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New $35 Million Reserve Center Planned for Johnson County
A new Armed Forces Reserve Center will be built in the Franklin area. The State of Indiana has purchased the land for the planned 166,000 square-foot facility. The $35 million dollar-plus project is expected to be federally funded.
The National Guard Reserve Center will be a 166,000 sq. ft. facility, the second largest facility of its kind in the state.
The facility is scheduled to open in 2010. The State of Indiana purchased the land and will be responsible for the utility extensions on approximately 36 acres of land just west of Interstate 65 in Johnson County.
This facility will be a $35 million-plus project, all federally funded. The senior unit will be the Indiana National Guard’s 219th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.
Precision Cutoff will operate out of former ArvinMeritor complex in Franklin
An Ohio-based company will expand its manufacturing operation to a Franklin factory this year, eventually planning to create 47 new jobs.
Precision Cutoff outgrew its facility in the Toledo area and decided to open a new operation in Franklin, which the company selected in part because of the city's proximity to Interstate 65.
Precision Cutoff, owned by Woodsage Industries, is investing about $2 million into the operation, which will be at the former ArvinMeritor complex on Hurricane Street.
"We anticipate a long and mutually beneficial association with the city of Franklin," Woodsage president James Cannaley said.
"We typically get involved in and give back to the communities we get involved in."
The company cuts, details and manufactures metal tubes used in products ranging from auto exhaust systems to lawn and garden centers.
Much of its work consists of cutting and finishing tubing provided by other manufacturers or large-volume users, such as custom automotive service centers. But the company also fabricates lengths of tube in smaller orders.
The company also is certified to work for the defense and aerospace industries.
Precision Cutoff, which has a 150,000-square-foot facility in Ohio, has been picking up business as smaller tube-cutting companies go under and is diversifying its customer base, Johnson County Development Corp. Executive Director Cheryl Morphew said.
The company, which employs 250 people, reported $2.8 million in profit last year. Plans call for hiring 47 employees, including 40 operators, at an average wage of $15.68 an hour.
If the business expands, Precision Cutoff could end up adding more jobs than that, Cannaley said. The company planned to start with 45 workers at its Ohio plant and saw the work force expanded five-fold.
Precision Cutoff will receive incentives from the state of Indiana and is applying for property tax abatement through the city of Franklin.
The company already is installing equipment at the site, and it hopes to hire 25 employees, including 18 operators, by the end of the year.
"They looked at other sites, but we're glad they chose us," Morphew said. "They'll be a valuable addition to the community."
Over the next month, Precision will move into 110,000 square feet of leased space in the Hurricane Industrial Complex, which ArvinMeritor left in the fall of 2004, idling more than 800 workers.
The 538,000-square-foot facility now has five tenants, including KYB and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Climate Control, which use the facility for off-site storage.
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Auto Parts Manufacturer to Expand Its Headquarters, Manufacturing Center in Franklin
Aluminum auto parts manufacturer Casting Technologies Company and its parent, Compass Automotive Group, announced it will expand its manufacturing and headquarters operations here, creating 40 new jobs.
Casting Technologies and the Compass Automotive Group will invest more than $3 million to increase its casting operations and renovate its headquarters facility.
"Indiana's strength in advanced manufacturing, coupled with our unmatched infrastructure, is helping us win new opportunities with companies like Casting Technologies Company. That translates into new jobs for Hoosiers," said Governor Mitch Daniels.
Casting Technologies Company, which produces lightweight castings for nearly every major automotive manufacturer, currently employs 85 associates at its Central Indiana facility and plans to begin hiring additional operators, maintenance technicians and professional staff in the fourth quarter of 2008.
"Automobile manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce vehicle weight to improve fuel economy. Casting Technologies Company specializes in providing lightweight aluminum castings as an alternative to heavier components made from steel or cast iron," said Craig Conaty, president and chief operating officer of Compass Automotive Group.
New York-based private equity firm Monomoy Capital Partners, L.P., announced the creation of Compass Automotive Group following its acquisition of Casting Technologies and die cast engineered aluminum and magnesium manufacturer Magnesium Aluminum Corporation. Coupled with its November 2007 acquisition of suspension and chassis components manufacturer Alcoa Automotive Castings, Compass, headquartered in Franklin, is integrating the three acquired companies and product lines into a more efficient operation to provide carmakers and Tier 1 auto suppliers cost-effective component solutions across a range of metals and manufacturing processes.
"Compass decided to locate its headquarters in Franklin because of its strategic location, excellent workforce and the community's ability to support business growth.," said James A. Squatrito, chief executive officer of Compass Automotive Group.
The announcement of Casting Technologies plans to grow its Franklin operations is the second in less than a year. In September 2007, the company committed to create 42 new jobs and invest $1.8 million in its Johnson County facility.
