MUNCIE, Ind. — While much of the the economy across Indiana and the United States took a step back during the pandemic, Delaware County stepped up in the past year and broke records in investment, according to Brad Bookout, economic development director for the county.
Bookout delivered a report on economic development in 2021 for county commissioners Monday. It included what he called a record number of economic development announcements, a record number of groundbreakings and $793 million in economic investments, which he said was the largest yearly investment in the county’s history.
Bookout, whose Yorktown firm, Augusta Consulting LLC., contracts with the county, said 2021 proved stronger than any year in memory in terms of development projects.
He identified CANPACK, a manufacturer of cans based in Poland that is now building a $490 million factory at Fuson and Cowan roads. The 862,000 square-foot facility is expected to employ 425 people by the end of its second phase and pay them a wage, the company promises, that is at least 125% of the average wage paid in Muncie.
CANPACK:Start of construction of Muncie beverage can factory celebrated by Holcomb, local officials
Bookout compared the size of the CANPACK project to that of BorgWarner when that iconic Muncie manufacturer built its factory on Muncie's west side. He credited the arrival of the plant to work done by Traci Lutton of the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance with help from commissioners and the Delaware County Redevelopment Commission.
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Other projects cited by Bookout included:
• Finished construction of a new $20 million, 149,000-square-foot manufacturing facility by INOX, a major stainless steel supplier to the appliance industry. The facility will specialize in stainless steel slitting and forming. The property – which will be home to INOX’s North American headquarters – will create about 100 new jobs over five years.
• Muncie Power Products' purchase of the 127,000-square-foot former Brevini building at the Park One/332 industrial park with plans to consolidate some of its operations there after adding an additional 100,000 square feet. Muncie Power Products company is making an investment of more than $20 million and employs 144.
• North Central Industries' purchase of the long-unused former City Machine building at 1302 E Washington St. The importer of fireworks with a long history in Delaware County plans to invest $2.5 million to turn the building into warehouse facilities and hire up to 20 new employees.
• Mid-West Metal Products, a locally owned company established in 1921, completing a $3 million equipment upgrade. The company has 145 employees.
• Narenco's announcement of its $88 million Hawthorn Solar farm. The North Carolina-based company will build its 75 MW solar farm southeast of Albany.
More:Two solar farms OK'd for northern Delaware County as rural landscape likely to change
• Invenergy, a leading global supplier of renewable energy, announced it would build a large a $155-million 163 MW solar farm, Meadow Forge, in Washington Township north of Gaston. Invenergy is headquartered in Chicago.
More:Delaware County to reap up to $2 million from solar project on top of developer's tax bill
• Work beginning on a $6 million mixed use development in Yorktown. The town of Yorktown led the project with construction by Rebar Development. "The Oliver" will include 26 apartments, retail and a potentially a restaurant.
• Optum Health broke ground on its new $6.8 million medical office building on the northwest side of Muncie.
• East-Terra Plastics purchased the former Marsh Supermarkets warehouse in Yorktown with plans to open a plastics recycling facility. The company’s investment is $2.2 million.
• Clearline Technologies, which makes rubber speed bumps, parking blocks and rooftop supports, plans to locate in the former JD Norman building in the Industria Center. The company plans to invest up to $4 million and hire 10 to 20 people.
• A $1.3 million investment at a vacant industrial site in Albany turned it into The Wedding Factory venue. The 100-year-old McCormick building has been redeveloped to include a wedding and event center.
More:Former factory in Albany becomes latest local wedding and events venue
• The new municipal building for the town of Daleville is nearing completion. It is a joint project among Delaware County, the town of Daleville and the Delaware County Redevelopment Commission.
• The former Muncie city garage, which in its 100-year-history was also home to car dealerships and a mid-century bakery delivery office, was purchased by Myers Performance Engineering with plans to turn the garage into a classic car culture and hot rod destination. The project brings the long-vacant city building onto the tax rolls.
• The Hilltop Motel, an abandoned and blighted motel south on Walnut Street of the Muncie city limits, was a haven for illicit drug activity and had gone unsold in recent tax sales. The Delaware County Redevelopment Commission funded its demolition and a request for redevelopment proposals will be issued in 2022.
• And finally, a mother-and-son team, the Thornburgs, opened Iceburg Ice Cream in a vacant bakery in downtown Albany. The business sells homemade ice cream with specialty flavors.
Bookout told commissioners the county does have the challenge of finding enough employees to fill the jobs being created in the community.
In the Dec. 20 meeting, commissioners complimented Bookout for his work, and agreed to sign a new three-year contract with Augusta Consulting that will pay the firm $20,054.28 a month for its economic development work and $6,883 a month for its work providing redevelopment services.
David Penticuff is the local government reporter at the Star Press. Contact him at dpenticuff@gannett.com.