Gov. Mike Pence was scheduled to be in Crothersville this morning (Wednesday) for a groundbreaking ceremony for Aisin Chemical Indiana’s nearly $30 million expansion.
Pence is believed to be the first sitting governor to visit Crothersville, according to local business and political observers.
ACIN plans a ground-breaking ceremony for 10:30 a.m. at the site of their expansion in the Crothersville Industrial Park south of town.
Aisin Chemical, which is completing an expansion of its existing building in Crothersville plant announced in May of this year it will be expanding even more.
ACIN is beginning a nearly $10.5 million investment in another manufacturing building just north of its current plant and over $19.1 million in manufacturing equipment. All of which will allow the company to add 35 new jobs.
Aisin Chemical Indiana manufactures soundproofing and clutch discs for the automotive market. ACIN began construction of its $5.5 million facility in 2010 and announced an $8.1 expansion late last year.
Currently ACIN employs 51 workers paying annual salaries totaling over $2.6 million. The 35 new jobs are expected to be paid $1.225 million annually.
As of January of this year more than 400 workers are employed at ACIN, Aisin Drivetrain and Cerro Wire in the Crothersville Industrial Park.
A much needed secondary access road to the industrial park south of town and a rail crossing on Industrial Way will be funded nearly entirely by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
In all, the new road, rail crossing lights and gates, and street lighting are estimated to cost $860,000. The state previously announced that it would fund up to $835,000 toward the project leaving the remaining $25,000 to come from the town.
Jim Plump, executive director of Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation, told the council that much of the reason for the state to ante up more is because the Aisin companies told the state they would forego tax and training credits in order to allow additional state dollars to pay for roadway and safety for the industrial park employees.
The engineer’s preliminary design calls for Industrial Way to continue to the west and curve to the north to connect with Kovener Street.
The town intends to make the new road for car and truck traffic only for the time being. Semi traffic would still use the US 31 and rail crossing for access to the industrial park.
A public notice ad seeking bidders for the road expansion project is found in this week’s Crothersville Times print and online edition.
