Noble County gains 175 jobs in June/July These stories below:
Arrotin to create 25 new jobs in Kendallville
Two Avilla industries to add 55 jobs
Johnson Controls adds 15 jobs
Courier expands and adds 80 jobs
Kendallville airport to upgrade within two years
County unemployment rate dips to 12 percent by Julie Scher
How’s the economy in Noble County? Ask Rick Sherck, county economic development director, and he’ll tell you some good news.
First, the county’s unemployment rate dropped from almost 18% to 12% in June. Of the 23,585 workers in the county, 20,741 are employed, and 2,844 are unemployed, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics. Since June 2009, Noble County’s unemployment rate has dropped 28%.
“Things are turning, we’re moving in the right direction,” said Sherck. “Things are positive, and we continue to work with existing businesses and new businesses to create new jobs.”
Below are stories about new jobs being created in Noble County, 175 jobs from business projects approved this summer. And an upgrade to the county’s airport will make the county look more attractive to corporations seeking to expand.
Arrotin to create 25 new jobs in Kendallville A New Haven company is moving its operation to Kendallville, bringing approximately 29 jobs and creating an additional 25 more jobs.
Arrotin Plastic Materials Inc. is purchasing the vacant Drive-Sol building at 301 W. Ohio St., and plans to start its plastics recycling operation in January.
In July, the Economic Development Steering Committee recommended two years of tax abatement on $1.205 million of real property, and five years of abatement on $950,000 in new manufacturing equipment, including shredders and extruders provided Arrotin representatives provide Mayor Suzanne Handshoe with corrections to the abatement application.
The recommendation goes to City Council Tuesday night for approval.
According to its tax abatement application, the 25 new jobs include four management or supervisory positions and five professional or technical positions paying $15 to $20 an hour, four skilled positions paying $12-$16 an hour, and 12 semi or unskilled positions paying $8-$10 an hour.
The San Bernadino, Calif.-based company purchases used plastic materials, recycles the plastic into pellets for re-sale to plastic manufacturers, according to Alex Arroyo, vice-president of Arrotin Plastic Materials of Indiana Inc. The company can also recycle paper and cardboard materials on site.
Arroyo said the company looked at several sites around northeast Indiana, but the Drive-Sol building that has been vacant for about two years fits its needs. "It has power which was a plus," he said. Handshoe said the Ohio Street's location close to U.S. 6 was also a plus because the company has a major contract in Chicago.
Company officials hope to develop contractual relationships with local manufacturers to purchase their recyclable plastic and cardboard.
Handshoe told EDSC members she toured the company's New Haven operation and was impressed by how much material its operation can recycle. "They can recycle just about anything plastic," she said.
No materials will be stored outside the Ohio Street plant. Everything must be inside to prevent contamination, said Arroyo.
The company plans to modify the warehouse floor to meet production needs and switching the sprinkler system to a dry fire retardant system.
The Drive-Sol building is eligible for two years of abatement because it has been vacant that long, said Handshoe.
A total of $34,910 will be abated on the real property and $56,461 on the new manufacturing equipment.
Arrotin hopes to begin its Kendallville operations in January.
Two Avilla industries to add 55 jobs A pair of Avilla manufacturing firms hope to add up to a combined 55 jobs, it was announced at last week’s meeting of the Avilla Redevelopment Commission.
The commission voted unanimously to pass along a positive recommendation for tax abatements for Accel International and for Ultrexx.
The final decision will be made by the Avilla Town Council. Town manager Bill Ley said the council would likely vote on the matter at its next meeting which has been set for 6:30 p.m. July 21 at the Town Hall.
Accel International plans on closing its South Milford operation, bringing its 19 employees to the old International Wire facility in Avilla's industrial park. The redevelopment commission gave a positive recommendation for a 2-year abatement on the $1.2 million purchase of the International Wire factory, and an additional abatement of $2.1 million on new machinery.
When the new machinery is installed, Accel will be hiring 35 new workers over the next two years, according to general manager Dan Cole.
Accel International makes high-performance wire for companies such as General Cable and Harbor Industries.
Cole said the company hopes to begin moving into its new facility by August 1.
Ultrexx also received a positive recommendation for a tax abatement for $3.5 million in new equipment. That new equipment will lead to 20 additional jobs at its facility on Progress Way.
Ultrexx, through its parent company, Symmetry Medical, is a provider of implants and instruments to orthopaedic providers.
Nate Cole of Region III-A spoke on behalf of the abatement requests for both companies.
After some brief questions, the redevelopment commission passed both recommendations.
"Any time we can fill an empty building, I'm all for it," commission member Maynard Householder said.
