FCC calls associates back to work

FCC Indiana will call all associates back from layoff at its Portland plant starting Monday, after an increase in orders for production from Japan. The March 11 earthquake and tsunami left the country with supply chain problems, but customers recently told the FCC that orders for August will increase.
Eric Garringer, senior manager of human resources at FCC said the company expects the production levels to stabilize.
“While we are cautiously optimistic, this is certainly a positive development in this difficult situation,” Garringer said in a statement.

Sustainability talks
POET LLC is trying to spread the word on the company’s efforts in sustainability as it takes its first cellulosic ethanol plant to commercial scale.
Jim Sturdevant, director of Project LIBERTY at POET, spoke on Tuesday at the Soil and Water Conservation Society’s 2011 Annual Conference.
Sturdevant gave a presentation titled “How POET is Making Sustainable Cellulosic Ethanol” and was also a panelist at another discussion.
On Wednesday, Sturdevant will speak at 8:30 a.m. in the Cherry Blossom Ballroom at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.
The conference will focus on the technologies needed to supply the national market with bio-based products. Anyone interested can go to the POET website and sign up to the webcast to watch the session.
That same day, POET Regional Biomass Coordinator Adam Wirt will cover the history of what POET has done to establish feedstock infrastructure in a presentation titles “What has been learned in establishing a sustainable feedstock supply chain for POET Project LIBERTY.” He will also talk about the most recent biomass harvest.
The presentation will be held Wednesday at 8:40 a.m. at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D.

New manager announced
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance announced that John Horazy had been promoted to district sales manager on Thursday, July 14.
Horazy will cover district 2, which includes the counties of Adams, Allen, Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Jay and Wells.

New plant to bring 68 jobs
State and local officials announced Tuesday that Naturally Recycled Proteins, a company that makes protein additives for pet foods, will build a new plant in the Montpelier Industrial Park.
The plant, which will cost will create 68 new jobs by 2014, according to a statement from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
The company will invest $15 million in two new facilities that will total 55,500 square feet that will be built in about 20 acres.

University plans to build wind turbine
Indiana Tech officials are discussing the possibility of building a wind turbine they hope to place on the east side of the Zollner Engineering Building near Maumee Avenue and South Anthony Boulevard.
However, the Fort Wayne Board of Zoning Appeals delayed a decision on Thursday on the height of the wind turbine.
Indiana Tech officials will resubmit the application, with a proposal of building a wind turbine with a height of 134 feet, including three blades, which are 14 feet each.

Local business
event to be held
The Montpelier Chamber of Commerce will hold several events and activities during the first annual “Meet your Merchants Day” today.
The purpose of the event is to show local residents and those from surrounding cities what Montpelier’s businesses have to offer. The event will extend from 9 a.m. to noon on Main Street and on Huntington Street. Refreshments will be given out during the event.[[In-content Ad]]