Skillman gets Jay update

Becky Skillman liked what she heard.
Indiana’s lieutenant governor stopped in Portland Tuesday to meet with Jay County officials and industry leaders as part of her Hoosier Crossroads tour of the state’s 92 counties.
“I think I have witnessed first-hand what makes Jay County successful,” Skillman said. “You are doing so much, so right.”
Skillman noted that Jay County’s unemployment rate has improved dramatically since the worst of the recession, falling most recently to 7.4 percent. “That’s as much improvement as I’ve seen anywhere in Indiana.”
She praised Jay County Development Corporation executive director Bill Bradley and State Rep. Bill Davis for their efforts on the county’s behalf and noted that during the era of the Daniels administration county projects have received $26 million in federal grants administered by the Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
“Those grants are highly competitive,” said Skillman. “Your local leaders have made a great case for the dollars.”
On hand for Skillman’s visit were JCDC directors, local government officials, and representatives of Jay County businesses. All of them struck an optimistic tone.
“We’re getting all these positive signs,” said Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman.
“We’ve got two new customers coming on board,” said FCC (Indiana) vice president for administration Jeff Bailey. The company, he noted, was “hit pretty tough by the recession.” But FCC had made a $14 million investment in its Jay County operation last year and another $10 million this year.
Dunkirk Mayor Dan Watson echoed the upbeat tone. “Things are looking up,” he said. “The outlook is good.”
Central to that outlook for Dunkirk is Verallia, the glass container operation of Saint-Gobain. Bill Mann, Verallia’s plant manager in Dunkirk, told Skillman, “We look forward to being around for a long time.” He noted a recent $28 million investment replacing the plant’s second glass furnace. The company made a major commitment to the Dunkirk site with a 1998 expansion.
It now employs nearly 400 people and produces 2.5 million beer bottles a day.
“This is a county of partnerships,” said Bradley.
“We’re a pretty diversified community,” said Davis. “And from the 1970s we have had a strategic plan and we continue to have a strategic plan.”
Part of that plan includes alternative fuels such as POET Biorefining and a wind farm project now on the horizon.
“It’s been kind of a rollercoaster of a ride,” retired ag educator and farmer Bob Lyons told Skillman, “but it’s going to happen.”
Lyons said plans are moving forward for an 89-turbine wind farm, with 70 of the turbines in Jay County and 19 in Randolph County. The $250 million 200 megawatt project is expected to come together in 2013, Lyons said.
Others reporting to Skillman on new projects or recent successes included:
• Norm McCowan, president and chief operating officer of Bell Aquaculture, who said he expects the company’s workforce to double this year.
• Community developer Ami Huffman, who outlined grant proposals for Redkey and Pennville.
• County commissioner and business owner Faron Parr, who discussed grant-supported sewer separation work in Bryant.
• Mark Clemens of Community Fiber Solutions, who outlined the company’s $4 million investment locally.
• Dunkirk city council member Judy Garr and civic leader Richard “Chuck” Huffman, who outlined the “Our Roots Are in Dunkirk” tree replacement project on Ind. 167.
• Portland Foundation executive director Doug Inman, who updated progress on the 20/20 Vision program which has developed a 10-year strategic plan and is now in its second year of implementation.
• Jay-Randolph Developmental Services executive director Ruth Ann Widman, who cited OCRA’s support for an essential building addition last year.
• Jay County Chamber of Commerce executive director Vicki Tague, who told Skillman, “The partnerships that have been formed in this community have been so very important.”
• Jay County Hospital chief executive officer Joe Johnston, who said, “I’ve lived in six counties in the state … (Communication) works better here.”
• Wood Barwick, assistant superintendent of Jay School Corporation, who said, “Our test scores are up. … Our graduation rate’s up.”[[In-content Ad]]