's "Indiana Training Program," an idea which calls for using existing campus resources for workforce development programs.
INTRAIN, according to Helton, "will allow VU to serve as one of (the state's) premier technological training centers and will be a great asset in the promotion of Indiana's economic growth and vitality."
Rath said VU is currently provides a wide range of workforce services through its highly-regarded and much in-demand Business and Industry Training program.
"Those are primarily 'off-site' services where we go to the business and do the training there," he explained. "Those services have been extremely popular and we expect they'll grow. "The advantage we'll have with the ATM center is we'll be able to bring large groups here for extended training," Rath added. "That's going to be especially true in the summer when we'll have housing available."
A big help to the university has been the input of David Becker, a VU board member and CEO of Remember Data Services, an Indianapolis-based company that provides computer services to credit unions.
"David's been very helpful in showing us what a typical employer with a 'high-tech' company needs," Rath said. "His input has been vital to our designing what's going to be in the ATM center and how we're going to be able to best utilize what's there."
The 50,000-square-foot facility will feature "smart" classrooms and laboratories that will be easily adaptable for a variety of uses depending on the needs of the business or organization using them.
"That's going to be a pretty important feature in itself because of the versatility they'll provide," Rath said. "These are going to be rooms with state-of-the-art Internet capabilities for video streaming and a whole lot of other features that high-tech companies want to have when they're doing training programs."
Rath said initial funding for the facility was approved two years ago as part of the bond issue that included the new student recreation center and the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center, both of which are now being built on the north side of the local campus. The state Commission on Higher Education gave its approval for the center earlier this month, and now VU officials are awaiting a final okay by the state Budget Committee.
Rath hopes the committee, whose membership includes the leadership from both the House and Senate plus the State Budget Director, will give final approval to the project next month. Then the only problem facing the university will be where to build the ATM center. "We're kind of landlocked but we'll find a spot for it, you can bet on that," Rath joked.
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KCARC merger approved
Staff report, Sun Commercial
The board of directors and the membership of the Knox County Association for Retarded Citizens unanimously approved the organization's merger with the Child Adult Resource Services (CARS) Tuesday.
"Everyone was real positive, there were no dissenting votes or no one opposed to this," said P.R. Sweeney, chairman of the KCARC's board of directors. "The general consensus was that this is a positive step for both organizations."
Mike Carney, KCARC's executive director, announced last week the impending merger with CARS. A smaller, but similar organization based in Rockville, CARS will allow the expansion of manufacturing at a number of different sites, providing jobs for both the disabled and non-disabled persons.
KCARC will be the dominant force in the new organization that is expected to have a new name sometime next summer. Both groups will continue to do business under their respective names. A new, 17- to 21-member board will be formed as well.
Headquarters will be in Vincennes. The two groups officially become one in January.
Carney expects there will be many meetings and lots of discussions regarding the merger, efforts that include "investigating and pursuing a large contract and additional contracts" for manufacturing.
"This will be a long process over many months, including the blending of staffs to improve all that we do," Carney said. "A similar process will take place regarding board members, too."
The merger is expected to boost employment to 725 people with anticipated annual revenue of $50 million. Both organizations are not-for-profits, with all revenue generated from manufacturing funding the various programs and services KCARC and CARS provides.
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Vincennes University receives $1.5 million Lilly grant
Courtesy of Vincennes Sun Commercial
The Vincennes University Foundation has received a $1.5 million grant from the Lilly Endowment which will be used to create a TechWorks Partnership Fund for Faculty and Program Excellence.
"VU greatly appreciates the support of the Lilly Endowment for this initiative," said VU President Richard Helton. "The fund will be utilized to strengthen faculty professional development primarily in three program clusters which include Machine Trades and Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technologies, and Biomedical and Biotechnical related programs."
Helton said these programs have special needs for faculty enhancement and program development that will benefit future students and the workforce needs of the state.
The centerpiece of the TechWorks proposal is the hiring of one full-time faculty member in each of the program clusters, supplemented by the hiring of additional adjunct faculty which will provide significant release time for current faculty to upgrade their skills in a variety of ways.
"We believe the TechWorks proposal puts in place a highly innovative process for enhancing the expertise of VU faculty. It does so in such a way as to dynamically involve business and industry, strengthen faculty professional development to serve the economic needs of the state, and enhance the employment prospects of VU graduates in these high-demand areas," Helton said.
The VU TechWorks Fund will be overseen by a Business and Industry Steering Committee and a Campus Coordinating Committee composed of administrators and faculty. The fund will support a wide variety of professional development activities such as "return to industry" study leaves, program and curriculum development, and faculty certification upgrades.
"During our planning process for this proposal, we met with representatives of business and industry," Helton said. "The theme repeated many times during these conversations was that companies are unable to hire technician-level workers who have the skills to operate the advanced manufacturing systems needed in their organizations. It is self-evident that well-trained, skilled faculty members who possess up-to-date knowledge are essential for producing the kinds of skilled and well-educated students needed to serve employers in the state. This initiative will directly address that need."
TechWorks funding will not necessarily be limited to faculty requests within the three targeted areas. The allocation process will be dynamic and flexible to respond to changing needs during the grant period, which runs through June 30, 2009.
The Lilly Endowment grant is part of its "Initiative to Recruit and Retain Intellectual Capital for Indiana Higher Education Institutions." The latest grant complements the Lilly Endowment's 2004 Educational Collaboration grant of $953,000 to VU to establish a Technical Opportunities Services (TOpS) Center at VU. The Tops Center strengthens partnerships with business, industry, and alumni to enhance the development and marketing of technical programs; expands the offering of short-term technical training modules and customized training on the VU campus; and supports the strengthening of the VU Placement Office, Career Exploration Center, and other services related to internship development and job placement.
