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CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Indianapolis-based Closure Systems International Inc., which makes plastic caps for a variety of beverages and automotive fluids, says it is expanding of its Crawfordsville manufacturing facility and creating 50 new jobs. The company says it will invest approximately $25 million in the construction of a 200,000-square-foot addition and installation of new manufacturing equipment.

CSI says it undertook a year-long process to see if constructing a new plant would be the best option, but instead it chose to expand its existing plant in Montgomery County. The plant currently employs 260 workers.

“We are excited to increase our footprint in Crawfordsville, where we have maintained a strong presence for many decades,” said Floyd Needham, president and chief executive officer of CSI. “The plant’s culture and our employees’ dedication to making this plant successful differentiated this location and solidified our decision to expand the facility.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says it is committing up to $1.3 million in incentive-based tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans, which also includes 10 new jobs for its office in Indianapolis.

CSI says it’s also seeking tax abatement from the city of Crawfordsville. Pending approval, the company says it will break ground this spring.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Indiana University Health is awarding $4.3 million to organizations throughout the state in an effort to boost housing and training needs among Hoosiers. One of those awards is a three-year, $1 million grant to Indianapolis-based Eleven Fifty Academy to open satellite campuses in 10 counties, including a location at the Fusion 54 coworking space in Crawfordsville.

The nonprofit coding academy will use the space to provide technology training and digital literacy to individuals looking to improve their job skills and earn a higher income.

“Eleven Fifty Academy has a proven record of quickly enhancing the earning power of those completing their program and I am very pleased that local residents will now have the opportunity to take advantage of this program so close to home,” said Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton. “Skills in technology are critically important to our local employers and we’ve heard from numerous local industry leaders of a need for precisely this type of upskilling. This is a huge win in positioning Crawfordsville as a competitor in today’s world of rapidly changing technology while giving local residents the chance to advance their careers.”

Fusion 54 is located in downtown Crawfordsville and was established as part of the Stellar Communities designation the city received in 2015. Officials cut the ribbon on the facility in 2018.

Eleven Fifty will also open satellite campuses in Tippecanoe, Clinton, Cass, White, Benton, Fountain, Warren, Carroll and Pulaski counties.

The funding comes from IU Health’s Community Impact Investment Fund. You can learn more about all of the grant recipients from IU Health by clicking here.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Kentucky-based Tempur Sealy International Inc. (NYSE: TPX) will Thursday break ground on its 700,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Crawfordsville. The bedding products manufacturer in June announced plans to invest $138 million to construct the plant and create 300 jobs by the end of 2025.

The company says the facility will produce a variety of bedding products and components, and will also enhance its ability to serve customers in the northeast part of the country. The plant will have room for further expansion up to 1 million square feet.

The facility will be Tempur Sealy’s third foam pouring manufacturing plant in the U.S. and fourth in the world. Construction is expected to be complete by 2023.

Tempur Sealy executives will be joined by Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton and representatives from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and Montgomery County Commissioners for the groundbreaking ceremony, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Crawfordsville-based plastic fabrication company Crawford Industries LLC has been acquired by a Missouri company. Spartech, an engineered thermoplastics manufacturer in St. Louis, purchased the Indiana company for an undisclosed amount. The companies say the partnership will provide Spartech with new opportunities for growth and strengthen its abilities to develop and deliver standard and custom plastic sheet and packaging products.

“It’s the beginning of a great and mutually beneficial relationship – Spartech has the desire and resources to help Crawford take its business to the next level, and they have high-quality, thin-gauge capabilities that will enhance Spartech’s existing product offerings,” said Spartech Chief Executive Officer John Inks. “Together, we will be able to offer our joint customer base a wider array of products that we can leverage into new, more complete and more customized solutions.”

Crawford Industries, which also has a facility in Georgia, specializes in manufacturing thin-gauge extruded polyethylene and polypropylene sheets. The sheets are then converted into numerous products, like storage boxes.

Spartech’s plastics are used in a variety of industries, ranging from food packaging to aerospace.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Wabash College will dedicate its new $15 million football stadium this weekend as it hosts Allegheny College on the gridiron.

This comes as President Scott Feller announces the primary donor who made the new venue possible.

Feller says alum Kevin Clifford and his family made a $10 million donation. Clifford, who graduated in 1977, played quarterback on the Wabash football teams. After his time in college, Clifford worked in the finance world.

Wabash says Clifford spent his entire 37-year career with the Los Angeles-based Capital Group companies. He rose to become chairman and chief executive officer of American Funds Group.

