Jay input sought for ECI strategy

Jay County input is being sought for an updated economic development strategy for east central Indiana. Sheila Cannon, resource development manager for the Energize-ECI Regional Planning District, is seeking to identify projects that might qualify for funding by the Economic Development Administration.
A number of projects are already in the plan, drawn from the 20/20 Vision process. Infrastructure, economic development, and quality of life projects may be suggested to be included in the plan.
Comments or suggestions should be sent by mail to Energize ECI, P.O. Box 912, Muncie, Ind. 47308-1912 or e-mailed to [email protected].
Cannon will also be hosting a public outreach meeting to present information about a Brownfields grant program.
The meeting will help members of the district establish a listing of Brownfields property needing remediation work. Brownfields grants are used to clean up former industrial property needing environmental improvement.
The meeting will be held Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. at the Horizon Convention Center, 401 S. High St., Muncie.

ASQ meeting
The American Society for Quality Section 904 will hold a dinner meeting Wednesday at the Sirloin Stockade in Muncie.
Van Wagner will president “Activity of the Product” and will identify ways companies can compete in the service industry. Wagner has worked in the auto and aerospace industries.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

Chamber luncheon
The Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce will meet Tuesday at noon in the Geneva Community Room, 411 E. Line St. Cost for lunch is $8.

Graduated
Jenna Knapke, Portland, recently graduated from Reid Hospital and Health Care Services’ School of Radiologic Technology.
The two-year program through the Richmond hospital provides radiology certifications for those who completed the curriculum.

Going hybrid
A Union City company, Productive Concepts Inc., recently landed a contract with General Motors to transform regular gasoline powered cars into hybrid fuel vehicles.
The plant will convert vehicles to operate on renewable or alternative fuels and plans to convert at least 10,000 GM vehicles over the next five years.
GM has outsourced the work since the amount of vehicles being converted is too small to justify a retool of major GM production plants.
PCI employees about 60 employees with plans to add more by the end of the year.

More aquaculture
 A spokesman for Perfect Ocean has confirmed to The Kokomo Tribune that Howard County will not become the location of the first proposed fish farm the company constructs.
Jay County is home to Bell Aquaculture, a pioneer in the field in Indiana.
Officials with Howard County, the city of Kokomo and the Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance have been in negotiations with Florida-based Perfect Ocean to locate a facility here that was expected to create up to 1,200 jobs.
Austin Davis, spokesman for Perfect Ocean, said Friday the company has decided Kokomo will not be the first location.
He said the company plans to construct the first facility in Indiana, but wouldn’t disclose the location.
“We haven’t decided not to locate in Howard County, we like Howard County,” Davis said. “We’re deciding what order to build a large number of facilities near population centers.”
He said Kokomo was edged out by another Indiana site, adding the county is viewed as a future partner. “There are several sites we have selected in Indiana,” Davis said. “There was federal financing not available in Howard County.”
Davis said access to a major highway was one of the reasons Howard County was not selected.
Davis said there are a number of sites along the bypass corridor.[[In-content Ad]]