"We believe this latest grant is a perfect complement to the previous grant, reinforcing VU's ability to address the workforce needs of the state," Helton said.
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KCARC to merge with CARS
By BERNIE SCHMITT, managing editor, Vincennes Sun-Commercial
The Knox County Association for Retarded Citizens will be much larger in 2005 when Child Adult Resource Services with headquarters in Rockville merges with the local organization in January.
Michael Carney, KCARC's executive director, said the combination will form a new organization that will boost employment to 725 people, with anticipated annual revenue of $50 million. The KCARC did not initiate the idea of a merger, Carney said. In fact, it was the other way around. Basil Wineman, executive director for CARS, visited Carney in January, requesting that CARS be combined with the KCARC.
"This is a friendly merger," Carney said. "No one acquired anyone. We believe it will be beneficial to both organizations."
Child Adult Resource Services (CARS) is similar to KCARC, providing services for the disabled. It provides outreach services to Rockville, Attica, Brazil, Indianapolis, Spencer and in Morgan County. There is one site in Bloomington, Ill. CARS includes three Head Start programs and some manufacturing, although it is relatively small, Carney said.
"This is a very progressive way of thinking," said Wineman. "We're going to take the strengths of both organizations and put them together. Their strengths will help our weaknesses and vice-versa."
When looking at long-term growth potential and changes in funding sources, his organization had to find ways to make his organization self-supporting. Because CARS does some of the same things as KCARC, and has the same philosophy, it made sense to look at a merger.
The new organization will have a single board of directors, with KCARC still retaining its dominance: only three board members from CARS will serve on the 17- to 21-member board. Headquarters will remain in Vincennes.
"We all feel positive and excited about this," Carney said. "We will proceed with due haste and caution. We really feel this will benefit both organizations, but mostly, the people we serve."
Since both are not-for-profit organizations, there is no stock to exchange, Carney said. Revenue generated from manufacturing contracts goes toward funding the variety of services KCARC provides, things such as the Civitan Children's Center and the Tommy Wolfe Center. CARS provide similar services. The new organization will help enhance all programs and will likely lead to expanded services.
The new organization will also get a new name (possibly by June), although both entities will be doing business under their current names for quite some time.
"KCARC and its name won't be lost for a long time," Carney said.
The merger will make it much more possible for KCARC to participate in larger manufacturing contracts, creating more jobs for people with disabilities. With its combined strength, the new organization will be able to pursue more opportunities. There is a trend in Indiana to have multiple service organizations under one umbrella, Carney said. In that the KCARC and CARS have similar, but different, programs, the combination should be beneficial overall.
"We're more alike than we're different," Carney said. "But each organization has its own unique identity. We're doing a lot at KCARC that the other organization wants to do, especially with regard to manufacturing."
In fact, Carney said the KCARC is presently working on a $7 million manufacturing contract he hopes will be based at one of the CARS' locations. He declined to say what that contract would involve.
"There will be a blending of different cultures," he said. "There are bits and pieces that are different from each other and we have to blend. There are challenges for both organizations."
A lot of things have changed, Carney said, since the KCARC began its mission in 1972 to serve people with disabilities.
"The world KCARC grew up in is not the same today," he said. "There is different state policy, different disability policies, and different regulations. The trend for the future is different. If we want to succeed, we have to change as the environment has changed."
Currently KCARC has around 500 employees, making it Knox County's third largest employer, with annual revenue around $32 million. The disabled and non-disabled are employed in KCARC's manufacturing jobs. CARS currently has 270 employees in 12 counies and around $12 million in annual revenue.
KCARC's board president, P.R. Sweeney, said it was a surprise to the board that CARS approached KCARC, but believes the combined effort will be "very productive" for both entities.
"With government funding cuts, they (CARS) need manufacturing and other ways to subsidize their programs," Sweeney said. "We can help with that."
Sweeney said there was a need to look at a broader area and said Rockville and other CARS sites are not that far away to manage. The KCARC board has visited those sites and has seen CARS' operations.
"We won't transport people," Sweeney said. "But we will take work to them. We will help secure contracts for them."
The bottom line, he said, is to provide more work and more jobs for the disabled.
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Bicknell, Edwardsport get grants for infrastructure improvements
Courtesy of Vincennes Sun Commercial
Two area communities received $500,000 Community Focus Fund grants from the state Thursday. Both Bicknell and Edwardsport received the grants.
Bicknell will use its money to help pay for improvements to the city's 30-year-old wastewater collection system, which the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has said is too small to safely handle the amount of sewage now running through it.
The city plans to replace two lift stations and install new sewer mains. The proposed collection system improvements are scheduled for completion by January 2006.
Edwardsport will use its money to build a new water main and a 100,000-gallon water storage tank on the southwest side of town. The new tank will complement an existing tank that currently provides water to residents.
The addition of a new tank will ensure the town has a dependable water source and will enhance the town's fire protection services.
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Vincennes University to Offer Seven New Degree Programs
Vincennes University officials and students are celebrating today’s approval by the Indiana Commission for Higher Commission to allow VU to add seven baccalaureate programs to its curriculum. VU currently offers more than 150 two-year programs.
“We are very pleased about what the Commission did for Vincennes University today.We believe this is a very historic day in the life of the University,” said VU President Richard Helton.“I believe it’s also appropriate to note that VU is returning to its roots, in some degree, because the University did offer four-year degrees back in the early 1900s.”
The Commission approved VU to offer seven baccalaureate programs. The programs include technology, nursing, healthcare management, homeland security and public safety, and three education programs in special education, mathematics, and science.
