With an eye on improvement of the educational system in Seymour and Jackson County, Cummins Inc. continued its recent growth trend by announcing a $219 million expansion that it will add 290 jobs at its Seymour high-speed diesel engine plant by 2015.
“A key aspect for choosing Seymour is the support from IEDC to provide for educational initiatives, which will help ensure the availability of a skilled workforce for many years to come,” said Rich Freeland, president of Cummins’ engine business, following the April 24th announcement.
Cummins plans to construct a new office building to house up to 500 employees, as well as build a manufacturing facility for components of high-horsepower engines, plus add new warehouses and facilities for additional engineering, production and cylinder block production line.
“We are proud to be able to partner with Cummins and the State to make this exciting project a reality,” said Seymour Mayor Craig Luedeman. “Cummins has been an outstanding partner as we work to grow our community.”
At the May 14th Seymour City Council meeting, company officials reported new investment during 2012 is expected to be $71.1 million (of the $219 million total project), with 110 new employees expected to be hired this year. The company currently has about 525 employees at its Seymour Engine Plant.
Council granted 10-year tax abatement on the investment, and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. will provide Cummins with up to $250,000 in training grants based on the company’s job-creation plans.
Additionally, the IEDC is awarding the City of Seymour a “Certified Tech Park,” which means up to $5 million of payroll and sales tax can be captured and will be used to fund educational programs through the Jackson County Education Coalition (see related story in this newsletter).
Cummins is the largest independent maker of diesel engines in the world, and had record earnings in 2011. They plan to produce 16-cylinder, 4,000-horsepower diesel engines in Seymour that will be used in passenger and freight locomotives, boats, mining trucks and offshore oil and gas platform.
“Cummins continues an impressive expansion in the Hoosier State and much of that stems from the strong international demand for products designed and built right here in Indiana,” Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels said during the press conference. “Once again, words cannot describe how thankful we are for Cummins and the investment it is making in the Seymour community.”