Johnson Controls adds 15 jobs
In June, Johnson Controls Interior Manufacturing (JCIM), located in the former Plastech plant it had purchased in the East Industrial Park, announced an equipment expansion that will add 15 new manufacturing jobs to its 220-employee workforce.
The Redevelopment Commission (RDC) voted to recommend 10 years of tax abatement for JCIM on $475,641 of new equipment for the plant at 300 S. Progress Drive.
The company manufactures plastic injection molded parts for the automotive industry. Dale Greer, the plant manager, said the company is installing a more efficient central feed system to stay competitive. "The complexity is going up," he commented. "We brought in work from other plants, and there's lots of work still out there."
The new equipment should be installed by the end of the year, according to JCIM's tax abatement application.
Plastech had laid off workers before declaring bankruptcy amid the downturn in the economy and the automotive industry. When JCIM purchased the company, it closed 25 of the 38 plants around the country. Greer explained due to the work ethic of the Kendallville plant's employees, its location and the cooperation from city officials, he convinced JCIM that the Kendallville plant was a "growth spot" and to keep it open.
Laid-off employees were called back, and the new equipment will increase the workforce. Twelve of the 15 new jobs will pay about $12 an hour.
The plant became unionized this year, according to JCIM's tax abatement application.
Over the 10-year abatement period, JCIM will save about $23,115 in taxes while paying about $15,520 in taxes based on 2010 tax rates.
Courier expands and adds 80 jobs Courier Kendallville's expansion will create 80 jobs paying about $35,000 a year.
The Kendallville Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) in June recommended City Council grant Courier 10 years of tax abatement on a 50,000-square-foot addition to its 200,000-square-foot warehouse at 3094 Lester Drive in the East Roberts Addition to the East Industrial Park.
Tax abatement applications for the warehouse expansion and new equipment at Courier's manufacturing facility indicate the two projects, representing about a $17 million investment, will add 80 jobs to the company's 631-employee workforce mainly at its manufacturing facility at 2500 Marion Drive in the East Industrial Park. The Kendallville Redevelopment Commission (RDC) was scheduled to review the abatement application for the new equipment at a special meeting this morning.
The RDC reviews the abatement application on the new equipment because the Marion Drive plant is within the RDC's Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. The warehouse expansion is within the EDAC's jurisdiction.
The L-shaped addition will be on the east side of the existing warehouse, according to Courier Kendallville controller Terry Lewis.
The new four-color press will take up storage space in the manufacturing plant so the company needs the warehouse addition. The warehouse addition is in conjunction with the new press, according to Peter Folger, Courier's chief financial officer.
In April, Courier chairman and chief executive officer James F. Conway III announced the expansion in a financial report. He pointed to the growth in specialty trade books and sustained demand in education textbooks as reasons for the expansion of the company's Kendallville facility. "We expect this demand for our four-color capacity to continue into 2011 based on our current level of business in the college market," he reported.
In April 2009, Courier consolidated its warehouses by opening an $11.6 million, 200,00-square-foot warehousing operation. At the time, Courier officials announced the warehouse was part of a five-year, $30 million expansion in Kendallville that would create 100-175 jobs. City Council granted Courier 10 years of abatement on the new warehouse.
In December 2007, council granted Courier 10 years of abatement on $25 million of new equipment for its Kendallville plant.
"Courier is one of Kendallville's more serious corporate citizens, and I'm pleased to vote to vote for this abatement," commented EDAC member Jerry Stienbarger. "They've followed through with everything they told us they would do."
Courier is the third largest book manufacturer in the U.S.
Kendallville airport to upgrade within two years Major improvements to the Kendallville Municipal Airports runways and taxiways and stormwater drainage system are planned in the next two years.
In June, the Aviation Board of Commissioners approve an application for a $99,560 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant to plan the reconstruction the 4,400-foot runway, 1,000-foot taxiway and four smaller hangar taxiways. The project will entail resurfacing the runway and taxiway similar to street reconstruction projects.
The state would pay $1,110 of the cost, and the aviation board would have to put up $3,930 of the cost.
Completed plans will be sent to the FAA and state for approval before the aviation board applies for a grant to pay for the reconstruction in 2011, according to Mark Shillington of Indianapolis-based Woolpert, a design, engineering and geospatial firm serving as the aviation board's consultant on capital projects.
The board also discussed ways to address flooding problems on the airport grounds.
Preliminary plans for improving the airport stormwater drainage call for stormwater to be directed north to the Fry Ditch, according to Shillington. Noble County Surveyor Scott Zeigler has approved the preliminary plan that includes a holding pond and swales.
Shillington said directing the water north will be more expensive but is a better option that directing storm water south and west into residential areas.
The FAA will not have money available until 2012 for a grant for the stormwater project if Congress appropriates money to the FAA for grants to airports, he said. "There are 51 airports in Indiana alone that compete for federal dollars," he said.
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