VU student trustee Sean Brown, a philosophy major from Indianapolis, said he believes students support the initiative. “I believe this is a wonderful opportunity on many levels. With the addition of baccalaureate degrees there will be a whole new culture of students on campus. With my personal experience with the VU faculty and support staff, I would love to stay on this campus for another two years,” Brown said.
In addition to appealing to traditional college students, several of the new programs will be designed to help adult students as well. Steven Langdon, dean of the Division of Health Sciences/Human Performance, said the two health programs will be designed with current workers in mind.
“Both of these programs will be designed for persons who are already employed, utilizing evening courses, block-schedule courses, or weekend courses,” Langdon said. “The same quality that VU is known for will continue with these baccalaureate programs.”
Recalling the benefits of attending a small college, VU student Erik Janke, a conservation law enforcement major from Monticello, said he was would like to pursue additional education at VU.
“I have enjoyed the Vincennes campus very much. Every single teacher cares. They know my name. If you have a question, you don’t have to wait in line like at a larger campus. I enjoy this campus and would like to stay here to finish my four-year degree,” Janke said.
Citing the state’s workforce needs, Indiana Governor Joe Kernan announced his support on Oct. 5 for the addition of select VU baccalaureate programs. Planning for the programs has been underway at VU for several months.
“VU wants to be more involved in economic development and workforce development. The new programs we will offer are in areas in which there is a shortage of employees. We have done informal surveys of our students and found that more students would pursue a bachelor’s degree if it were offered here,” Helton said.
“The advantages that VU currently offers students will continue. Small class size, affordable tuition, a broad-based curriculum with an outstanding record of transferring credits to all of the state’s universities, and campuses that rival our sister institutions in quality and diversity of student activities will continue to describe VU. What will change is that we can also offer these seven baccalaureate programs,” Helton said.
Source: Vincennes University
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Trip to Japan may pay off for KCDC
By Gayle R. Robbins, associate news editor, Vincennes Sun Commercial
A nine-day trip to Japan provided the opportunity for Knox County officials to make some 400 connections with potential investors, Knox County Development Corp. Gary Gentry said this morning.
Gentry and Vincennes Mayor Terry Mooney took part in the trip that was arranged by the state Department of Commerce. KCDC paid Mooney's expenses. Their report was given at the KCDC's monthly meeting in the President's Room at Vincennes University's Isaac K. Beckes Student Union.
"The trip exceeded my expectations," Gentry said, adding that the two men met with 56 companies which directly expressed interests in investing in the Midwest sometime during the next three years. He also said the two men came back with at least one immediate prospect.
"Of course, everybody else (on the trip) came back with that same prospect," he said.
Gentry and the mayor went well-prepared, including having business cards printed in Japanese that they passed out to officials. The cards proved particularly advantageous.
"Next time we go we'll take even more cards," Gentry quipped.
Mooney came away from the trip convinced that while Knox County is in direct competition with other communities in Indiana and surrounding states for that investment, because of the area's relationship with Futaba Indiana of America and Excell USA it has a leg up on those competitors.
"It was clear that our good relationships with FIA and Excell gave us an advantage over the others," Mooney said.
FIA President Takashi Suzuki's favorable comments about the area and the close working relationship the company has with KCDC and local officials were included in the three-minute presentation Mooney made to a large group of Japanese business and government leaders.
Those comments, plus the introductions FIA and Excell officials gave them to other business leaders were a big help, the mayor said. FIA and Excell make parts for Toyota and both have or are in the process of expanding the plants. Both plants are in the U.S. 41 Industrial Park, which KCDC owns.
Both Mooney and Gentry said the trip would have been worth the expense if the only things the two men had been able to do were to meet with the FIA and Excell officials.
Gentry said having the mayor along also gave Knox County an edge due to the emphasis the Japanese place on the office. He also said the organization needed to be planning to take more trips to Japan to continue to develop personal relationships with both business and government leaders.
"It's vitally clear to me we have to continue to have a presence there," he said.
Knox County wasn't originally to be included on the trip but through Gentry's lobbying efforts with the Commerce department it got an invitation to go, said State Rep. John Frenz, D-Vincennes. "Gary did an unbelievable job getting us included," he added.
There are currently over 200 Japanese-based companies operating within Indiana, more than in any other state in the Midwest, Gentry said.
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VU seeks nursing, education degrees
By Jennifer Whitson Courier & Press
Vincennes University is planning to offer four-year degrees in nursing, education and other areas next year, Gov. Joe Kernan announced Tuesday.
VU students could start studying for bachelor's degrees in nursing, technology, law enforcement and homeland security, health-care administration and education as early as fall 2005. Education courses will focus on specializations in secondary math and science and special education.
"(The programs) are in areas ... where (VU) has particular expertise and where Indiana has particular needs," Kernan said.
VU's ability to offer the degrees stems from negotiations that will see the university bow out of the Community College of Indiana alliance that it managed with Ivy Tech State College. But the plan still has to pass several hurdles before being implemented.
The boards of trustees for both Ivy Tech and VU must sign off on the changes. The Community College Policy Committee must approve adding 13 campuses and lawmakers must approve changes to state law and the funding.
"We anticipate that this will move through all of those processes," Kernan said.
Kernan's optimism comes in part from his view that all the changes and expansions will cost no additional state money.
"We anticipate that with the resources that both institutions have ... that there are no additional resources that will be required," he said. But VU President Richard Helton said that's still under negotiation
"The financial part of this settlement is still being discussed," he said. "My thinking is there will be no additional appropriation (needed)."
And while VU's new bachelor degrees will go head to head with existing University of Southern Indiana programs, USI President Ray Hoops said there is enough of a demand for both schools to do well.
"The need is so great," Hoops said.
"We welcome competition," he added. "The best protection for us is doing a very good job."
How much it will cost to get a four-year degree at VU has not yet been decided, but VU spokesman Duane Chattin said it will be less than USI.
