SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Pennsylvania-based Penske Logistics LLC says a change in operation of a Kroger warehouse facility in Shelbyville will affect more than 500 employees. In a notice to the state, the company says Kroger, which owns the building, will take over operation of the facility in September.
Penske says it has performed warehousing services for Kroger at the 600,000-square-foot facility, located at 4301 N 125 W in Shelbyville, since 2013.
Penske currently employs 517 workers at the facility. The company says those employees will be permanently laid off, however there will be opportunities for continued employment with Kroger.
“Kroger and Penske will work together to communicate a transition plan and direction on applying for employment with Kroger,” Penske said in the WARN Notice. “Penske has been honored to provide service at this facility on behalf of Kroger, and will work diligently to ensure a smooth transition of the operation to Kroger as it takes over operation of the facility.”
Penske says many of the affected employees are represented by the Teamsters Local 135.
The transition of operations to Kroger will be effective September 11.
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A site in Shelby County is one of four selected for waste heat to power (WHP) projects being developed by Kansas-based Tallgrass Energy and Houston-based Kanin Energy. The developers say when complete, the Indiana project will create enough emission-free energy to power more than 8,500 homes annually.
Kanin Energy says the WHP projects will capture heat that is a byproduct of industrial processes and converts the heat into electricity with no additional fuels.
The energy created through the WHP process is described as 24/7 carbon-free energy because it does not create emissions and offsets the need to generate additional electricity.
Janice Tran, chief executive officer of Kanin Energy, says 24/7 carbon-free energy is the next frontier of sustainability.
“We’re excited to be working with Tallgrass to develop these waste heat to power projects,” Tran said in written remarks. “We are focused on our proprietary waste heat to power projects because they provide baseload power from heat in industrial processes that would otherwise not be used and to create something valuable – clean energy. This is a great opportunity to help the industrial sector quickly meet their decarbonization goals.”
The site near Shelbyville is being developed along with two near Dayton, Ohio and one near Columbus, Ohio. Details of the financial investment in the projects are not being disclosed.
A spokesperson for Kanin tells Inside INdiana Business the locations were selected based on the available waste heat from existing natural gas compression assets on the Rockies Express Pipeline, which Tallgrass operates.
All together, Kanin and Tallgrass say the projects will generate a combined 48 megawatt hours of energy, enough to provide power to 38,000 households.
Construction on the projects is expected to begin in 2023.
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — North Carolina-based steel products maker Nucor Corp. (NYSE: NUE) says it is expanding its Indiana operations with the acquisition of a coil processing facility in Shelbyville.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, however Nucor says it intends to expand its steel fastener manufacturing capabilities at the plant.
The company says it will initially add 33 workers as part of the expansion, but it plans to double that number when it reaches full capacity.
“We are excited to grow our Fastener Division with the acquisition of these assets,” said Joey Loosle, general manager of Nucor Fastener. “Adding bolt making capability to the Shelbyville facility will help expand our offerings to the automotive, heavy truck, industrial/MRO and structural fastener markets.”
Nucor Fastener, which is a division of Nucor Corp, is based out of a facility the Dekalb County town of St. Joe and employs 240 workers. Nucor operates ten facilities throughout the state, according to the company website.
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville has announced plans to invest $7 million to expand the barn and dormitory facilities for its horseracing venue. The announcement from parent Caesars Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: CZR) comes about a month after the gaming company broke ground on a $32 million casino expansion.
The company says it is constructing a 100-stall barn that will be enclosed and winterized. Indiana Gaming says the facility will include 10 wash bays, restrooms, and 10 tack rooms.
“As our racing continues to grow at the national level, we receive even more requests to race at our facility. This addition will further solidify Indiana Grand’s as a premier racing destination,” said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.
The dormitory will include 50 additional rooms next to the new barn. The dorm will house the staff who care for the horses.
Construction should begin next month. Indiana Grand says the construction site will be fenced off from the existing barn area to provide safety to the current horse population.
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Construction on a $32 million expansion of Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville is scheduled to begin next week. Caesars Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: CZR) broke ground Thursday on the project, which will add 25,000 square feet of gaming space.
“Caesars and local leadership should be commended for their ongoing commitment to Indiana and their local partners,” said Indiana Gaming Commission Executive Director Sara Gonso Tait. “This significant investment solidifies Indiana Grand’s standing as a premier property not only in Indiana but all over the country.”
Caesars says the expansion will allow for the addition of 100 new slot machines and 25 more table games.
The gaming company says it is also adding a World Series of Poker poker room with 20 tables. The company says players will be able to qualify for WSOP tournaments, including the championship series held in Las Vegas.
Beyond the construction jobs created by the project, the casino will add 100 new casino jobs.
“Today marks the beginning of continued growth for both our team at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino and the City of Shelbyville,” said Mike Rich, general manager of Indiana Grand. “The expansion of our gaming operation allows us to increase job opportunities, accommodate more guests, increase local tourism and contribute millions more in gaming revenue to our local economy.”
Wilhelm Construction of Indianapolis will begin work on April 1 with renovations set to be completed by the end of 2021.
