The quarterly meeting of Jackson County human resources representatives was Sept. 11 at the Jackson County Learning Center in Seymour.
Appropriately, the topic was education.
After learning about service and volunteer opportunities with JCIDC initiatives, the group heard from officials with Vincennes University, Indiana University Columbus, Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Purdue Polytechnic Columbus and Ivy Tech Community College Columbus. They all shared information about the educational programs available on campus, online and in Seymour and the surrounding area.
Finally, JCLC Director Amy Heideman shared offerings by McDowell Education Center, Sylvan and READ Jackson County at the learning center, and attendees toured the industrial maintenance lab.
Representatives of the Maverick Challenge Jackson County high school business planning competition recently visited local high schools to talk to students about the program.
JCIDC Workforce Director Jackie Hill, Jackson County Chamber Director Dan Robison, Seymour Main Street Executive Director Jaylyn Stam and Brownstown Ewing Main Street board member Arann Banks visited Brownstown Central, Crothersville, Medora and Seymour high schools to educate students on the annual competition.
Maverick Challenge began in 2008 in Bartholomew County, and Jackson County joined the program in 2011. Last year, Bartholomew County ended the program, but Jackson County leaders chose to keep it going in the county thanks to a partnership between JCIDC, Jackson County Chamber, Seymour Main Street and Brownstown Ewing Main Street and funding partner JCBank.
In September, students, working individually or with two or more other students, will work on their presentations. Then they will create a 3- to 5-minute video to sell their business idea and hear from classroom speakers, who will talk to them about presentation, video, financials and marketing. From November to January, they will be paired up with a mentor to help them.
The 10 finalists will be announced in mid-February and will give oral presentations March 1 with $7,000 being up for grabs.
New this year, the winner of Maverick Challenge Jackson County will be one of the six finalists in the SPARK Tank competition with the winner receiving $10,000.
The winner and potentially others from the county program also can enter the state’s Innovate WithIN competition, which has a regional competition in the spring and finals in June with the ultimate winner receiving $25,000.
On Aug. 14 and 15, seniors at Seymour High School have been participating in senior seminars with faculty from Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus.
Each day, different groups of seniors have been attending three sessions: Career awareness and finding purpose, what employers want by industry and résumé and LinkedIn.
During the other two sessions Sept. 18 and 19, there will be three different topics.
By that point, the seniors will be ready to create their résumé in English class that they will submit for when they participate in the annual senior mock interviews the week of Oct. 28 to Nov. 1.
JCIDC partners with SHS for the senior mock interviews, helping pair each student with an interviewer who works in the field in which they are interested.
AUSTIN, Texas, June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Vital Farms (Nasdaq: VITL), a Certified B corporation that offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide, today has announced plans to expand its resilient supply chain with a second world-class egg washing and packing facility located in Seymour, Indiana.
The 72-acre future home of Egg Central Station Seymour will build upon key successes from the brand’s first facility in Springfield, Missouri. The new facility will enable Vital Farms to continue growing its pasture-raised egg business, create 150+ jobs for the Seymour community in its first phase and is expected to help generate over $350 million in additional revenue for the brand as it pushes to a 2027 target of $1 billion in company revenues.
Putting down roots in Seymour for Vital Farms’ second facility allows the brand to continue to expand its strong network of more than 300 family farms to support new farm development within a day’s drive of the new facility. Vital Farms expects this new facility, in its first phase, will support approximately 165 family farmers producing the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales.
“This is an exciting milestone for Vital Farms. We continue to invest in our robust and resilient supply chain to expand our network of family farmers and continue our mission to bring ethical food to the table,” said Russell Diez-Canseco, president and CEO of Vital Farms. “We are grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received from the city of Seymour, Jackson County Industrial Development Corp. and Indiana Economic Development Corp., and we look forward to deepening our relationship and building an even stronger connection to southern Indiana and its surrounding communities in the years ahead.”
“Indiana boasts a rich tradition of agriculture, one that continues to grow and evolve thanks to the vision and commitment of companies like Vital Farms,” said Ann Lathrop, chief strategy officer for Indiana Economic Development Corp. “This investment will not only result in increased economic activity, bolstering a statewide ecosystem that generates $4.6 billion in annual exports, but it will support Hoosier farmers, accelerate rural development and support continued quality of place enhancements in Seymour and the surrounding south central region for years to come.”
ECS Seymour will build upon the foundational key learnings and successes from Vital Farms’ award-winning egg washing and packing facility in Springfield, Missouri, Egg Central Station, which opened in 2017 and whose expansion achieved LEED Gold Certification in 2024. The facility will feature similar environmental stewardship goals incorporated into the site plans in addition to a flow-through design to improve safety and efficiency of the overall operation. Similar to its operation in Springfield, ECS Seymour will utilize industry-leading automation for processing equipment to improve overall production efficiency and quality and will employ a world-class crew to lead the way in bringing this new facility to life.
ECS Seymour is expected to break ground mid-2025 and be fully operational at the beginning of 2027.
About Vital Farms
Vital Farms (Nasdaq: VITL) is a Certified B corporation that offers a range of ethically produced foods nationwide. Started on a single farm in Austin, Texas, in 2007, Vital Farms is now a national consumer brand that works with over 300 family farms and is the leading U.S. brand of pasture-raised eggs by retail dollar sales. Vital Farms’ ethics are exemplified by its focus on the humane treatment of farm animals and sustainable farming practices. In addition, as a Delaware public benefit corporation, Vital Farms prioritizes the long-term benefits of each of its stakeholders, including farmers and suppliers, customers and consumers, communities and the environment and crew members and stockholders. Vital Farms’ products, including shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs and liquid whole eggs, are sold in approximately 24,000 stores nationwide. Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs can also be found on menus at hundreds of food service operators across the country. For information, visit vitalfarms.com.
Duke Energy has selected seven economic development organizations in southern Indiana for inclusion in its 2024 Partnership Program, which funds marketing and strategic efforts to attract new jobs and investment in communities the company serves.
“Economic development plays a vital role in the long-term growth and prosperity of the state,” said Erin Schneider, managing director of business development for Duke Energy. “Through these grant funds, we’re proud to support our local economic development partners as they work in new and creative ways to market their communities to site selectors and businesses across the world.”
Partnership Program grant funds can be used to support a wide array of marketing initiatives, including trade show attendance, website redesign, promotional materials and presentations or tours to introduce prospective companies and site selectors to a community.
To qualify for program consideration, each applicant submitted a plan that would have a direct impact on its community’s economic growth. Grant amounts varied depending on the size and scope of the project.
This year, JCIDC was awarded a $5,000 grant to support the update of marketing materials to promote the region during travels to Japan and Germany to meet with site consultants and business prospects.
Award winner Jim Plump, executive director of Jackson County Industrial Development Corp., alongside Misty McCammack and Erin Schneider as he was being presented with an Excellence in Economic Development Award early in 2024.