"It's very early," Chattin said. "But I can say that we'll offer the baccalaureate programs at the lowest tuition rate in the state."
For this academic year, it costs slightly less than $134 per credit hour for an undergraduate Indiana resident to attend USI. The cost at VU for its current two-year degrees is just under $107 per credit hour.
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Good Samaritan Hospital gets 'most wired' designation
Staff report, Vincennes Sun Commercial
Good Samaritan Hospital is one of the "most wired" hospitals in the United States, according to a survey and benchmarking study conducted in part by the American Hospital Association.
The hospital's Board of Governors learned during its meeting Tuesday that GSH is among 100 of the 1,298 hospitals in a national survey. The 2004 survey was also conducted by IDC Systems Corp., a software and services provider, and the College of Health Care Information Management Executives, which serves healthcare information managers.
The designation is with regard to hospitals that have made significant progress automating electronic medical records, including current records, medical history, patient demographics and nurses' notes.
"We're proud to be recognized as one of the nation's most wired hospitals," said Matt Bailey, president and CEO of the hospital. "It shows how committed we are to providing the best in patient care, and that we realize what it takes to improve patient care. The electronic medical record affords the patient built-in safety measures by the nature of the system."
GSH also is a leader in providing electronic medical records for clinician review by offering online lab results, radiology report review and radiology image review.
The hospital's board further improved information systems by giving its approval for the purchase of new software that reduces the number of user name and password combinations and also increases the security of electronic information.
The board approved spending $59,500 for Imprivata software that will allow the use of one password and login method for all applications. Similar software can cost as much as $400,000. The software was successfully tested in the hospital's oncology department prior to its purchase.
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Outside the box: Packaging Corporation of America has changed its focus
By Gayle R. Robbins, associate news editor, Vincennes Sun-Commercial
A local firm looked outside the box (so to speak) and changed its customer focus, and is finding a lot of success from having done so.
Four years ago Packaging Corporation of America, 408 E. St. Clair St., which makes a variety of boxes and shipping containers, was relying for the bulk of its sales on customers from outside of Knox County, in particular on a plant in Effingham, Ill., which manufactured air conditioners, and furniture-makers in Jasper.
"But we've had to refocus because those businesses have changed how they do business," explained PCA General Manager Bob Moffat. "Those companies were finding cheaper ways to move their products and this plant was, quite frankly, in trouble."
But that's all changed now, and Moffat credits the change on looking closer to home to find new customers.
"Outside of Lewis Bakery, which is our 2nd-largest customer overall, we used to do about $60,000 a year in business with local companies," he explained. "Today, we do $4 million."
PCA's other local customers include Ewing Printing, KCARC's Dove Manufacturing plants, and several local farmers.
Moffat said the company has launched a major effort to "increase awareness (in the community) of what we do."
"There's a lot of misconception about who our customers can be, and we've tried to do a number of things to explain what we do and how we can help a local business," he stated.
Moffat recalled one local businessman, who happens to be a friend, who one day said he wanted to buy boxes from PCA but didn't think he could use a train-car load.
"He thought we were too big to get him what he wanted, and was surprised to learn we could," Moffat recalled. "And he is a friend of mine."
PCA has made a concerted effort to become more involved in the community by sponsoring youth sports teams and donating its products for events like the Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous, for which PCA provided boxes to be used as trash cans.
"Those things get our name out there in the community, but we've also done a lot of newspaper advertising and that's paid off," Moffat stated. "People are starting to understand that we can help a local business with their packaging needs no matter how small they are."
The company has almost doubled its monthly production in the last four years.
"We've been very, very busy," he told members of the Knox County Development Corp. Friday morning. "Our business has grown tremendously and it's been hard to keep up."
The plant is running almost full-time, including Sundays.
The workforce is up to 116 now "and we'd like to add seven more," Moffat stated.
Workers earn between $17 and $18 an hour.
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Knox County Recognized
(Courtesy Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
The current edition of Business Facilities magazine includes an article about Knox County's success in attracting manufacturing jobs.
Titled "Knox County, IN Proves There is Life in U.S. Manufacturing," the article which is based heavily on stories which appeared in the Sun-Commercial, highlights expansion plans at Gemtron Corporation and Futaba Indiana of America to show that some communities are having success.
Improvements Ready for Industrial Park
(Courtesy Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
Improvement work at the U.S. 41 Industrial Park will soon begin, according to Knox County Development Corp. President Gary Gentry.
Gentry said Friday morning that new, larger drainage pipe to be installed at the intersection of Elkhorn and Keller roads on the north end of the park is scheduled to arrive by Sept. 10.
Installing the larger pipe, which the county has donated to KCDC, will improve drainage in that end of the 250-acre park.
Gentry also said the construction company doing the expansion at the Futaba Indiana of America plant in the park will get whatever fill dirt it needs by deepening the park's nearby retention pond. He explained the pond needs to be deeper to accommodate more surface-water runoff while the company needs to dirt.
FIA, a parts supplier to the Toyota plant in Princeton, is in the process of quadrupling the size of its current plant.
That expansion is also a reason KCDC included plans to widen the intersection at Elkhorn and Keller roads in order to handle increased truck traffic into and out of the park.
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Gemtron upgrading its plant
By Andrea Preston staff writer, Vincennes Sun-Commercial
One of Knox County's largest employers will be adding to its workforce thanks to the city.
Gemtron Corp., 2000 N. Chestnut St., will be investing $5-million to upgrade its plant, eventually adding 15 jobs and $375,000 in salaries locally.
A major reason why the local firm will be investing in the upgrade was the willingness of the city council to grant Gemtron 10-year property tax abatements on new equipment and the expansion of its plant.
