Versatech, a manufacturer of computer cables and connectors in Crothersville, will be leaving this community and consolidating operations of their three satellite manufacturing plants into one location in Scottsburg.
All workers at the Crothersville plant will keep their jobs in the move. The company employs 168 workers on two shifts.
Versatech, a subsidiary of Samtec in New Albany has satellite manufacturing plants in Crothersville, Salem and Ramsey. All three will be consolidated to Scottsburg. The Salem location has 65 employees, the Ramsey plant (in Harrison County) has 25 workers.
Local plant manager Craig Mull confirmed the move late last week.
“We have decided to consolidate our operations and are looking at an existing building in Scottsburg but our specific location has not yet been finalized,” he said.
He said the company was not sure just when the move would occur but that it was not in the immediate future. He said the firm has a year-to-year lease with Grover Stacey at their present location in a portion of the old Nine-West/US Shoe Corporation building at the corner of Howard and Kovener Streets on the town’s west side.
Versatech began manufacturing operations in November 2000.
“We have several of our original workers still here,” said Mull. “They and the rest of our employees will not lose their jobs but be transferred to the new Scottsburg location.”
Scottsburg has a number of available empty manufacturing buildings after factories closed their doors within the past 10 years.
“We are excited about the opportunity to spur growth into our new consolidated location,” said Mull.
Jim Plump, executive director of Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation, was in Japan on a recruiting trip when he learned the news.
“This is an unanticipated development for Crothersville but it will give us an available manufacturing facility to market in the town,” he said.
