Fort Wayne Company Expands

Posted on May 1, 2012 by dave

First Gear, Inc. will announce a $1.5 million dollar investment in new machining equipment on May 4. The company will also add up to eight new positions to its current team of sixteen. The company is currently located off of 7606 Freedom Way.

First Gear began its operations by producing precision gears for Indy-Car engine manufacturers. The company has since expanded outside of automobile manufacturing to aerospace, medical, food, in addition to commercial/industrial applications. Their recent expansion has created a demand for First Gear’s products and has made it necessary for them to purchase a new shaping machine for cutting gears. First Gear is eligible for a 10-year personal property tax abatement which would save them $98,155. First Gear plans to complete the project in 2012.

“Adding a new shaping machine will enable us to better meet the demand of our clients,” stated Greg Leffler, president of First Gear, Inc. “The new machine and added workforce will put us in a better position to meet the ever increasing demand for product excellence.”

“It’s always good to see innovative and industry leading companies like First Gear expanding and adding jobs. I know we have the workforce available to meet their needs,” stated Mayor Tom Henry. “For our part, the City of Fort Wayne will continue to do all we can to make the community more desirable for company expansion and a place where businesses continue to prosper.”

Notes: Auto Makers Face Shortages

Posted on April 20, 2012 by dave

Parts shortages could put a damper on the rising U.S. auto industry.

The U.S. auto industry, already stretching to meet rising demand for cars and trucks, is facing shortages of parts and materials that could limit the number of new vehicles in showrooms later this year and crimp a historic turnaround.

The most immediate problem – a shortage of a crucial plastic resin, caused by an explosion March 31 at a plant in Germany – could surface in a few weeks. And later this year or beyond, automakers could be confronted with an even bigger crisis, running short of parts simply because there aren’t enough factories and people to make them.

Indiana Tech has received approval to build a law school in Fort Wayne.

A report says that Hoosier CEOs have an average annual pay of $4.5 million.

Powers Energy has gotten a 90-day extension for its efforts to build a trash-to-ethanol plant in Schneider, but local officials say no further extensions will be granted.

Railroad profits are up strongly nationwide.

A plan for a toll bridge to replace the Cline Avenue Bridge in Northwest Indiana could be in place soon.

CNC Expands in Fort Wayne

Posted on April 18, 2012 by dave

Due to strong demand for their services, CNC Industries Inc. has announced plans to expand their Fort Wayne facility. The expansion will provide the space needed for additional equipment and personnel.

The company will be investing up to $3.5 million over the next three years and expects to add 10 to 20 jobs per year for the next several years. The investment will include a 22,000-square-foot expansion of their existing 35,000-square-foot facility as well as numerous new CNC machines.

CNC has chosen Briner Building, Inc. as the general contractor for the expansion. Construction will begin as soon as the permits are obtained, with a scheduled completion by August 1, 2012.

CNC specializes in precision CNC machining, fabrication and assembly of application-critical and custom machined parts for the Aerospace, Defense, Medical, Industrial and Transportation markets. The company presently employs approximately 50 people.

Fishers Firm Launches Free Construction Bid Alert Service

Posted on April 17, 2012 by dave

Eastern Engineering, a construction information management firm serving the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (A/E/C) industries, has introduced the Week In Review construction bid alert email service to help contractors identify construction jobs to bid on and to speed up the bidding process.

The free Week in Review service is a weekly email delivered to subscribers each Friday afternoon and includes a list and summary description of all public projects released for bid through Eastern Engineering’s plan room over the past week.
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Notes: Noblesville Company Adding 163 Jobs

Posted on April 11, 2012 by dave

SMC will invest $19 million and add 163 jobs in Noblesville.

SMC, which develops and makes pneumatic automation equipment, said it will expand its current facility by 600,000 square feet, to almost 1.5 million square feet. Work is set to begin this month and be finished by September. The company employs more than 600 workers in Noblesville.

The city of Noblesville has approved 10-year phase-in tax abatement for the expansion.

The Port of Indiana – Burns Harbor has welcomed the first international arrival of the shipping season.

Allegiant is expanding services in South Bend and Fort Wayne.

A Mount Vernon company has added 20 jobs as a result of a $14 million investment in new equipment.

Facing the loss of its A-10, Fort Wayne Air National Guard officials are proposing that the base switch back to the F-16 fighters it used to fly. They oppose a counterproposal from Washington to base an airlift wing at the base.