The abatements cover investments of about $3.5 million.
The council unanimously approved the incentives Monday night.
"It's a win-win situation," explained Mayor Terry Mooney. "We are expanding companies and adding more jobs."
Gemtron is a joint venture company with Schott North America, Inc. and AFG Glass, producing glass products including cooking tops, and the expansion will allow the company to expand its ability to produce those products.
The expansion project has already started and will be continued over the next 10 months.
"The two abatements are related to the same project of expansion through Schott," said Gemtron's attorney, Yvette Kirchoff of Emison, Doolitte, Kolb & Roellgen. "This is an incentive for companies to expand here."
The abatements mean that in the first year the company will pay no property taxes on the expansion or the new equipment. The company will gradually begin paying a percentage of its full tax bill each of the next nine years.
The company most-recent property tax bill was about $350,000, Kirchoff said.
Gemtron currently has a workforce of 452 and a payroll totaling $14.5 million.
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Futaba's expansion means more jobs
By Gayle R. Robbins, associate news editor, Vincennes Sun-Commercial
Futaba Indiana of America plans to begin work later this summer to quadruple its 120,000-square-foot facility in the U.S. 41 Industrial Park, room that will be needed as the plant will start providing automotive parts to Toyota operations in Georgetown, Ky., and San Antonio, Texas in 2006.
Company officials made the announcement of the international corporation's plans for its Knox County facility Wednesday afternoon.
FIA President Takashi Suzuki, speaking through an interpreter, said the project wouldn't have been possible without the cooperation of local officials and presented a "win-win" situation for both the company and the community.
The additional investment was estimated to be in the neighborhood of $30-$35 million. The current plant is valued at about $10 million.
FIA provides parts for Toyota models built at the car-maker's Princeton plant. It makes 29 different parts for Sienna mini vans, parts which leave the industrial park and are installed on the vehicle in Princeton within four to six hours. The company also makes parts for the Tundra double cab truck and the Sequoia SUV.
Later this year the local plant will begin manufacturing parts for Toyota's Avalon model, according to Plant Manager James O'Donnell.
The expansion means FIA will need over the next 18 months to hire about 200 manufacturing jobs, paying a starting salary of $10.75 an hour. While that pay would be on the low-end for manufacturing jobs in southwestern Indiana, it's a better wage than many jobs in the county, a point made by Gary Gentry, executive director of the Knox County Development Corp.
"These are good jobs paying a living wage, the type of jobs we want in Knox County," he said.
Vincennes Mayor Terry Mooney added that, given the low unemployment in Knox County, the higher-paying jobs to be offered by FIA would mean other local employers will have to raise their wages in order to compete for workers.
"That's going to be good for everybody," he said.
Steve Martin, head of human resources for FIA, called the jobs "semi-skilled."
"But that doesn't mean just anyone can do them," he explained. "There is a lot of training that goes on, with workers learning how to do multiple jobs so they can be moved around in the plant.
"There is some skill involved," Martin said.
Job applicants would need at least a high school diploma or its equivalent and preferably some prior experience working in a factory.
FIA plans to hire 100 workers in late 2005 and another 100 in the spring of 2006.
The plant should begin shipping parts to Toyota's Kentucky plant in early 2006 and to the Texas facility that fall.
A chorus of local officials congratulated the Japan-based company's decision to expand its local plant. They also took the opportunity to expound on the benefits from making investments in infrastructure.
Gentry said the Wednesday's announcement justified the investment of both public and private money in KCDC's industrial park.
"If we hadn't had this park for Futaba to move into three years ago, we wouldn't be having this announcement this afternoon," he explained. "This shows what the right kind of investment can do for a community."
Both Mooney and City Council President Marc Hill agreed, pointing out how the city's investment in infrastructure, particularly improvements in the wastewater treatment plant and the water system, can lead to new jobs in the community.
State Rep. John Frenz, D-Vincennes, said the state had supported FIA's initial plant opening with worker-training grants through the Department of Commerce. He added such support would probably be there again when the time came.
Knox County Council President Tim Ellerman added that the council had been glad to help FIA with tax abatement when the plant first opened.
"I think we'll be glad to help you again on this project," he told Suzuki.
In the first year of the abatement FIA saved around $95,000 in local property taxes.
Currently FIA, which began operations in January 2003, has about 170 non-union employees, most of those in manufacturing.
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Local plant to expand, hire more workers
(Story courtesy of Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
A local manufacturing facility plans to expand its operations - and its workforce - over the next two years to keep up with worldwide demand for its glass and ceramic products.
Schott CERAN Inc., 200 Chestnut St., will get a boost from the state in training workers to handle the new equipment that will come with the expansion.
Gov. Joe Kernan announced at the plant Thursday that the Department of Commerce had awarded the company a $72,000 working-training grant.
"I'm excited about this partnership," he said. "With this type of investment in Hoosier workers, ensuring that they have the opportunity to strengthen their skills and to keep these good jobs here in Knox County."
Schott CERAN President Andreas Becker said the company decided to expand its Vincennes plant rather than close it and move outside the country because of the quality of the local labor force.
"There is the a qualified stable workforce here that can support our expansion and investment," he said.
The local plant, which has been in Vincennes 13 years, is operating 24 hours a day to meet the growing demand for its products, demand company officials say has been fueled by the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Overall Schott CERAN plans to invest $ 5 million upgrading its plant, which means adding 10 to 20 more workers to its 130-employee payroll.
District 64 State Rep. John Frenz, D-Vincennes, said Thursday's announcement was over a year in the making.
"Schott had been looking to possibility expand at it's other plants," he said. It's exciting to seem them chose to expand here in Vincennes. That's money going back into the community's economy."
The Vincennes plant is under the same roof as Gemtron, which is partially owned by Schott.