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Cabella's Bringing Development to Greenwood in Johnson County
A New Albany developer recently signed a multimillion-dollar deal for the right to develop land on Cabela's 100-acre site just south of County Line Road between Graham Road and Interstate 65. The company wants to build a cinema, grocery store, fitness center, restaurants and retail stores.
Plans call for Cabela's to anchor a commercial hub on Greenwood's growing east side. Cabela's and Splash Universe, an indoor water park resort, are slated to open in Greenwood late this year. Cabela's 125,000-square-foot store will occupy about 21 acres at the northwest corner of the site, and Splash Universe will take up 5.9 acres south of the store.
A rainwater-collection pond will take up another seven acres, and Lopp Properties will develop the remaining 60 acres on the site. Cabela's officials have said their sites usually take about four years to become fully developed.
In the past, the Nebraska-based outdoor retailer has taken different approaches to developing sites around its stores, company spokesman John Castillo said.
In East Hartford, Conn., Cabela's is working with a private developer to find tenants for land at its site. At a Minnesota store, Cabela's real estate division has sold the land off to retailers and restaurants.
At least one other Cabela's site, the Kansas City location, includes a movie theater, Castillo said.
The developer's tentative plans also call for another hotel on the site.
The Splash Universe hotel, catering to families using the water park, will feature 164 rooms, while an 83-room Candlewood Suites is slated to open across the street from the Cabela's property on the other side of Graham Road.
With two other hotel projects planned, nearly 600 new rooms already are scheduled to come to Greenwood's I-65 corridor this year.
A few hotels will be needed in the immediate vicinity of the store, Castillo said. The Greenwood Cabela's, which will feature wild-game taxidermy, a fresh-water aquarium and a replica mountain, is expected to cater to many visitors heading to state and federal parks in southern Indiana.
Some Cabela's stores draw three million visitors a year, more than the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The company claims to be the biggest tourist attraction in Nebraska and Kansas.
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Nitrex, Inc. in Johnson County Plans Expansion
Nitrex Inc. has announced plans to double the size of its facility in Franklin for the second time in two years. The company will add 15,200 square feet to its existing location. The company treats metal for commercial and manufacturing uses.Nitrex previously expanded its Franklin location in 2005.
About 15,200 square feet will be added to the 14,700-square-foot building at 350 Blue Chip Court near Earlywood and Essex drives.
The Nitrex addition will include working space, four offices and a conference room. The number of employees will increase from 23 to 28 with the expansion.
Work on the expansion will begin this month and be complete in about four months.
Franklin's Promex Technologies adding about 40 jobs
A Franklin company that makes biopsy needles plans to more than double the size of its building and nearly double the number of employees, adding about 40 positions.
The company designs and manufactures biopsy needles and products used to test for cancer. The products are sold in the United States, China and Europe.
Promex employs both production workers and professionals. Engineers at Promex specialize in research and development, manufacturing and quality control in making the needles and parts. Production workers use raw materials to grind, weld and assemble the parts to exact specifications.
The expansion project will increase Promex's building by more than 20,000 square feet and add about 40 production and professional positions. When the new jobs will be added has not been determined.
New injection molding, grinding and welding equipment will be bought to meet increased demands of products, Promex President Deborah Beck said in a news release.
The project will cost about $2.5 million. Franklin economic development commission and city council approved $1.7 million tax-exempt bond financing for the project.
No taxpayer money will be used for the bonds.
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Cabela's to open in fall 2008 in Greenwood
Approximately 100 acres between Interstate 65, Graham Road and County Line Road in Johnson County will become the new home of Cabela's, which plans to build a 125,000-square-foot outdoor retail store that doubles as a tourist destination. The project includes Splash Universe, a 30,000-square-foot indoor water park with a 164-room lodge. Opening is slated for fall 2008.
It is projected that the 100-acre area will be fully developed with more restaurants and shops within four years. The value of the entire project is estimated at $102 million. Of that, Cabela's and the water park resort will be worth $60 million to $70 million.
A proposed master plan shows the Cabela's store will be built at the northwest corner of the property, closest to the interstate exit, with the water park and hotel sitting behind, or south, of the store.
Greenwood wasn't the first Indianapolis-area site Cabela's considered. The company initially looked at a location on the northside.
Cabela's is in the midst of an aggressive retail expansion initiative, Darren Robinson, real estate site acquisition manager for Cabela's Ventures Inc. said. The stores attract groups on tour buses, school children on field trips and shoppers from other states.
Greenwood is an ideal site because of its location. The company also evaluates its catalog sales and other indicators, such as hunting and fishing licenses, to determine where a new store could best reach its customer base, Robinson said.