Michigan City may expand its South Side TIF district.

After running into opposition from residents of southern Lake County, the Illiana Planning Corridor Group may go back to the drawing board for a new proposed route.

Allstate Expanding in Indiana

Posted on April 3, 2012 by dave

Business professionals looking for a second career may want to look twice at becoming an Allstate agency owner in Indiana. The nation’s largest publicly-held personal lines insurer is seeking individuals with management experience to invest in owning an exclusive Allstate agency. The company plans to appoint 20 new insurance agency owners in Indiana in 2012 and is offering a $5,000 referral award to anyone who recommends a qualified candidate, to be paid upon appointment.

In addition, Allstate’s new and existing Indiana insurance agencies plan to hire more than 100 licensed sales professionals through the year. The company is seeking to increase agency presence across the state and specifically in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville, Lafayette and Northwest Indiana. Allstate is currently the fourth-largest auto insurer in Indiana with 310,108 vehicles insured in the state.
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Notes: Fields of Green

Posted on March 30, 2012 by dave

Hoosier farmers could see a record $8.6 billion in revenues this year.

Total revenues for Hoosier farmers from corn, bean and wheat crops this year are predicted to be near $8.6 billion, up from $8.3 billion last year, according to Purdue University agricultural economists.

Record revenues probably won’t translate into record cash in farmers’ pockets because of the rising prices they must pay for land, for fuel to run their equipment, for fertilizer to make everything grow better and for other chemicals. Those costs are expected to rise at least 15 percent to 20 percent.

“So the net returns for farmers could be off a little because of the higher costs of production, but you have to remember that the decline is from records in 2011, so the income will still be above average,” said Purdue ag economist Chris Hurt.

Roche is trimming 80 IT jobs in Indianapolis.

A welding company in Woodburn is expanding.

Plans for a trash-to-ethanol plant in Northwest Indiana are still alive.

Fifteen electric cars built by the now-bankrupt THINK have been donated to Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Evansville.

Last night in Muncie, a $15 million student housing apartment project was approved, while a second $7 million apartment project was cancelled.

Notes: Elkhart Mayor Wants Transportation Center

Posted on March 29, 2012 by dave

Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore has proposed building a regional transportation hub.

Mayor Dick Moore proposed the construction of a “green energy efficient transfer station” during his fifth State of the City Address Wednesday night at the Lerner Theatre.

The Michiana Area Council of Governments approached the city with the idea and the project will be paid for entirely with federal funds, Moore said after the speech. Construction would be in 2013.

The park-and-ride station, which will front High Street, would include an indoor shelter, a natural foods market, a daycare center and an internet cafe bookstore, Moore said.

Hallmark Cards is moving 90 jobs from Bloomington to Missouri.

U.S. weekly jobless claims have fallen to their lowest level in four years.

3Rivers Federal Credit Union has broken ground on a $15 million expansion project and plans to double its workforce over the next 10 years.

Indianapolis ranks third among the nation’s most-populated cities in the number of fast-food restaurants.

In order to solve traffic congestion problems at railway crossings, Terre Haute is examining a proposal that calls for up to $70 million in investment over the next 20 years.

Awards Recognize Construction Safety in Northeast Indiana

Posted on March 29, 2012 by dave

The Building Contractors Association of Northeast Indiana (BCA) has announced the winners of its 2012 Safety Excellence Awards. These awards honor northeast Indiana commercial contractors and individuals who demonstrated outstanding performance in promoting worker safety on construction jobsites in 2011.

The highest award, Zero Injury, rewards companies whose employees had no recordable accidents. This year’s Zero Injury Award recipients were:

CME Corporation
DeMuyt Masonry, Inc.
Schmidt Electric

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Automotive Supplier Picks Allen County for New Facility

Posted on March 27, 2012 by dave

Android Industries, a specialty equipment manufacturer and complex assembler, announced plans today to locate a new operation in Fort Wayne, creating up to 57 new jobs by 2013.

The Michigan-based automotive company, which specializes in sub-assembly, sequencing and logistics, will invest $10.84 million to lease and equip a 55,000-square-foot space at 13008 Fogwell Parkway Rd. Android, which plans to begin facility renovations this spring, will also add 4,000 square feet to the office area and additional shipping bays.
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