Schott Corp. is a worldwide leader in the manufacture and distribution of special glass and glass-related systems. It has 16 divisions and subsidiaries in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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Packaging Corporation of America is now thriving in Vincennes
(Story courtesy of Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
Packaging Corporation of America nearly shut down its Vincennes location a decade ago. The local plant now thrives on increased sales, volume and productivity.
With over 100 local workers, the maker of cardboard and cardboard boxes supplies every box used by the dry milk and military shirt plants operated by Knox County Association of Retarded Citizens, and provides corrugated containers for tubs and sinks sold by Niehaus Home Centers.
Ewing Printing also uses PCA-made boxes, and the box company's largest Vincennes customer, Lewis Bakery, has used its product for many years.
"I started four years ago when I came here to target local businesses and we're doing business with the big players in Vincennes," said Bob Moffat, PCA general manager. "I also networked to bring in business from outside the area and we now service five states out of this location."
Business hasn't always been so good.
At one time the plant was losing money and PCA tried to sell the property. Another time the city even considered trying to buy it to save the jobs, Moffat says, but when PCA couldn't sell the facility they put energy into making it profitable.
When Moffat took the helm, the plant shipped 34 million square feet of cardboard a month. In March, 61 million square feet of corrugated boxes and flat cardboard left the plant, and sales have increased 30 to 35 percent.
Moffat now projects 2004 sales at $35 million.
Inside the plant, oversized rolls of brown paper are turned into boxes - eventually containing Gatorade, Hefty bags, Quaker Oats or textbooks - using heat, steam and glue made from cornstarch.
"We are the sixth largest producer of container board and corrugated packaging in the United States," said Moffat. "And from this plant we ship to places five to six hours away from Vincennes."
Most plants don't ship their cardboard much over 100 miles because box producers are so plentiful, Moffat said.
But since negotiating favorable rates with trucking companies, Moffat discovered his plant can profit from long distance customers.
Production has also increased by between 7 and 8 percent and plant administrators are in the process of hiring 16 new employees to augment the 107 current workers.
Striving to be environmentally friendly, PCA bales and recycles all scrap cardboard and has farms where trees are grown only for pulp, the main ingredient in paper, not harvested for lumber.
"We only do container board products and produce those in the U.S.," Moffat said. "Our tree farms look like telephone poles growing out of the ground because our trees are grown only to harvest the pulp not to beautify. We own about 10 to 15 million acres of tree farms and can grow them from seedling to harvest in eight to 10 years."
The company was established in 1922 by local businessman Roy Hudson, who was later joined in 1923 by Harry Pomeroy. PCA bought the plant in 1959. In 1980, the addition of a storage, loading and shipping area increased the square footage to 185,000.
Though he believes the plant is capable of producing a billion square feet of corrugated paper products a year, Moffat is pleased with current production.
"We keep breaking production records, and these guys do an outstanding job," Moffat said. "That's what enables me to be able to keep hiring."
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Vincennes University's Bowling Management Degree Program, the only program of its kind in the country
(Courtesy of Evansville Courier & Press)
In keeping with what's become a billion-dollar-a-year business that's rolling along in the fast lane, with pencils, paper scorecards and "pin boys" a distant memory, Vincennes University's bowling "center" is state of the art.
"When you say 'alley,' people think of the small, smoke-filled bowling alleys we used to have," says Sparks, who has 29 students enrolled in the two-year program.
Those have evolved into bowling "centers," he says, recreational facilities with "cosmic glow" bowling, computerized scorecards and video games and even mini golf courses and Go-Kart tracks. They have pro shops. A bowling complex in Paris has a gourmet restaurant; one in Northern Ireland has a hockey rink; and one in New York City has bowling pins autographed by celebrities.
The industry needs people who know how to not only run a bowling center and pro shop but also to do marketing and finance and to organize leagues, he adds.
VU's program originated several decades ago because Southwest Indiana bowling centers needed mechanics who could repair the automated pinsetters that began replacing humans in the 1950s.
But in the 1970s, the program began to grow beyond being a class for a certificate as a pinsetter mechanic.
Students, mostly from outside Indiana, take 64 hours of classes, from accounting and math to the core program, which finds them sitting at desks next to four regulation-size lanes in the Vincennes Bowling Laboratory.
They still have to learn to repair pinsetters and to drill a ball to fit the hand of a bowler.
"By far, most of the students have been around bowling. When they find out there's an opportunity to have a career in this field, it piques their interest," says Sparks, a Bloomington, Ind., native who is an assistant professor of bowling management.
Many graduates now manage bowling establishments around the country. Some have their own pro shops, and some have been on the Professional Bowlers Association circuit. Harry Sullins has won several PBA titles; and right now, Rick Steelsmith is a top bowler.
The lab displays its share of trophies. Thirteen of the 29 students are on VU's bowling club, which has won 13 National Junior College Athletic Association titles over the past 20 years, including this year, and an intercollegiate title in 1983. Only a community college in Buffalo, N.Y., has won more titles.
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KCDC's Annual Meeting Demonstrated Investment in the Community
(Story courtesy of Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
The Knox County Development Corporation's Annual Meeting exhibited the community's spirit of investment in what it believes in.
Approximately 200 KCDC members and their employees attended the lunch time meeting at Vincennes University's Robert E. Green Activities Center. Traditionally, the annual meeting has been held in the evening and there was some concern that attendance might be affected by the change in venue. It would appear that not only was the time change a good choice, but more members of the KCDC attended than in previous years.