"Indiana is great for outdoorsmen and -women," Robinson said. At its other stores, shoppers come from hundreds of miles away and spend three to four hours looking at the museum-quality wildlife displays and aquariums. The Greenwood store will include an indoor mountain, gun library and archery range. To show the company's commitment to detail, Robinson pointed to a photo of bees that have been taxidermied as part of a display.
More than 3 million people are expected to come to Cabela's each year. Cabela's will hire 90 full-time and 130 part-time workers and have an annual payroll of $5 million. Specific hourly wages aren't yet available, Robinson said. Splash Universe will hire 150 employees.
Splash Universe
For about $20 a day, area residents can float down a 450-foot lazy river, play in the arcade or fly down a slide in the indoor water park.
Based on other locations, it is predicted that more than 120,000 visitors should come to the indoor water park each year, and the attraction will draw people from a 120-mile radius around Greenwood.
The water park will have four slides, one of which is a four-person raft slide. An elevator will carry the raft to the top of the several-story park.
The indoor water park will have a capacity of 650 to 700 people and will be available to residents only when the resort is not full, a spokesman said.
The resort also will feature an activities pool, a children's version of a hot tub, party rooms for birthdays and special events, snack bars, a gift shop, restaurant and lounge.
Construction will begin in October on the $35 million indoor water park and 164-room resort. The attraction will open in October 2008.
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Johnson County Provides Skilled Concientious Workforce
A report released today by the Indy Partnership revealed that Johnson County has a talent pipeline of over 59,000 workers to draw from in jobs relating to manufacturing and is a major reason why the county drew in a diverse number of projects in 2006.
The study takes into account the total number of underemployed and unemployed manufacturing workers who are likely to commute into Johnson County. By drawing workers from Marion, Monroe, Hendricks, and Shelby Counties, Johnson remains primed to attract more manufacturing projects.
Last year, Arbonne International created 400 new jobs and opened a new 208,000 square foot distribution center in Greenwood and found a strong workforce. “Our center in Johnson County is one of our best-performers due to the skilled workforce we found here,” said Bob Henry, Chairman of Arbonne International, whose company opened a state-of-the-art distribution center in Greenwood last summer. “We were able to quickly get the right people in place and were up and running in no time.” In 2005, NSK Precision America moved its corporate headquarters to Franklin in order to create more efficiency. Since the move, NSK has continued to hire new workers and has found a hard-working and skilled workforce.
“We have been very happy with our decision to move our headquarters here. We have found central Indiana workers to have a strong work ethic and yet understand how to balance work with life,” said Brian Kemple, Senior Manager of Operations for NSK.
The talent pipeline is also surging in Johnson County due to the Central Nine Career Center. Central Nine Career Center is affiliated with ten area high schools and provides training on a variety of manufacturing core skills including: welding, computer drafting, electronics, information technology, and machine tools. www.indypartnership.com indypartnership.blogspot.com
“We are committed to matching employer needs with students who have done the realworld work. If an employer has new equipment they are using, we will partner with them so that our students can learn a new process immediately,” said Roberta Jackson, Lead Project Consultant for the Central Nine Career Center.
The 100,000 square foot campus is comprised of seven buildings for classrooms, laboratories, offices and other instructional resource facilities. The school can accommodate 500 students at two sessions per day.
“Our students really have a broad skill set when they graduate. They will not only understand their specialty area but other areas so they can be a more productive employee, and really that’s what employers look for in manufacturing today – multiple disciplines,” said Jackson.
Further contributing to the surplus of an advanced manufacturing workforce in Johnson County were some recent job cuts in the Indy metro area, which have left many workers looking for new opportunities. Two major companies--Daimler Chrysler and International Truck & Engine collectively laid-off over 1,280 workers. Commuting patterns suggest that many of these same workers are actively seeking employment in and around Johnson County.
Many new opportunities are also available due to a number of key expansions in Johnson County during 2006. Klaisler Manufacturing relocated its Indianapolis facility to Franklin and will double its current workforce. KYB Manufacturing North America doubled the size of its Franklin facility by adding a 264,000 square foot expansion and creating an additional 51 jobs. Endress+Hauser, Inc. have almost completed a $17 million facility expansion to its Greenwood campus and will be adding 50 new jobs.
If commuting patterns continue to feed into this area, a number of manufacturing projects may land in the county during 2007 and further demonstrate that Johnson County is a prime destination for manufacturing growth.
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U.K-based Keronite to Establish U.S. Operations in Indiana
LONDON (May 16, 2007) - Governor Mitch Daniels joined executives from Keronite today to announce that the U.K-based metals treatment company will establish its first U.S. operations in Indiana.
The transcontinental investment will create 25 new jobs and bring more than $1.5 million in capital investment to the company's new facility in Greenwood.
"This is exactly the kind of business we're most interested in, the front edge of technology with intellectual property that assures high margins, high value and employs the products of our best universities and keeps them close to home. The company has the potential for exciting and rapid growth," said Daniels.