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Caesars Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: CZR) says it plans to invest more than $32 million to expand the gaming floor of Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville and add 100 new jobs.
The casino will expand by 25,000-square-feet, which will allow for the addition of 100 slot machines and 25 more table games.
Caesars says Indianapolis-based Wilhelm Construction was awarded the contract and will begin work in April. The casino expects the work to be completed by the end of 2021.
Caesars says the expansion includes a live poker room with 20 tables, which will allow players to qualify for World Series of Poker tournaments.
“Since the implementation of table games in early 2020, we have looked forward to expanding our gaming operations,” said Mike Rich, senior vice president and general manager of Indiana Grand. “This growth will allow us to accommodate more guests and add more talented team members to the Indiana Grand family.”
The company says it will announce in the coming months new hospitality, entertainment and restaurant offerings that Caesars says will be subject to the city of Shelbyville and Indiana Gaming Commission approval.
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – Girls Inc. of Shelbyville & Shelby County is being honored with the Outstanding Affiliate of the Year award by its parent organization, New York-based Girls Inc. The organization was one of three affiliates selected for the award, which was presented during the Girls Inc. 2020 Virtual Annual Conference.
Girls Inc. says the award is given to organizations that meet an extensive list of criteria. Award winners are honored for their business practices and revenue growth, the strength of their board involvement as well as their participation in Strong, Smart and Bold Outcomes Measurement and their “generosity and willingness to act on behalf of the good of the whole network.”
“This award is such an honor, and I thank the National organization for recognizing our efforts,” said Amy Dillon, president of Girls Inc. of Shelbyville & Shelby County. “I could not be more proud of the Girls Inc. of Shelbyville & Shelby County Board or Directors, staff, and girls, and this is an amazing way for them to be recognized. I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful, change-making organization, and I feel very blessed to have the support of our community and a support network that allows us to do something so impactful for our girls.”
Girls Inc. of Shelbyville & Shelby County serves about 3,300 girls each year through its after school programs, summer camp, gymnastics and school-based programs. The organization says it has expanded its services to include residents of Decatur and Rush counties.
“This year’s recognized affiliates had many individual achievements that made them worthy of being called outstanding,” said Dr. Stephanie Hull, president of Girls Inc. “Girls Inc. of Shelbyville & Shelby County demonstrated excellence in strengthening and expanding their services to support the unique, ever-changing needs of girls. They are also committed to the use of data to improve outcomes and results for girls.”
Girls Inc. says it has 78 affiliates around the U.S. and Canada.
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — The Central Indiana Land Trust has purchased an agricultural field adjacent to the Meltzer Woods Nature Preserve in Shelbyville with a plan to plant more than 20,000 trees. CILTI says the $260,000 purchase was made through the organization’s Evergreen Fund for Nature and Land Trust members. A portion of the funding also came from American Electric Power under a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, eight states and 13 citizen groups.
“By converting the agricultural land to forest, we’ll allow species in the old-growth ecosystem to expand their territory over time and magnify this venerable site,” said Cliff Chapman, executive director of CILTI.
CILTI says the 60-acre preserve has been left undisturbed for more than a century. The 35-acre addition to the preserve will add to the preservation of trees in the area, which was recognized in 1969 by Purdue ecologist Alton Lindsey’s book Natural Areas in Indiana and their Preservation. The preserve was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974 and includes oak and hickory trees estimated at more than 300 years old.
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — The city of Shelbyville is upping the ante on providing assistance for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city says it is adding $50,000 to the $250,000 in CARES Act funding it recently received from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
The funding, according to the city, will be distributed to businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Mayor Tom DeBaun says the additional funding is being administered with the help of several nonprofits, including Mainstreet Shelbyville, the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, the Blue River Community Foundation, and the Shelby County Development Corp.
“Shelbyville has a proud history of cooperation,” DeBaun said in a news release. “Our partnerships with the state and the nonprofits in our community will help keep Shelbyville residents working.”
The city says it plans to continue applying for future rounds of CARES Act funding.
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Japan-based Sumitomo Corp. has acquired a minority interest in Kimura Foundry America Inc., which operates a manufacturing facility in Shelbyville. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, however Sumitomo says it plans to work with Kimura’s parent company to expand the business in the U.S. and beyond.
KFA is a subsidiary of Kimura Foundry Co. Ltd., also based in Japan. The company uses 3D printing technology to manufacture prototype casting for a variety of industries, including automotive, agricultural, and gas and oil.
Sumitomo says its investment in KFA continues a longstanding partnership with Kimura Foundry, which has included the overseas sales of castings made by the company.
“Through investment in KFA, Sumitomo Corporation is aiming to generate synergy effects between the business and the Sumitomo Corporation Group’s business such as auto parts manufacturing, while making effective use of its overseas customer network to expand the prototype casting business across the fields of construction and agricultural machinery, industrial equipment, and others,” the company said in a news release.
Kimura Foundry will retain the remaining 65% interest in KFA. The company did not state whether any new jobs would come as a result of the investment.
Kimura Foundry broke ground on the 35,000-square-foot facility in Shelbyville in 2017. The facility opened nearly a year later.