Highlights of the meeting outlined investments into the county which are improving the economy such as:
- Excell's expansion of its manufacturing capacity by investing over $3 million, the addition of 18,000 square feet to its facility and 10 new jobs
- Good Samaritan Hospital's new same day surgery center representing a $16.5 million investment
- Gemtron's continued contribution to the company through job creation and investment
- The turnaround and restructuring of Essex's parent company, Superior Telecom, enabling it to emerge from bankruptcy and allow the local magnet plant to provide employment at or near an all time high
- The upgrade of Vincennes' sewer plant and sewer lines representing an investment in the county's infrastructure of $26 million +
Gary Gentry, President of the KCDC outlined continuing goals and initiatives of the county's economic development arm. He emphasized the organization's goal to support and assist existing employers to grow and prosper for the continued fiscal health of the community while continuing to seek new industry which is a good fit to the community.
He stressed that while the community has a low unemployment rate, it essential to continue to recruit higher paying employers for the county.
The KCDC will accomplish these goals by working with community leaders, volunteers and state officials. His office is committed to participating in trade shows and visits to potential investors in the community throughout the coming year.
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Lt. Governor Davis Speaks to Tri-State World Trade Council
on Economic Development
(Story courtesy of Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
The latest addition to Vincennes University's acclaimed Technology Center was dedicated Monday, a $3-million, nearly-23,000-square-foot facility that houses robotics and other laboratories, classrooms, and offices.
Art Haase, interim dean of the Technology Division, said that with this latest addition to the center the university "has risen to recognize the accomplishments" of both the programs and especially the faculty who teach within them.
"I'm so proud today," he said.
Enrollment in division programs totals about 1,000 students, or better than 20 percent of total university enrollment.
"We have been very successful in attracting students to our programs and, once they've enrolled, providing them with the type of education that gets them hired once they leave," Haase said. "And I think that with these new facilities we're going to attract even more students and improve further the quality of education they're going to receive."
Almost all students who go through one of the division two-year degree programs leave school not only with a degree but also a good-paying job. Haase points to the 95-percent placement rates and starting salaries of $28,000 or better as proof of the strength of the Technology Division.
"Our students have access to state-of-the-art technology and receive half-again as much instructional time than at most Indiana universities," he said. "And they get this at a lower cost, too."
Jason Page, a second-year surveying technology student from Bicknell, spoke at Monday's dedication ceremonies about how inspiring it was to be working in such a first-class facility. "It encourages you to do your best work," he said.
That sentiment was echoed by Eric Harper, a 1997 graduate of the school's architectural studies program. He said the quality of instruction he and other division graduates received almost guaranteed success in the workplace. Now, with the new facilities, he predicted students would be even better prepared for jobs after they graduate.
Interim President John R. Gregg said those present Monday afternoon were not really there for a building dedication but for the "start of a strategic adventure" that would ultimately benefit not just the university but all of Indiana.
"The students who graduate from these programs are going to be prepared to make a positive impact wherever they go," he said. "They are going to strengthen our state and our country.
"Vincennes University is about students and being dedicated to meeting their needs, and Dean Haase and the faculty and staff of the Technology Division exemplify that dedication," Gregg added.
Rob Morgan, chairman of the VU board of trustees, said the center enhances opportunities for economic development, job creation, and technological evolution "for all of southwestern Indiana." He predicted that whatever economic success in is the region's future, that success will be built on a solid foundation provided by VU's Technology Division.
"That's just how valuable this division is," Morgan said.
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KCDC gets good news: Excell to add jobs
(Story courtesy of Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
The Knox County Development Corporation heard good news about a number of projects in the county at the group's monthly meeting this morning at Vincennes University.
Excell USA, Inc., the automotive parts maker with a factory in Vincennes, will be expanding its plant and adding 8-10 new jobs by the middle of January. A $1 million, 18,000 square foot addition at the East Beckes Lane plant will accommodate space for $1.5-million in new equipment.
The growing market share in the United States for Toyota and Subaru cars means there is more business for Excell, which makes a plastic molding for engines that enhances the ability to burn fuel more efficiently.
The company pays some of the highest wages in the county, starting at $13 an hour. Current employment is 42 full-time and 29 part-time.
Also this morning Matt Bailey, CEO at Good Samaritan Hospital, announced that the hospital had received tentative approval from the Indiana Bond Bank on a $20 million bond issue for the construction and renovation project. Going through the bond bank means the hospital will pay a lower interest rate.
Bailey said the bonds would be sold through the local Edward Jones office.
And Bailey said an agreement had been worked out whereby additional union carpenters would hired from the local hall to work on the $16-million project that includes adding a same-day surgery center.
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Water tower construction under way
(Story courtesy of Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
By this time next year a new water tower to serve the southern part of Vincennes including the U.S. 41 Industrial Park will be in operation, according to Jim Kerlin, superintendent of the Vincennes Water Department. "By this time next year, that tank will be on the system," he said. "We'll have another 2 million gallons of storage on the system which is always a good thing. The city is pumping 4 to 4.5 million gallons of water per day, and you always have to have adequate storage on the system in case you lose your well field for some reason."
Kerlin said the current work is on the main support pillar. The 125-foot, welded steel tank, along with new 12-inch water mains (which have already been installed) stretching out to the industrial park, will cost approximately $1.8 million, about a third of the total cost of the upgrades to the city's water system.
Kerlin said a $1.2 million federal grant from the Economic Development Administration is helping pay for the work.
Kerlin said crews from Landmark Structures of Ft. Worth, Texas, should finish work on the pillar in two to three weeks, and begin construction on the actual tank. But Kerlin said they probably won't finish by winter and will have to return in spring 2004 to finish the tank.
The new tank near Autumn Ridge Drive and other storage tanks around the city are more than just an untapped reserve of clean water. Kerlin said they're functioning portions of the city's water system.
"These tanks are not just sitting full of water in case they're needed," he said. "There's water going in and out of those tanks all the time depending on the demands on the system."
