By Zach Spicer
Record promised investment from local companies, more READI funding and grants.
JAG Day and MFG Day.
Career College Transition Fair, Reality Fair and an outdoor job fair.
Mock interviews, robotics, Maverick Challenge and the successful implementation of a local training program.
A 40th anniversary celebration event.
2024 was a year to remember for Jackson County Industrial Development Corp., a not-for-profit public/private partnership dedicated to industrial and economic development located in Seymour.
Industrial investments announced in November by Seymour companies Guardian Bikes and Cummins Inc. raised the 2024 promised investment total to $198.5 million, the most in JCIDC’s 40 years.
Those announcements followed ones earlier in the year from SpaceGuard Products, Dicksons Inc., Valeo, FosTecH Inc., Aisin USA Mfg. Inc. and Nippon Steel Pipe America Inc., ranging from $100,000 to more than $29 million.
Eddie Murphy, president of SpaceGuard Products, said the company has received dedicated support from JCIDC since it established its roots in Seymour more than 30 years ago.
“Our latest real and personal property abatements allowed us to double our operating capacity and modernize our manufacturing equipment, ensuring continued growth and additional employment in Jackson County,” Murphy said. “This would not have been possible without the continued partnership and support of JCIDC.”
Not included in the promised investment total was a new company announcement in June by Vital Farms, which plans to construct an Egg Central Station sorting, washing and packing facility in Seymour’s Eastside Industrial Park.
The company has a projected investment of nearly $84 million and plans to hire up to 120 people after its anticipated opening in the fourth quarter of 2026.
JCIDC also was involved in the second round of Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative funding (READI 2.0), where the South Central Indiana Talent Region received another $30 million to use for projects in Jackson, Bartholomew and Jennings counties and Edinburgh.
In Jackson County, three of the READI 2.0 projects have been preapproved by Indiana Economic Development Corp., including the Brownstown Speedway/Jackson County Fairgrounds grandstands project and Jackson County SPARK project.
Other projects planned include housing in Brownstown, expansion of the Vincennes University industrial maintenance training program at the Jackson County Learning Center and infrastructure at the Eastside Industrial Park.
JCIDC also received two marketing grants, including one from Duke Energy’s 2024 Partnership Program and another from Hoosier Energy.
In addition, JCIDC’s Workforce Partnership organized the inaugural JAG Day in February, Career College Transition Fair in April, an outdoor job fair in August, MFG Day in October and the Reality Fair in December.
Jobs for America’s Graduates is a state-based, national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping high school students of promise who have experienced challenging or traumatic life experiences achieve success through graduation.
JAG Day brought together students and specialists from Brownstown Central, Crothersville and Seymour high schools at Aisin World Corp. of America in Seymour. They heard from guest speakers, networked during lunch and teamed up for trivia.
Nearly 1,700 students from the county’s six high schools attended the Career College Transition Fair, where around 60 booths were set up for them to explore career opportunities after high school.
The outdoor job fair at Crossroads Community Park in downtown Seymour gave the public a chance to talk to representatives from 14 local companies about potential job opportunities.
The 2024 Jackson County MFG Day, which is part of a national grassroots movement, consisted of nearly 200 students from the six county high schools gathering at Cummins Seymour Engine Plant.
During the morning, students divided into four groups and rotated between four workshops led by officials with Aisin USA, Lannett Co. Inc., Cummins, Pet Supplies Plus and Valeo.
In the afternoon, students visited one of those companies for lunch, a tour and a hands-on activity.
This was the first year for Sandy Creek Christian Academy in Seymour to attend.
Cristy Null, the school’s college/career instructor, said it was beneficial to the students.
“I am thankful for the opportunity for students to see manufacturing opportunities up close,” she said. “This will and can definitely help students make decisions about their future. Being with these students in this environment helped me learn a little more about them and some of their interests and future goals.”
To wrap up the year, the Reality Fair at Seymour Middle School brought together 600-plus eighth graders from eight local schools.
The event is a simulation of an adult’s financial life that allows youth to experience making financial decisions and managing money.
After being assigned one of 18 different types of jobs, they visited 12 booths: Pets, health care, transportation, housing Part 1, housing Part 2, household spending, the unexpected, credit card, bank, sharing and charitable gifts, children and cellphone.
During the three sessions, 68 volunteers from the community manned the booths in both gyms to help students make decisions.
The Workforce Partnership also set up mock interviews for seniors at Crothersville, Medora, Seymour and Trinity Lutheran high schools; helped the robotics teams at all of the county schools, from elementary to high school; and was part of the Maverick Challenge Jackson County high school business planning competition.
Brandon Harpe, superintendent of Seymour Community School Corp., said JCIDC is an excellent partner for the school district.
“Experiences such as Maverick Challenge, Career College Transition Fair, JAG Day, MFG Day, Reality Fair, senior mock interviews and robotics provide opportunities for our students to extend the classroom beyond the walls of our school buildings,” Harpe said. “Students are able to be innovative and work in collaborative situations with local business professionals.”
In November, the local Vincennes University industrial maintenance training program celebrated its one-year anniversary.
The program has given local industries an opportunity to send employees through training in electrical and mechanical industrial maintenance.
Last year, 50 individuals from eight local companies earned 93 certificates, said Brian Sawyers, instructor and site director.
“The 1,600-square-foot manufacturing lab at JCLC allows employees to gain and utilize a vast array of useful knowledge and skills in a relatively short amount of time compared to a traditional classroom setting,” Sawyers said. “The structure of the courses and close proximity are of great value to local industry as workers are spending less time out of their facilities for training purposes.”
2024 also was JCIDC’s 40th anniversary. The celebration event was Oct. 29 at The Copper Top in downtown Seymour and featured keynote speaker Mark Emkes, a Seymour native and former CEO of Bridgestone Americas.
During the program, JCIDC’s only executive director in its 40-year existence, Jim Plump, was presented the Distinguished Hoosier Award by District 44 Sen. Eric Koch on behalf of Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Plus, the inaugural class receiving the JCIDC Lifetime Achievement Award was recognized. They are Mike Tormoehlen, Carl Shake and Gerald Armstrong. Tormoehlen, who was JCIDC’s first board president, also was presented the Elmore-Kilgas Award.