JRDS Industries to expand

Jay Randolph Developmental Services is purchasing the building that was previously home to Hartzell Air Movement.
The 141,000 square-foot factory, located at 1700 N. Meridian St., Portland, will house JRDS Industries, a subsidiary of JRDS.
JRDS Industries offers prevocational and work training opportunities at multiple Jay and Randolph county community industrial and business sites.
It hopes to have ownership of the building sometime in November and be functioning in January.
The industry will be able to provide more jobs for those with disabilities, and hopes to hire 60 non-disabled employees. Long-term goals for the new facility include operating three shifts with a workforce of 130.
The industry performs sub-contract work for regional industries, including Sonoco Protective Solutions, Randolph Farms, Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd., Silver Towne and Red Gold.
The work opportunities offer training to assist those with disabilities in gaining the skills needed to one day enter the community work force.
Kristi Sibray, industrial general manager, said JRDS Industries has so much contract work it needed a bigger site.
It began at the JRDS facility located on Water Street in Portland and a site in Winchester. When contract work filled those spaces last year, the industry began leasing sites in Portland.
Now those are filled as well.
“It led us to the discussion, if we want to grow and make this work, we have to get a bigger building,” Sibray said.
During the past few years, the staff at JRDS has been considering ways to increase revenue as reimbursements from the state and federal governments for services are no longer covering the cost of the services, said Ken Fredericksen, senior director of day services.
“In order to look out to the future and make sure we’re in a position where we can continue doing this forever … We’re going to have to do something else financially,” he said.
JRDS is also part of a marketing consortium with other regional programs that offer services for the disabled. The group works together to grow industry, which also led to JRDS considering the expansion.
The opportunity to purchase the Hartzell building and grow JRDS Industries also allows JRDS to create a work setting to prepare its clients to work in the community.
The purchase of the building and expansion has helped change the focus of JRDS, Fredericksen said.
Previously JRDS asked industries what work they could let JRDS perform; now the question is what can JRDS Industries do to help industries carry out their missions.
“We’re taking the leap,” Fredericksen said.
“We’re serious about industry,” Sibray said. “And we can do the work just like anyone else.”
The bigger facility will create more work opportunities for JRDS clients.
“It’s definitely going to impact their income … there’s going to be a lot more contract work coming in,” Sibray said. “It’s going to give them encouragement, confidence, purpose, they will get to work with non-disabled people and they get to feel like they’re treated like everyone else.”
It’s going to give the clients and opportunity to grow and perform jobs they’re capable of doing, she added.
“They’re not going to Jay Randolph Developmental Services, they’re going to JRDS Industries. That’s a factory,” she said. “They’re not coming where there’s any other services provided except work.”
Bill Bradley, executive director of Jay County Economic Development, said the new building should serve JRDS well for years to come.
“They serve a population that wants to work and desires to work,” he said. “JRDS does a lot of wonderful things with our local manufacturers and is a great service to many manufacturers in the Jay County area.”