“Kevin has given his time, talents, and treasure to Wabash for four decades, but this extraordinary gift allowed us to create one of the finest stadiums in NCAA Division III,” said Feller. “All of us at the college are grateful for Kevin’s generosity and commitment to his alma mater. Kevin’s lead gift for Little Giant Stadium is truly transformational.”

Feller says Clifford asked that the playing field be named in memory of Frank Navarro, who was Clifford’s coach at at the Division III school in Crawfordsville.

“The lessons learned under his tutelage served me well in life and business,” said Clifford. “Discipline, attention to detail, perseverance, sacrifice, and teamwork were of paramount importance to Coach Navarro and we all benefited from his leadership.”

The project was first announced in 2019, but construction and last year’s football season, were disrupted by the pandemic.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Kentucky-based Tempur Sealy International Inc. (NYSE: TPX) has announced plans to establish its fourth foam pouring manufacturing facility in Montgomery County. The bedding products manufacturer says it will invest more than $138 million to build and equip a 700,000-square-foot facility in Crawfordsville and create about 300 jobs by the end of 2025. The company says the facility will enhance its ability to service customers in the northeastern United States.

Construction on the plant is slated to begin this fall. Tempur Sealy says the facility, which will manufacture a variety of bedding products and components, will have room for further expansion up to 1 million square feet.

“After a thorough site search and evaluation process, we have identified Crawfordsville, Indiana, as the ideal location for our new operations,” Scott Thompson, chairman and chief executive officer of Tempur Sealy, said in a news release. “We selected this location based on the robust business climate fostered by the state and local government, the quality of life the city of Crawfordsville provides its citizens and the property’s access to major transportation routes.”

Tempur Sealy employs some 8,000 workers around the world. The company plans to begin hiring for management, supervisory, administrative and staff positions later this year.

The facility, which will sit on 130 acres in Crawfordsville, is expected to begin production in 2023.

“We’re thrilled Tempur Sealy International has selected Montgomery County as the destination for its state-of-the-art foam pouring facility,” said John Frey, president of Montgomery County Commissioners. “We’ve worked hard to build an infrastructure foundation to support industrial growth, and Tempur’s location decision is proof that we are on the right path.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. plans to offer Tempur Sealy up to $2.5 million in conditional tax credits, which the company will not be eligible to claim until Hoosier workers are hired for the new jobs. Additionally, the IEDC will offer up to $1.1 million in Hoosier Business Investment tax credits based on the company’s planned capital investment and up to $450,000 to the local community to support infrastructure improvements.

The incentives must still be approved by the IEDC Board of Directors. Montgomery County will consider additional incentives.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As more Hoosiers get the COVID-19 vaccine, one group rallied Wednesday at the Statehouse for a bill that would prevent any immunization from becoming a requirement for employment.

They’re angry that bill is being held up in a committee. They see the measure as an important worker’s rights bill.

Tara Watkins, a cake decorator in a bakery, attended the rally. “I brought my family here in support of SB (Senate Bill) 74 because it is very important for us to maintain bodily autonomy. I believe in medical freedom and to choose whether we inject ourselves with vaccines.”

According to event organizers, 96 people rallied in support of the bill, which would allow employees to opt out of any immunization for religious or medical reasons, or their conscience.

Ashley Grogg, founder of Hoosiers for Medical Liberty, said, “A lot of people have been very frustrated in the fact that they don’t feel like their voices have been heard. I want to make sure we can do this in a very constructive way.”

State lawmakers discussed the bill in a committee on Jan. 13. Many testified, but,the bill was held. Lawmakers invited written testimony from people who didn’t get a chance to speak.

Robin McCarty also attended Wednesday’s rally with her family. “There’s a risk. When there’s a risk, there must be a choice. I feel like this bill needs to go through.”

Another person at the rally, Mary Roesinger didn’t mince words about how she feels. “I would rather … and I’m 68-year-old … I would rather get COVID and deal with that than I would be forced to take the vaccine.”

Watkins, the cake decorator, said it boils down to personal choice. “I feel like we should all be able to choose whether or not we want to go ahead along with vaccines.”

Indiana State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 36 more COVID-19 deaths, for a total of 9,713. A total of 631,331 Hoosiers have tested positive for COVID-19.

Statement

“The Senate Committee on Pensions and Labor will not be hearing Senate Bill 74. After discussions with the bill’s author, Sen. (Dennis) Kruse (a Republican from Auburn), and my colleagues on the committee, it was determined that there was simply not enough support for the bill to move forward in the legislative process. Many of my colleagues felt that federal exemptions are adequate protections already existing and that the bill went too far in the potential employer penalties.”