Keronite specializes in a high-tech treatment process that transforms the surfaces of light alloys into wear and corrosion resistant ceramics.While the process has applications that span from the automotive industry to consumer products, motorsports applications will serve as the focus for the company's new U.S. operations.
"There are many applications for our technology in the motorsports industry," said Ross Brown, Keronite's general manager for U.S. operations. "Thank you to Indiana for an excellent opportunity."
Governor Daniels and Keronite executives signed a memorandum of understanding detailing the company's plans to locate in Indiana at a reception for the Motorsport Industry Association in London. The meeting is one of several slated with European business leaders during the Governor's Europe trade mission.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered the company up to $250,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $64,000 in training grants based on Keronite's planned expansion.
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Clarian Health to Expand in Johnson County
Clarian Health purchased 158 acres, at the southwest corner of State Road 135 and Whiteland Road in Johnson County. Developers predict that the land where a major health-care center is intended could become the central point of the county over the next decade and a perfect place for residential and retail growth.
Mike Duke of Welbourne Companies has been talking with Clarian officials on and off for at least two years about a future health-care center in Johnson County.
A Clarian facility will bring significant employment to that part of the county. The land is zoned for commercial use and already annexed into Bargersville. There would be enough land to build a hospital.
Developers have plans for retail and commercial developments, including a bank and possibly restaurants and doctor's offices, at two of the other corners at the intersection.
Clarian could break ground in about nine months.
UK firm plans plant in Johnson County, bringing up to 29 jobs
Keronite Inc., based in the United Kingdom, plans to open in an existing building in May in Greenwood bringing 29 jobs with annual salaries averaging $40,500.
The company developed a process to transform the molecular structure of light metals such as aluminum and magnesium to have a hard finish making them more resistant to corrosion and wear for use in vehicles and architecture.
The Greenwood technical center will serve as a showcase facility, where workers will operate the machinery to show customers the process.Four employees from an Indianapolis office will relocate to the 2011 Southtech Drive facility, and 25 more will be added to the payroll. Salaries paid to the new employees will total about $1 million.
Skilled and unskilled workers will be needed to operate the machinery and produce pre-production samples for customers, Edmonds said.
The facility will be the Keronite's first showcase center, and the company will bring in customers from across the United States and around the world to see the process.
Keronite's process is used to strengthen the lightweight metals used in vehicles, architecture and aerospace equipment. The strengthened metal can replace steel for some manufacturing, he said.
The metals also can be used in producing bicycles, eyeglasses, digital music players and manufacturing molds, according to the company Web site.
Low utility rates, affordable rent and a centralized location in the United States near an airport attracted Keronite to Greenwood, Paul Edmonds, vice president of global sales said. Indianapolis' racing industry also attracted the company since it has customers in the industry, he said.
The company looked at the Southtech location in part because there is room to expand, Johnson County Development Corp. executive director Cheryl Morphew said.
Keronite expects opportunities for growth in customers in the United States, Edmonds said. As sales increase, the company could need to hire more employees, Mayes said.
Greenwood officials want to see more manufacturing positions to keep the job base diversified since many new jobs have been in logistics, Morphew said.
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Greenwood Company Creates Humvee Simulator
A Greenwood firm has designed a simulator that will help soldiers learn how to escape from a Humvee during a combat situation.
The Southside Daily Journal reports that Precision Products is shipping the Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer to an Air Force base in Georgia this month for military review.
Company officials say bases in Nevada and Virginia are also considering purchasing the simulator, which costs about $120,000 not including the Humvee cab.
Using a Humvee cab suspended in a metal frame that rotates, the machine simulates what could happen if a Humvee is rolled during a combat situation to train soldiers in evacuation and defense.
Precision Products is a former tool-and-die shop that now focuses on military products. It currently employs about 65 people.
Franklin Tech Park Certified by State as ‘Shovel Ready’
Status helps companies identify locations for rapid development
Franklin Tech Park has earned the title of "Shovel Ready" paving the way for companies to quickly locate their businesses on a property that is ready for development. Franklin Tech Park joins only one other site in the nine county metro region to earn the designation from the State of Indiana.
About Shovel Ready
The title is the namesake of the State’s "Shovel Ready" program that identifies sites which have undergone extensive title work, proof of ownership, legal and environmental review and qualify for expedited permitting with state regulatory agencies.
"The term "Shovel Ready" is recognized nationally and will provide us an advantage when competing for new projects," said Cheryl Morphew, Executive Director of Johnson County Development Corporation.
"We are excited about Franklin Tech Park being designated as "Shovel Ready" by the State of Indiana, and look forward to working with the State in marketing the Park as ready for immediate development," said Mac McNaught, owner and developer of Franklin Tech Park. McNaught further stated that "We are grateful for the coordinated efforts of the City and the Johnson County Development Corporation in helping bring this distinction to Franklin Tech Park."