Mayor Terry Mooney said the tank will help water pressure on the south side of Vincennes, but also gives residents a visible marker to gauge progress.
"When you have a project of this magnitude, with the improvements at the wastewater plant, the new pump station at Watson Street, this new tower, it's hard for folks to realize where their money is going," he said. "Now you can drive by this project and see that things are getting done."
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County backs $17.5 million bond issue for GSH addition
(Story courtesy of Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
The Knox County Council agreed Tuesday night to back to a $17.5 million bond issue that will allow Good Samaritan Hospital to get a lower interest rate on its 81,000-square-foot addition. With the county's backing, essentially a pledge of property tax revenues as a second income source for the project, bonds will get a "triple A" rating, which would reduce interest rates to 4.5 percent, down from the "double A" rate of 4.9 percent. The county's backing is expected to generate approximately $1 million in savings over the 20-year life of the bond issue.
With the council's approval of the lease hospital attorneys said the hospital association would issue its final approval of the proposal on Thursday. The bond issue will then be advertised and a public hearing will be held at the Knox County Commissioners meeting on Aug. 25. The matter would then be referred to the Local Government Tax Control Board to determine if GSH is capable of meeting the financial requirements of the project.
GSH Chief Executive Officer Matt Bailey said the proposed work is expected to be finished within the next two years. Bailey outlined five main phases of the project: An expansion and remodeling of laboratory space and physical medicine facilities, expansion of seven in-patient operating rooms, upgrades to the hospital electrical system, and physician offices and an ambulatory surgery center in the new, same-day addition.
Ground was broken on the facility this spring and work is scheduled to be completed early next year. When completed, the same-day surgery center will compete with another, smaller facility being built at First and Buntin streets by Symbion Physician Services, a Nashville, Tenn., corporation.
Costs for the expansion have been projected at $16.5 million. The $17.5 million bond issue is in essence a 22-year lease with an annual payment of $1.6 million, which was reduced to a 20-year lease with the council's support.
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KCDC becomes part owner of planned PPA corn-milling plant
(Story courtesy of Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
The Knox County Development Corp. has become part owner of the planned Premium Producers Association corn-milling plant scheduled for the U.S. 41 Industrial Park.
This morning the KCDC board approved purchasing 10 shares, at $1,000 a share, in the plant, which, if built, would buy corn from local growers and turn it into "masa," or flour used in the production of tortillas.
Louis Rusch, Jr., president of the PPA board, said the group was not quite halfway to its goal of raising approximately $7 million needed before construction can begin. But he was optimistic additional shares would be sold and the money raised before the end of the month.
"Farmers are businessmen - they don't pay their bills until the end of the month," he said.
Rusch added that company officials were already getting inquiries from potential customers of the plant's future product, and that PPA had entered into contract negotiations with one, though he said a confidentiality agreement prevented him from naming which company it was.
"We've also had farm groups from Ohio and Illinois looking at the project," he said. "So there's a lot of interest."
KCDC Board Vice Chairman Mike Carney stated that purchasing the shares demonstrated the organization's faith in PPA. And, he added, it showed that KCDC members believe having the plant in the industrial park is important.
Roger Tomes, an economic development specialist with the local Cingery/PSI office, said PPA "is IT in southwest Indiana."
"Around the state economic development has been incredibly slow, really the last couple of years," he said. "And I can tell you there are counties that are really envious of Knox County's getting the plant."
PPA has an option on 13 acres in the park along Elkhorn Road. When completed, the factory will represent a $14 million capital investment and provide approximately 30 jobs, with an estimated annual payroll of approximately $1.2 million.
For more information about PPA, visit the Web site at www.premiumproducers.com, or contact the PPA office at 812-890-0203
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KCDC Planning Work at Highway 41 Industrial Park
(Story courtesy of Vincennes Sun-Commercial)
The Knox County Development Corporation is looking to make further improvements in the U.S. 41 Industrial Park south of Vincennes.
Banning Engineering, Plainfield, presented to the KCDC board of directors Friday morning the results of an engineering study that including adding another drainage pond at the park as well as an electrical substation, extending water, electric and gas services throughout the park and the widening of the intersection of Elkhorn and Keller roads at the park's northwest corner.
The board approved the report and the cost figures for the various improvements, which totaled approximately $1.4 million.
Jeff Healey, representing Banning, detailed an additional $68,000 in engineering costs for the various improvements.
The dollar amounts for the proposed work were estimates by Banning, which could change should KCDC solicit official bids for the work. The engineering costs were approved also, although the motion passed states that the KCDC board can approve any or all of the items as they see fit, up to the full $68,000 package.
A key factor in when any of the improvements may get done is the financial life of Premium Producers Association. The cooperative of area corn growers is currently raising capital to begin construction of a corn milling plant in the Industrial Park.
Should PPA become a reality, the board agreed that sanitary sewer increases and the construction of a drainage pond in the northern end of the park, where PPA is hoping to build, would become priority items.
Potential flooding problems in the southern end of the park were also addressed, dealing mainly with a projected floodway line bisecting an approximately 71-acre tract of farmland.
While the land is fit to be developed, any structure that is built must rest on a 4-foot base of fill material, which could cost as much as $1 million.
KCDC Chairman Gary Gentry said the land is for sale, but its biggest value currently might be as in-kind trade.
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PPA featured on Indiana Section of Midwest Business and Industrial Properties
Editorial information provided by the Knox County Development Corporation on PPA was featured as the cover story for the Indiana section of Midwest Business and Industrial Properties in the May/June edition. To view the article as a web page,
click here. To view as a pdf file,
click here (to download the magazine page,
right click your mouse and choose dowload to disk from the menu that appears.
Governor and Lt. Governor Present Energize Indiana Iniatives
