Southwest Indiana update: top business stories.

AuthorMayer, Kathy
PositionRegional Report: Southwest

VANDERBURGH COUNTY

The third tenant in Evansville's new Vanderburgh Industrial Park, York, Pa.-based Graham Packaging Co., broke ground last June on a 147,000-square-foot plant on 23 acres. The $25 million project, the company's first Indiana venture, brings 69 new jobs this year and the promise of up to 100 in the first few years, reports Dorrie LoBue, vice president of expansions and retention for Metropolitan Evansville Chamber of Commerce. The company designs, manufactures and sells customized blow-molded plastic containers.

Evansville-based Escalade Sports has been on an acquisition spree in recent months. The company, which makes a wide variety of sporting-goods products from table-tennis tables to archery equipment, recently acquired the billiard-table businesses of Murrey and Sons and Steve Mizerak Inc. as well as rights to use the name of world-class billiards champion Willie Mosconi. Escalade also acquired The Step, the original aerobic step, and earned a number of honors from Sears, including Hardlines Vendor of the Year.

Vanderburgh County's largest industrial employers, both in Evansville, are Whirlpool Corp., with 2,500 on the payroll at its design center and refrigerator plant; and Mead Johnson Nutritionals, employing about 2,200 and making baby formula and other nutritional products.

WARRICK COUNTY

Creating space for new industries heads the agenda at the Warrick County Economic Development Department, reports Sue Gibbens, recently named executive director. She's overseeing development of a second phase in the Warrick County Industrial Park.

Its top employers are Alcoa, with 2,400 making rolled aluminum for the soft drink and container industry, and Vectren, with 276 employees on staff at an electric generating station.

KNOX COUNTY

The newest industry in Knox County is FIC America Corp., beginning production this summer at its $70 million, 125,000-square-foot plant on 30 acres in the U.S. 41 Industrial Park in Vincennes. A subsidiary of Japan's Futaba Industrial Co., FIC will employ about 70 and make metal door frames for Toyota trucks, says Chris Kinnett, president and CEO of the Knox County Development Corp.

The county's largest industrial employers are Gemtron, a glass fabricator employing 480; Superior Essex Co., which makes magnet wire and employs 300; and Vincennes Steel, a steel fabricator employing 115.

DUBOIS COUNTY

Leuco Precision Tooling Systems in Jasper, which makes woodworking tools, is the newest employer in...

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