About Franklin Tech Park
Franklin Tech Park is a 260 acre mixed use business park located at the southeast quadrant of I-65 and State Road 44 in Franklin, Indiana. Franklin Tech Park is principally designed for bulk distribution and logistics facilities, as well as light manufacturing. The park offers flexible-sized parcels from 2 to 90 acres.
Franklin Tech Park has a proven track record of attracting investment. Aisin Holdings of America, Inc., a Japanese auto parts distributor whose North American headquarters is located in Seymour, Indiana, took occupancy of a 147,015 square foot facility in early 2005. The Aisin facility is situated such that it may be expanded to 390,000 square feet. In addition, the Tippmann Group, a Fort Wayne based company which is a leader in refrigerated distribution facilities, occupies a 146,000 square foot refrigerated facility which was completed in the summer of 2005. Tippmann’s initial building may be tripled in size to 450,000 square feet.
Contacts
To further information on the Franklin Tech Park, click here to download PDF spec sheet. To learn more about the Johnson County Development Corporation, browse through the JCDC website at www.jcdc.org or contact Executive Director Cheryl Morphew at 317-736-4300.
Delta Dental to Open Center in Greenwood
Delta Dental of Indiana says it plans to open a new customer service center in Greenwood this month. The center, which will serve customers enrolled in a new segment of the company's business, will initially employ nine people.
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Atterbury Named Permanent Site for National Troop Training & Mobilization
Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh has been named a permanent site for national troop training and mobilization -- one of just six in the nation.
The camp, which dates back to World War II and has been operated by the Indiana National Guard since 1969, was activated as a temporary national site in January 2003 and was to remain so for at least three years.
Camp Atterbury got the go-ahead from the Army for several reasons, said Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard. It's in the center of the country. It's within an hour of Indianapolis International Airport. It has ample shooting ranges, plenty of airspace and up-to-date facilities spread across 33,000 acres.
Then there's the Urban Training Center, the former mental institution transformed into a homeland security training base last year. The site, in nearby Jennings County, provides the Army with a relatively rare opportunity to train troops in urban environments.
The news is a coup for the town of Edinburgh, population 5,000, just east of the base in Johnson County.
Camp Atterbury's budget shot from $7 million before the war in Iraq began to about $70 million last year, Umbarger said. The camp's budget and job openings would likely increase as the transition to permanency takes place over the next year, he said, though he could not provide specific numbers.
Some business owners said they already had noticed an uptick since Camp Atterbury expanded its operations in 2003. About 400 soldiers, 200 contract employees and 150 state-paid employees now work at the base.
Business started swelling soon after Camp Atterbury's 2003 expansion
In 2005, the most recent year for which the U.S. Department of Labor average annual figures are available, Johnson County had an unemployment rate of 4.2 percent compared to 5.4 percent for the state.
Camp Atterbury officials have already begun reaching out to the community, said Cheryl Morphew, executive director of the Johnson County Development Corp. Edinburgh is in southeastern Johnson County and borders Bartholomew and Shelby counties.
For instance, when one officer realized how sporadically swamped the local pizza place was getting during the occasional training periods, staffers began to notify the pizzeria of upcoming sessions so extra help could be brought in.
"It's changing the mindset of the community that this is a viable employer," Morphew said. "Yes, it may be the federal government, but it's a major revenue producer for the community."
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Franklin business park lands new tenant
Construction will begin on a new company in a business park on Franklin's eastside.
Klaisler Manufacturing Corp., an Indianapolis-based construction equipment manufacturer, wil begin work on its 47,000-square-foot building as early as next month.
The Franklin Business Park includes five other companies: the Best Buy distribution center, Casting Technology Co., Owens-Illinois, Meadors & Associates Inc. and Pridgeon & Clay. It has more than 100 acres for development, according to the Johnson County Development Corp.
Construction of Klaisler, along with an expansion to KYB Manufacturing and a new company planning to locate in the city, Nishina Industrial Co., show that Franklin is ready to grow.
Companies have been drawn with incentives offeed, including tax breaks. Klaisler officials received a 10-year, $2.79 million tax break when they decided to build in Franklin. And both KYB and Nishina were granted tax breaks this week.
Johnson County has a multitude of sites available for construction throughout the county, such as two other business parks in Franklin and Greenwood near Interstate 65.
Company officials liked the location of the Granklin Business PARK because of its proximity to U.S. 31 and I-65, the available workforce in Franklin and the room for growth.
In the company's previous location southeast of downtown Indianapolis, they were boxed in and couldn't grow, company president Terry Hubbard said, But now, with 12 acres, the business has room for an expansion in the rear of the proposed building that could as much as double its size, he said.
