Staff Reports
INDIANAPOLIS — Three area manufacturers have been awarded grants of $50,000 or more from the state to aid in modernization and long-term growth plans.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), in partnership with the nonprofit Conexus Indiana, recently announced its second round of Manufacturing Readiness Grants. Thirty-one businesses, across 21 counties, will receive the $3 million in awards.
In Bartholomew County, Georg Utz, Inc. will receive a $50,000 grant. The company, which is headquartered in Switzerland, has operated a production facility in Edinburgh since 2009. It develops and produces reusable plastic transport devices for automated and manual systems across various industries.
Georg Utz, Inc. is implementing a full manufacturing execution system (MES) with interconnectivity between machines and IOT sensors, material planning, production control and enterprise resource planning.
In Jennings County, Decatur Mold, Tool and Engineering Inc. will receive a $65,000 grant and Decatur Plastic Products LLC has been awarded $98,000.
Decatur Mold, founded in 1966 and based in North Vernon, provides tool design and mold manufacturing services. The company is investing in robotics and electrode handling for electrical discharge machining (EDM) to enable continuous production and a fully automated process, the state said.
Decatur Plastics, also in North Vernon, founded in 1983, provides injection molding, flocking, assembly and finishing services along with engineering assistance and material recommendations. The company is investing in a new flocking line driven by robotics.
The grants are part of the Economic Activity Stabilization and Enhancement (EASE) program designed to stimulate manufacturing investments that will position Hoosier operations, and the sector overall, for future growth and prosperity.
The grants cover a wide range of specialties including automotive, aerospace and defense, agriculture, machinery and construction, consumer packaging products, and health care and medical manufacturing.
The IEDC initially made $4 million available for the grants and has since been able to expand the awards with the support of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding. The awards are issued in the form of matching grants up to or equal to the amount of the qualified investment in new equipment and machinery (minimum 1:1 investment match).
While the allocated program funding has been exceeded, Conexus, with the input of a peer review panel, will continue to assess applications and make funding recommendations to the IEDC, which will fund select applications if and when additional funding becomes available, the state said.
Applications for the manufacturing grants, which go up to $200,000, can be accessed at https://www.conexusindiana.com/manufacturing-readiness-grants.
