By Zach Spicer
Investments totaling more than $39 million will bring nearly 50 jobs to two Crothersville industries.
During a meeting Sept. 2, the Crothersville Town Council approved 10-year tax abatement requests from AISIN Drivetrain Inc. and AISIN Chemical Indiana LLC.
Jim Plump, executive director of JCIDC, introduced both requests with company representatives in attendance.
ADI’s investment of $35,890,000 is for new production equipment. Plump said the personal property investment is scheduled to begin later this month and continue through the end of 2026.
This will result in the creation of 45 new positions paying just more than $2.8 million in annual salaries and retention of the current workforce of 518 with a payroll of more than $35 million, Plump said.
“Very likely, this is only the first investment announcement for the project, probably won’t be the last, so this is an ongoing expansion,” he said.
Rob Crosser, executive vice president and officer, administration, for ADI, distributed packets with information about the company’s nearly 29 years in the southeastern Jackson County town.
He said ADI manufactures electric rear axles, commercial automatic transmissions, electronic power steering columns, powershift transmissions and electric water pumps.
Wes Birdsong, finance manager for ADI, said the last round of tax abatements approved by the council covered electric water pump and e-Four electric rear axle products.
“That has been a huge change for our organization,” he said. “It’s brought profitability, and we’ve been able to attract and retain very skilled labor force here at Drivetrain.”
Birdsong said the new investment will bring new business to ADI, including Mazda SKYACTIV-Drive automatic transmissions for the CX-50 and CX-30 SUVs.
“The e-Four and EWP products, that was a huge skill up. It’s really brought a cutting-edge workforce into Drivetrain,” he said. “This (new investment) would just be an additional step to that skill level that we currently bring to the community.”
Josh Malancuk, president of JM Tax Advocates LLC, said he has helped ADI stay compliant with prior investments, and the company has “more than met” its capital expansion and “substantially exceeded” its job and gross wage commitments.
“We’re at about over 102% with our most recent incentive agreement but by and large well over 100% for every single agreement that’s in place, so that to me says this has been a good partnership,” he said. “The company has honored its commitments and has every intent of doing so as we partner together on future expansions.”
Crosser shared how ADI has given back to the community and area organizations.
“Since our beginning, we’ve given over $629,000 in charitable contributions and so far over $20,000 this year,” he said.
Looking at the packet provided to the council, President Terry Richey said she likes seeing various entities benefit from ADI’s giving back.
“I know that the school and the fire department, the town, everybody totally appreciates the contributions and the help,” she said. “When they reach out to AISIN, it’s always been easy to work with everybody and get that done.”
Councilman Jamy Greathouse said he’s a member of several of the organizations that have benefited from ADI’s support, and it’s appreciated.
“We are very, very lucky,” he said. “We don’t have a large amount of industry, but the handful of companies that we do have here do a really, really good job of working with us and taking care of this community, so thank you very much.”
AISIN Chemical’s new investment for equipment totals $3,233,229. Plump said that project will begin this month and be completed by the end of the year.
That will allow the company to add three new associates with combined salaries of $198,000. The overall workforce produces annual payroll of more than $6.2 million.
Tim Carter, executive vice president of ACI, said the company manufactures raw material-type products for sound-dampening material.
“That’s applied inside every car,” he said. “It goes underneath the carpet, and it stops the vibration from the road noise, your transmission, your engine, all that kind of stuff.”
The products made at ACI go in every Toyota, Nissan and Subaru produced in the United States, Carter said.
The new investment is for a mixer, which will give ACI three mixers capable of producing nearly 3.5 gallons of material a year.
ACI was established in 2006 inside ADI and remained there until its own building opened in 2011. That has since expanded, and a second building was constructed.
Councilman Chad Wilson said growing up in Crothersville, the area of the industrial park was just cornfields, and it’s now home to three industries. The third one is Cerrowire.
“Thank you for your involvement in the community,” Wilson told AISIN officials. “You guys have done a fantastic job out there, and I appreciate what you guys are doing for the community. I think I can speak on behalf of all of these (council members), too. We just appreciate you guys very much.”