Southeast Indiana update: the region's top business stories.

• Author: Mayer, Kathy
• Position: REGIONAL REPORT: SOUTHEAST - Honda Motor Company Ltd. opens new plant - Planning of industrial parks - Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. installs new water line

New industries--including the $550 million Honda Motor Co. plant--more industrial parks, casino expansions and community planning efforts have brought attention to southeast Indiana's eight-county region.

Welcome Honda.

Weighing as the state's top economic impact story is the Honda plant, going up on 1,700 acres near Greensburg in Decatur County

Construction began last fall and production of some 200,000 vehicles annually begins in fall 2008. The facility will employ 2,000, who will make four-cylinder vehicles, the models not yet announced, in a flexible-manufacturing system. The plant will handle stamping, welding, painting, plastic injection molding, assembly, testing, quality assurance and shipping.

On a smaller scale, Vicki Kellerman, executive director of the Greensburg/ Decatur County Economic Development Corp., reports that Hulsbosch Dairy Farm chose Greensburg for its $11 million, 2,200-cow dairy. The family-owned facility ships 15,000 gallons of milk a day.

In Jefferson County, the newcomer is R&T Steel and Wire LLC, sharing space with its sister company, Madison's Midwest Tube Mills. It employs about 120 who make kennels and security panels--temporary fencing used at construction and disaster sites, says Corey Murphy, executive director of the Madison-Jefferson County Industrial Development Corp.

Ripley County, too, is welcoming a new industry. Massachusetts-based Hazen Paper Co. opened in Osgood. "They're up and running, but not yet at full capacity," says Brad Buening, executive director of Ripley County Economic Development Corp. The company will initially employ 20 in the former U.S. Shoe facility, and will do film and foil laminating, gravure printing and specialty coating for box makers.

3S Inc., which designs, fabricates and installs fire protection systems for industrial and commercial accounts and employs 20, has moved to Dearborn County, where it purchased a building in West Harrison.

Industrial parks. More companies could be coming to southeast Indiana, with five new industrial parks in various stages of planning and development.

In Vevay, Switzerland County is developing the 117-acre Markland Business Park, hoping to lure Honda suppliers. In Rising Sun, the Barbour Business park features 14 lots on 21 acres. And Madison is in the preliminary stages of considering a 62-acre, city-owned development.

Two more are in Ripley County: a 95-acre, yet-unnamed site in Versailles and a 66-acre site in Osgood.

Businesses growing...