"This area is going to grow in the near future,"Hubbard prdeicted.
Construction of new companies attracts attention to the area, meaning more businesses can learn about Franklin and Johnson County, said Cheryl Morphew, executive director of the development corporation.
"The more activity you have, the better off you are," she said.
Morphew said other companies have shown interest in the business park and in the Franklin Tech Park, located off I-65.
Klaisler employs about 35 people and plans to hire at least 20 more within the next 10 years, Hubbard said.
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Franklin gives tax breaks to two Japanese manufacturing companies
Two Japanese manufacturing companies plan to build or expand Franklin facilities and hire employees within two years.
KYB Manufacturing and Nishina Industrial Co. received tax breaks from the city that will trim the costs of the project.
Nishina, a hydraulics manufacturer, wants to build its first plant outside Japan in Franklin. The company asked for tax breaks for $12 million in equipment and for construction of the $5 million building.
The company makes equipment for vehicles and construction equipment. Toyota is one of its customers. Nishina will hire about 32 employees by 2009.
KYB Manufacturing will build a $16 million, 264,000-square-foot expansion at its U.S. 31 location. The company will also purchase $8 million in equipment.
KYB employs 660 people to make shocks and struts for auto companies such as Toyota and Honda. The expansion will add 51 jobs and more than double the size of its facility. Most of the jobs will be manufacturing positions, with some support and professional positions.
Nishina will save an estimated $500,000 over the 10-year period, said Chris Felts, the company's legal counselor. Felts works for law firm Barnes & Thornburg of Indianapolis.
The tax abatement will save KYB about $1.25 million over 10 years, according to company documents.
Nishina is considering a 25-acre site on Musicland Drive, said Cheryl Morphew, Johnson County Development Corp. director.
Former ArvinMeritor Building Nearly Full
ArvinMeritor left in the fall of 2004, leaving the nearly 540,000-square-foot building empty and ending more than 800 jobs.
Today, five businesses employing 67 people currently operate in the facility, now known as the Hurricane Industrial Complex.
Three of these companies have operations in Franklin and are using the facility for off-site storage. Those businesses are KYB Manufacturing, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Climate Control and Franklin Power Products.
Officials for the city of Franklin also say the high occupancy will mean a boost in taxes paid on the property.
Japanese hydraulic manufacturer picks Franklin as first US site
Nishina Industrial Co. has picked Franklin as the site of its first facility in the United States. Nishina Industrial Co. wants to build a $5 million plant near the Best Buy distribution center on Musicland Drive. By 2009, the company would hire 34 workers with an average wage of about $26 per hour.
The decision by the company is the second announcement of new jobs for the city in a week, both involving Japanese companies. KYB Manufacturing, the first Japanese company to locate in Franklin, recently proposed doubling the size of its building and adding 50 workers.
Nishina officials estimate wages to average about $34 per hour, including benefits, according to plans filed with the city. Johnson County Development Corp. estimated wages without the benefits at an average of about $26 per hour.
The company liked the area because of the available workforce, the price of land, proximity to Interstate 65, Interstate 465 and Indianapolis International Airport, and incentives the city offered, said Cheryl Morphew, director of the development corporation.
Company officials have asked for two 10-year tax breaks for $12 million in equipment and for construction of the $5 million building.
City officials said the company was also attracted to the area because of good relationships with other Japanese companies, such as KYB.
"When you're working with Japanese companies, it's all about relationships and building that trust and confidence," Morphew said.
Another Japanese company that was looking in Franklin for a possible plant recommended the area to Nishina officials, Mayor Brenda Jones-Matthews said. In a letter to the city, a Nishina official said the company was seeking land in the Midwest and was impressed with Franklin.
"This is part of the ripple effect we're seeing as a result of continuing to build relationships with our Japanese partners," Morphew said.
The company is considering a 25-acre site on Musicland Drive, east of Graham Road and north of Arvin Drive. No plans for the building or site have been submitted.
Based on the estimated cost of the building and the size of the potential land, Franklin planning director Joe Csikos estimated the plant could be 100,000 square feet or larger. By comparison, KYB has about 223,000 square feet.
Company officials estimate workers in the new plant would be paid anywhere from $24 to $77 per hour, which includes benefits. The company would hire the majority of workers as production employees, with a wage of about $25 per hour, including benefits, according to plans on file with the city.
About Nishina Industrial Co.
Formed in 1939
Manufactures and sells hydraulic equipment for industrial and construction equipment
Major customers include Toyota, Caterpillar, Volvo and Hyundai
Employs 287 people in Japan
Wants to build $5 million plant in Franklin and hire 34 employees with an average wage of $26 per hour by 2009
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KYB tax abatement on $24 million expansion in Franklin
One of Johnson County’s largest manufacturing companies wants to double the size of its plant and hire another 50 workers. KYB Manufacturing intends to add another 260,000 square feet to its 220,000-square-feet building.
