Apr 3, 2013 | Jackson County News & Info
Aisin Chemical Indiana LLC (ACIN) has announced a $6 million expansion to their production facility in Crothersville, Indiana. The expansion will include a 30,000 square foot addition to their building to accommodate additional production equipment.
The initial phase of the project will add five new full-time jobs. Construction of the expansion is expected to begin later this year.
Tim Carter, General Manager with ACIN said, “we opened our doors in Crothersville in 2006 at ADI and have seen continued growth in the automotive sector and expansion of our customer base” resulting in this planned expansion.
The company manufacturers liquid applied sound deadening material for Toyota, Subaru of Indiana and Nissan. The company also makes Wet Friction Materials for automatic transmission and anti-corrosion paint.
ACIN began production in 2006 within the confines of sister manufacturer Aisin Drivetrain at the Crothersville Industrial Park.
In 2010, ACIN built a new plant adjacent to their production location they share with ADI.
In June 2010 the company broke ground for the initial $9 million investment in the present 70,000 square foot building, land, equipment and related expenses for the plant on Industrial Way.
ACIN officials, along with Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation executive director Jim Plump were expected to be in attendance at Tuesday’s Crothersville Town Council meeting to seek tax abatements for the expansion.
Source: Crothersville Times, 4.3.13
Mar 27, 2013 | Jackson County News & Info
Despite a still-shaky economy, companies show their faith that the local economy remains healthy enough to support their plans. Three Seymour companies plan to announce new investments at Seymour’s City Council meeting on Monday night.
Officials with Cummins Engine Company will come before council to request tax abatement on the second year part of its 3-year expansion of the Seymour Engine Plant.
Officials with Columbus Container will also talk about expansion plans, and a Brownstown couple plan to build a new facility to treat and bottle drinking water in Seymour.
Jan 31, 2013 | Jackson County News & Info
City and local economic officials in Seymour, Indiana hope Monday’s announcement of expansion by Kremers Urban Pharmaceuticals is a sign of good things to come in 2013.
“It’s a good way to start the year,” Jim Plump, executive director of Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation, said of the company’s planned $22 million investment to add manufacturing space at its facility in Freeman Field Industrial Park.
That space is needed as a result of a shift in the company’s focus from producing branded products to generic medications, Kremers controller Tom Lewis said.
Kremers, a subsidiary of Belgium-based UCB, will hire 20 new employees bringing its local workforce to nearly 500, Lewis said.
Kremers is the third-largest industrial employer in the county.
“Obviously Kremers has great talent and management at its location here and continues to attract the talent that they need,” Plump said. “They have a varied range of positions and provide excellent employment opportunities for hourly workers and those specialized positions with degrees. That diversity brings a lot to our local economy.”
With several patents expiring on branded medications, Lewis said the company is dedicating its resources to putting new generic versions on the market.
“We are in the process of developing those,” he said. “Most of them will be released next year and some even the year after that.”
Lewis said the lack of new generic medications available to consumers has left the door wide open for Kremers to expand.
“There’s not a lot of new innovative products out on the market right now, he said. “Products that are enticing to us are those that have a large market demand and that are harder for other companies to manufacture.
The Seymour Common Council approved the company’s request for 10-year tax abatement for $14 million in new manufacturing equipment, $400,000 in R&D equipment and $30,000 in logistics and distribution equipment. The company plans to spend another $475,000 in information technology, which the council approved for 5-year abatement.
Source: The Tribune, 1/30/13
Jan 25, 2013 | Jackson County News & Info
A recent article in the January 2013 issue of The Regional Economist (a quarterly publication of The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis that addresses business and economic conditions) illustrates that not only are manufacturing jobs not leaving Seymour, Indiana, but the numbers are increasing, including many higher-paying jobs requiring advanced degrees.
Click below to view the entire article in PDF.