State Sen. Phil Boots, a Republican from Crawfordsville; chair of the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee

Coronavirus links

Indiana coronavirus timeline

With information from the Indiana Department of Health through March 4, 2021, this timeline reflects updated tallies of deaths and positive tests prior to that date.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – Wabash College says professors Laura Wysocki and Sara Drury will lead a study on the impacts of deliberation on undergraduate STEM education. The study is being funded by a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

The college says the study aims to determine whether deliberative pedagogy enhances scientific learning, encourages a deliberative mindset, and deepens students’ sense of civic engagement.

“Our research shows that students in a non-majors chemistry classroom participating in a deliberation module gain confidence and knowledge about chemistry topics while making connections to complex problems facing society and understanding their urgency,” said Wysocki. “This grant allows us to develop deliberations for science majors – students who will be technical experts in the future with a need to engage the public for more inclusive decision making. It also enables collaboration with other institutions to discover if the positive results seen in our classrooms can be replicated in different environments, which could impact science education more broadly.”

Wabash says the project will expose undergraduate STEM students to deliberative pedagogy, an approach that teaches respectful conversations by speaking with, and not just talking to, diverse stakeholders.

“This award is an opportunity to learn more about how critical conversations can lead to innovative, collaborative decision-making,” said Drury. “The activities in this grant challenge students to consider their roles in socio-scientific issues, reflect on the stakes for and needs of diverse publics, and engage possibilities for working together to improve our shared future.”

The study’s goal is to engage a diverse group of students in multiple educational settings to better prepare graduates to enter the STEM workforce and become engaged citizens.

The funding will also provide opportunities for Wabash undergraduate students to take part in academic year and summer research internships. The college says the grant also provides funding for student internships at other campuses, as well.

NEW MARKET, Ind. (WISH) — A 14-year-old boy has died from injuries received when the truck he was in struck two other vehicles on the shoulder of State Road 47 on Sunday night, Indiana State Police said.

Andrew Thompson, of Waveland, was taken from the crash scene to Franciscan Health Crawfordsville hospital, where he died from his injuries, said a news release from state police.

State police were called just before 8:45 p.m. Sunday to State Road 47 near Montgomery County Road 700 South. That’s about 2 miles southwest of New Market.

Thompson was riding in a Dodge Ram 1500 truck driven by Keith Brock, 69, of Waveland. They were southbound on State Road 47 approaching the county road when, for unknown reasons, the truck struck the two vehicles parked on the shoulder, a 1998 Dodge Ram and a small Ford dump truck.

Brock was taken to Franciscan Health Crawfordsville and later flown to St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital by helicopter.

Blake High, 29, of Waveland, and Donald Peters, 39, of Crawfordsville, were struck while standing outside of the vehicles on the shoulder. They were taken to Franciscan Health Crawfordsville.

Trooper Corey E. Brown with the Lafayette post of the state police said in an email response to News 8 that the conditions of the people sent to hospitals were not known late Monday afternoon.

A third person seated in one of the disabled vehicles was not injured. State police did not identify that person in their news release.

State Road 47 was closed about three hours for the investigation and crash cleanup.

WAYNETOWN, Ind. (WISH) — Two women in Montgomery County hope their efforts to back the blue will carry across the country.

Bonnie Mills and Mindy Byers have sold hundreds of signs to support police.

On Friday, the pair went to the annual Waynetown Fish Fry to try and sell hundreds more. Mills, who is the mother of an officer, said her goal was to show police people care.

“Everywhere across the nation, these guys are personal and most of them very caring guys,” Mills said.

She said she understands why some people are calling for changes to policing but added that most officers are in the profession for the right reasons.

Mills began her project to paint the town blue with just 50 signs. Those sold quickly.

She stopped in the Montgomery County Courthouse in Crawfordsville to sell a few, and that’s when Mindy Byers jumped on her sign-selling team. The two said their efforts have already traveled across state lines.

“I had a request for more than 20 just on the drive in here today, so it’s been a real good reception,” Byers said.

Byers has no personal connection to law enforcement, but, after recently going through a difficult situation, said she can’t imagine a world without police.

“Twelve weeks ago tonight, my cousin’s daughter had been killed, so it was all very fresh. We rely on those officers to go into those situations like that that are very scary and we rely on them to do the work that they have to do for justice,” Byers said.

The money raised will go back into buying more signs. The two will be selling signs at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Kroger grocery in Crawfordsville.