The expansion and added equipment would help the company retain 660 jobs and hire an additional 50 workers. Officials would hire new workers over three years. The majority of the jobs are for operators, fabricators or laborers.
If the abatements are approved, the company could begin construction this fall. The company has requested two 10-year tax abatements for $8 million in equipment and the $16 million expansion of the building.
KYB currently employs about 660 workers with an average hourly rate of about $15.75 per hour. KYB was the first Japanese company to come to Franklin.
The expansion is planned for the east side of the building and will add another 252 parking spaces and six loading docks, according to plans on file with the city.
Warehouse, distribution facility to employ 40 in Greenwood by 2013
An Indianapolis company is opening a warehouse and distribution center in Greenwood and expects to add 40 jobs in the city by 2013.
Tube Processing Corp., which makes sheet metal parts and repairs tubes, ducts and manifolds for aerospace and industrial companies, is already moving into the warehouse on Endress Place.
The company intends to use the building as a warehouse and distribution center and has plans to expand manufacturing operations to the location eventually. Tube Processing has asked the city for a 10-year, $21,862 property tax break for the $400,000 in machinery and equipment it will store and use there. The company plans to pay their new employees an average wage of $40,000 a year, according to documents filed with the city.
Tube Processing is using 60,000 square feet of the 100,000-square-feet building. The warehouse is about 30 years old, and Tube Processing's space had been leased by KYB manufacturing, which has moved its warehouse to the former ArvinMeritor building on Hurricane Road in Franklin.
Central Indiana Awarded State Grant
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development is awarding central Indiana a grant of more than $778,000 to help create jobs in the region's healthcare, manufacturing, logistics and automotive industries.
The grant will be used to develop a two-year scholarship program for students in allied health fields and to fund 60 scholarships at Ivy Tech Community College – Central Indiana for training for careers in the manufacturing, logistics and automotive industries.
The grant has been awarded to the new regional workforce board on behalf of a consortium of workforce and economic development officials from the state’s economic growth Region 5. The region includes Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Morgan, and Shelby counties.
Abatement For Arbonne Receives Vote; 400 Workers Already Hired
The Greenwood City Council has preliminarily approved a 10-year tax abatement for Arbonne International's Greenwood distribution center. Arbonne, which makes skin care products, plans a grand opening for the new facility on July 10. More than 400 people have already been hired. In April, the company said that it expects to employ a total of 600 workers over the next three years.
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The Indy Partnership (of which Johnson County is a member) is named the nation's 14th best economic development group
Site Selection magazine in its May 2006 issue ranked The Indy Partnership the14th best economic development group in the nation. The Indy Partnership was one of only five groups not located in the fast-growing South to rank in the top 20.
The magazine noted that the competition was “extremely close, as only a few points separated the top 10 organizations from rest in the top 20.”
The rankings were based predominantly on total jobs and capital investment, and per capita jobs and capital investment, created by the economic development organizations during 2005. Other factors such as the ability to generate breakthrough deals, overall economic vitality and industry diversity were also considered to separate tie, or near-tie, scores between groups.
Site Selection noted several trends evident among the winning organizations including the use of cutting-edge Web sites, on-line building and site databases (Sites and buildings in Johnson County are now available for download as PDF files), and the ability to forge partnerships among various groups to better market their areas to attract new businesses.
The Indy Partnership is a privately-funded, not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening economic and job growth in the 11-county Indianapolis Region – Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Shelby and Tippecanoe counties.
KYB America L.L.C. has just completed a deal to lease 180,000 SF in Franklin
Indiana based KYB America L.L.C. has just completed a deal to lease 180,000 SF in the Hurricane Industrial Complex in Franklin, IN. KYB manufactures and markets a full line of shocks and struts, and will use the new location to expand their production.
Located just south of Indianapolis in Franklin, Indiana, Hurricane Industrial Center has an ideal location and great accessibility making it very appealing.
Greenwood Lands 600 Jobs With Arbonne Distribution Center
Arbonne International, an Irvine, California-based company developing and distributing premium Swiss-formulated skin care products, is opening a state-of-the-art distribution center in Greenwood, IN. This center will serve approximately two-thirds of the United States. As a new Central Indiana employer, Arbonne will be filling 300 warehouse and administrative positions this month. A job fair is slated for May 3-4, from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. at 800 Commerce Parkway Drive West, Suite B, in Greenwood. Additional jobs will be added throughout the year as the facility reaches full capacity.
Last week at Arbonne’s National Training Conference in St. Louis, attended by more than 17,700 Consultants, Bob Henry, Arbonne Chairman and CEO, announced the centers opening, stating, “In 2005, Arbonne experienced unprecedented growth with a 164% increase in sales.” Henry added, “The state-of-the-art Greenwood center will reduce shipping time by days, playing a vital role in our future growth. We are excited to be here and be a part of this community.”