StayedInAmerica – Source article from The Regional Economist, Jan 2013 Issue
Dec 14, 2012 | Jackson County News & Info
Aisin Drivetrain Inc. in Crothersville, Indiana has added about 100 workers to its workforce in preparation for the production of a new transmission for light and medium-duty commercial Chrysler Ram trucks.
“We’re excited to add this new six-speed automatic transmission to our product group here at ADI,” said Scott Turpin, who is president of Aisin Drivetrain.
The company invested $15 million in equipment and upgrades at the 350,000 square foot plant at 1001 Industrial Way.
Production of the transmissions – designed for Class 3, Class 4 and Class 5 diesel trucks – has begun, and the first shipments to Chrysler are expected to leave the plant later this month or in January, said Larry Summa, the company’s administrative division manager.
Summa also said the new product is the first transmission Aisin has made in America.
A recent ceremony to introduct the new product line was attended by Chrysler vice president Mircea Gardu, director of engineering Ed Perosky and platform director for transmission and driveline powertrain Mark Champine. The ceremony also was attended by Aisin Seiki chairman Kanshiro Toyoda. Aisin Drivetrain is a business unit of Aisin Seiki, an automotive transmission supplier.
Turpin said ADI has been running full throttle in preparation of the new business. “Many of our team members have logged thousands of miles and countless hours traveling to Japan for training on our new equipment,” Turpin said. He said the new project has provided opportunities to learn new processes and has brought together a team of like-minded, multicultural people ready for the new challenge.
Turpin said the Aisin-Chrysler relationship dates back 30 years when Aisin Group began building five-speed transmissions for the Jeep Cherokee.
ADI, which first opened its doors in 1996 at Crothersville, also supplies industrial transmissions for the forklift industry and steering columns for the automotive industry.
With the expansion, Aisin operations in North America will grow to nearly 5,000 full-time employees, with annual sales of $2 billion.
Source: The Tribune, December 14, 2012
Oct 21, 2012 | Jackson County News & Info
Workers at Seymour Manufacturing Co. in Seymour, Indiana learned in October that they now work for a new company.
That news came with assurances from Midwest Rake Col of Warsaw, Indiana that they will continue to have their jobs and continue to make long-handled toold under the Seymour Manufacturing name.
Jeff Plank, a co-owner of Midwest Rake, and Berl Grant of Seymour Manufacturing shared a common theme in discussing the sale with employees – the purchase holds strong opportunities for both businesses, and each is a good fit for the other.
“Midwest Rake is honored to have been selected to lead Seymour into the future,” Plank said. “We appreciate both the distinctive faith and confidence being placed on us and welcome the responsibility we are assuming.”
Grant said it was important to the Birge family, owners of Seymour Manufacturing since its founding in 1872, to a find a buyer that would be intent on keeping the company open and its workers on the job.
“They felt it importnat to find a buyer who needed and wanted the company,” Grant said. “That’s why it’s taken so long to find the right buyer, and we think we have done that.”
The Birge family decided 10 years ago the best plan for continuing the company was to sell it, Grant said, adding many potential suitors were dismissed over those 10 years. Talks with Midwest Rake began over a year ago, although the firms have done business with each other for many years.
“This merger gives us confidence the Seymour Manufacturing’s 140-year legacy will not only be preserved but enhanced by the combined resources of the two companies,” Dr. Clifford Birge said on behalf of his family.
Plank said the merger offers both divisions thousands of potential new customers, although they do share some common clients. “What’s exciting about the business opportunity is both of us have more then 3,000 customers each, but we share only 10-15% of those customers,” Plank said. “That’s a lot of potential new customers for Midwest Rake and Seymour.”
Seymour Manufacturing is best known for production of its manual post hole diggers. Midwest Rake is known for its rakes and other tools.
“We look forward to working with employees and customers alike as we begin this new and exciting era of controlled growth and opportunity for both Seymour Manufacturing and Midwest Rake,” added Bill Henthorn, president and chief executive officer for Midwest Rake.
Source: The Tribune, Seymour, IN 10.3.12
