Carrera plans to add 102 jobs

A local manufacturer plans to establish 102 new jobs by 2018.
Jim Hiester, president of Carrera Manufacturing, formerly W&M Manufacturing, told Portland City Council the company is planning a $1.2 million expansion.
The company, which is an injection molding and finishing manufacturer, will construct and equip a Class 100 clean room in its current facility, 1000 N. Morton St., Portland. The clean room will allow the company to expand its current finishing and coating capabilities to meet customer demand for anti-fog, anti-glare, thermal and UV-cured coatings.
Council on Monday approved a $75,000 Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) loan for the company and voted to send two tax abatements to the tax abatement advisory committee.
The city committed $18,750 of EDIT funds to Carrera each year for four years. If Carrera meets investment and job creation levels, the loan will become a grant.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has already offered Carrera up to $300,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. In order for the company to receive that incentive package, the City of Portland also needed to make a monetary commitment, said Bill Bradley, executive director of Jay County Economic Development Corporation.
“IEDC does require local participation in the project,” he said. “It is a requirement … what this does is it unleashes about $500,000 of state incentives for the project.”
Councilman Mark Hedges asked who will monitor the process to ensure the project is completed as agreed to by the city and Carrera.
“We’ve had issues with this on multiple occasions,” Hedges said.
Bradley said his office will track the project, and Carrera will be required to present an update to council each year.
Council sent a $1.27 million, five-year personal property tax abatement and a $50,000, 10-year real estate property tax abatement for the business to the tax abatement advisory committee.
“W&M Manufacturing has been a long industry partner of the City of Portland, and I think it’s great and exciting news,” Mayor Randy Geesaman said.
In other business Monday, council members Kip Robinette, Bill Gibson, Judy Aker, Michael Brewster, Kent McClung, Don Gillespie and Hedges:
•Approved a contract to provide fire service for Wayne Township with a 2.5-percent increase from last year’s contract.
•Approved an ordinance that establishes a handicap parking space on West Arch Street near 915 W. Arch Street. Portland resident Bart Darby owns the property and asked the city to establish a handicap parking spot for one of his tenants.
•Tabled an ordinance to vacate an alley between 711 and 715 W. Walnut St. Darby also owns those properties and wants to vacate the alley, which he maintains, for safety reasons. City attorney Bill Hinkle said the ordinance needs to be revised for language and terminology before council can approve it.
•Approved, and then later rescinded, an ordinance that deletes all yield signs from the city’s ordinance book. The city has purchased stop signs to replace all its yield signs. Council members expressed concerns about deleting the yield signs from the ordinance before the stop signs are in place.
Council also tabled an ordinance to establish two-way stop intersections.
Once a majority of the stop signs are in place, council plans to delete the yield signs and establish two-way stop intersections in the ordinance.
•Learned the street department is still working to complete work for the city’s sidewalk program. Six sidewalks have been completed, three are currently under construction and three more residents have paid for new sidewalks. Geesaman said the street department will continue to work on the projects as long as the weather permits.
•Learned the city still plans to apply for a blight elimination grant administered through the state. Dunkirk was recently awarded $176,000 from the program to deal with blight throughout the city. Portland did not apply for this round of grant money because city officials were still working to determine how many properties are eligible for the funds. Geesaman said the city plans to apply in 2015.
•Paid $1,221,668.62 in claims.