“Arbonne International considered locations in several different states for its Midwest distribution facility, and Indiana was clearly the company’s best choice. Indiana is already home to more than 1000 Arbonne Independent Consultants, and this new distribution center is another economic win for Hoosiers,” said Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels.
The Greenwood Distribution Center is a 208,000 square foot complex located at 800 Commerce Parkway Drive West, off I-65 at the Greenwood exit 99. The facility is currently being built out to accommodate Arbonne’s highly automated distribution systems, which will achieve a 99.8% accuracy rate for more than 35,000 daily shipments. A grand opening is planned for July.
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Klaiser To Move Operations To Franklin
Klaiser Manufacturing Corporation (Construction Equipment) is planning to move to Franklin and expand its operations. Klaiser currently operates out of an 18,000-square-foot building in Indianapolis.
The company intends to build a facility on six acres of property in the Franklin Business Park. The new facility would create about 22 new jobs by 2010, doubling Klaiser’s current workforce.
Klaiser has asked the city’s planning commission for a 10-year, $2.79 million tax abatement to build the facility and add new equipment. If approved, Klaiser would start construction as early as July and finish by December.
Edinburgh Lear plant awarded GM contract
EDINBURGH, Ind. - Up to 200 people are expected to be hired at the Lear Corp. plant in Edinburgh within the coming week, company officials said.
General Motors awarded the plant a contract to produce interior door panels for full-size sport-utility vehicles. That contract allowed the plant to rehire 90 people that had been laid off and hire up to 200 more.
Managers expect to have all the new hires in place by Friday, said Von Williamson, human resources manager for the plant.
Task Force Investigates Options for Certified Technology Park
A committee wants Franklin to focus on attracting high-tech jobs into the city. The likely place for these high-tech jobs to settle is an industrial park on the city’s eastside that is labeled a “technology park”.
The park is currently home to frozen-food distributor Tippmann Group and auto-part supplier Aisin USA Manufacturing, two of Johnson County’s highest paying employers.
Certified technology parks can obtain state grant money and other incentives that can be used to lure new businesses and jobs into an area. Attracting new business is important to the city and Johnson County.
Investigation is underway on the benefits of partnering with a research university such as Purdue University or Indiana University to open a research facility in the area in order for it to become a state-certified technology park.
Cheryl Morphew, the executive director of Johnson County Development Corp. has had a preliminary discussion with Purdue to find out how she can begin negotiations between the university and the city.
She plans to recommend that she, the mayor, representatives from Purdue and property owners of the city’s eastside industrial park start discussions about whether they want the city’s industrial park to become a state-certified technology park and how to make it happen if they do..
“This isn’t something that can happen overnight,” said Cheryl Morphew, executive director of the development corporation.
Ms. Morphew was hired as executive director of Johnson County Development Corp.in September of 2005 and is developing strategies to bring new industry and jobs to the county.
County to get University Campus - Indiana Wesleyan to build campus in Greenwood
Indiana Wesleyan University is making Greenwood the home of its 13th regional campus.
The new Greenwood building, which will house adult education classes, will be located on five acres of land along I-65 near Exit 99, according to a news release from Indiana Wesleyan.
The two-story, 27,000-square-foot building will be completed in the fall of 2006 at a cost of $4.5 million.
Local woman to lead development corporation
By ANNIE GOELLER, Daily Journal staff writer, Sept. 23, 2005
A Trafalgar woman will take the lead in recruiting new businesses to Johnson County.
Cheryl Morphew was hired as executive director of Johnson County Development Corp., a public-private group in charge of bringing new jobs to the county.
She will be leaving her position as a project manager for Indiana Economic Development Corp., where she works to attract new companies and keep existing businesses in Central Indiana counties. The position with the county will be similar to what she does for the state, but she will be working for her community, she said.
Experience in that position qualified her for the director job, said Chet Aubin and Jerry Engle, members of the committee that selected Morphew.
Her first task will be to meet with board members and local officials about their goals for economic development. She will work with those groups to plan the future of the corporation, she said.
Before starting her position, Morphew will study the corporation’s resources and the county’s needs and try to determine what, if anything, should be changed.Aubin and Engle said the corporation’s executive board will outline her goals.
She was a good choice because of her experience in economic development and with marketing Johnson County to potential employers, Aubin said. She worked with NSK Precision America in its decision to move the company’s corporate headquarters to Franklin, he added.
A boost to her qualifications was her Johnson County address because she is familiar and active within the community, Engle said.
Morphew formerly worked as director of grants and scholarships for the Johnson County Community Foundation and has volunteered with the United Way, Youth Connections and the Youth Philanthropy Initiative, according to a news release.
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