Joyce/Dayton on ‘best places’ list

Indiana Chamber of Commerce has honored a Portland firm as one of the best employers in the state.

The chamber on Friday announced Joyce/Dayton Corp. as one of its Best Places to Work in Manufacturing.

Joyce/Dayton was one of 17 companies named to the list that also includes DD DANNAR of Muncie, High Performance Alloys of Tipton, Nexxt Spine and SMC Corporation of America, both of Noblesville and AMPG of Indianapolis. Top employers were determined through employer reports and employee surveys.

The rankings for the list will be announced at the 2023 Best IN Manufacturing Awards Luncheon on Dec. 13 in Indianapolis.

“Building on our popular Best Places to Work event, we’re excited to continue this program to highlight manufacturers that are striving to improve the lives of their team members,” said chamber president and CEO Kevin Brinegar in a press release. “These companies embody the traits of a good employer, which starts with valuing and respecting workers.”

All companies that participate in the program receive an in-depth evaluation identifying strengths and weaknesses according to their employees.

Joyce/Dayton manufactures screw jacks, actuators and lifting equipment. It opened its Portland facility in the 1970s.

Trick-or-treat set

Jay County Chamber of Commerce will host its Merchant Trick-or-Treat Walk from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Businesses are invited to participate by offering trick-or-treat items at their locations. Those not located in Portland’s central business district can set up in the Community Resource Center parking lot, 118 S. Meridian St.

Participating businesses should RSVP by Oct. 25. To register or for more information, email [email protected] or call (260) 726-4481.

Advisor added

Dustin Bantz has joined Edward Jones Financial Advisors at its Farmland office.

Advisors Matt Haney, Kevin Addington and Scott Benter announced his addition to the team. The Farmland branch is located at 103 N. Main St.

“I am really looking forward to working with Matt, Kevin and Scott,” said Dustin. “I'll have all the advantages of working with experienced investment professionals while getting to know local investors.”

Assistance available

The Eastern Indiana Veterans Resource Fair and Hiring event is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 19 at First Bank Expo Center, 861 Salisbury Road, Richmond.

The free event will feature vendors for veterans services including employment options and educational information. WorkOne Region 6 and Eastern Indiana Works are among the organizers of the event.

For more information, email [email protected] or call (765) 238-0007.

Adding to lineup

Formula Boats of Decatur last week announced the launch of its 457 Center Console Sport and 457 Center Console Fish.

The company entered the offshore center console market last year with the 387 Sport and Fish Center Consoles and has now added the two new boats to its lineup. They will feature a cabin with 6 feet, 6 inches of head room, a full aircraft galley with microwave, refrigerator, sink and counter and cabinet space.

The 457 models are scheduled to debut at the 2024 Miami International Boat Show.

Hours extended

StatCare, Adams Memorial Hospital’s urgent care clinic, has announced extended hours.

The facility is now open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Appointments are not necessary.

“The extended hours will help families that work later hours and/or have after school activities,” said Adams Memorial Hospital manager of acute care services Sheba Davidson in a press release. “The earlier weekend hours will help with coordination of pharmacy hours ...”

StatCare is located next to the hospital’s emergency room at 1100 Mercer Ave., Decatur. Plans are to move the facility to the north side of Decatur later this year.

MSSL to host

MSSL Wiring System, Inc., of Portland will host its health fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday,  Oct. 26.

The event is designed to give employees information about health and wellness as well as to learn about healthcare providers in the community.

Individuals or companies interested in attending should contact Dakota Pettus at [email protected] or (260) 726-6501.

Classes scheduled

John Jay Center for Learning is continuing to offer ServSafe training.

The courses for those in the food-service industry are scheduled for Oct. 30 and Nov. 27. Each runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at John Jay, 101 S. Meridian St., Portland.

For more information, call (260) 729-5525.

Invenergy expanding

Renewable energy firm Invenergy announced Wednesday that it will expand its main office in Chicago.

The expansion will allow the firm, which is planning Skycrest Solar in northwest Jay County, to consolidate all of its Chicago-based employees in a single location.

“As we continue to expand our operations throughout the country and across the globe, we need additional space to accommodate new members of our world class team,” said Jim Murphy, Invenergy president and corporate business leader, in a press release. “The expansion of our Chicago headquarters reflects our rapid growth and our ambitious plans for Invenergy’s future. We look forward to the many ways our expanded office will support our team as we continue building innovative solutions for a clean energy future.” 

Reid honored

The American Medical Association recently recognized Reid Health as a Joy in Medicine organization and earned Level 8 recognition in the Digital Health Most Wired program from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.

The Joy in Medicine honor goes to healthcare systems that “demonstrate a commitment to preserving the well-being of clinical care team members through proven efforts to combat work-related stress and burnout.” The Digital Health Most Wired program recognizes organizations that “exemplify best practices through their adoption, implementation, and use of information technology.”

“We are proud to recognize Reid Health's exceptional dedication to digital health excellence,” said College of Healthcare Information Management Executives president and CEO Russell P. Branzell in a press release. “Reid's pioneering performance in the industry not only inspires other organizations by example but also provides patients around the world with better care.”

Organizations revamped

Delaware Advancement Corporation and the Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce last week announced that they have reorganized.

The Economic Development Alliance, which had been part of Delaware Advancement Corporation, will now be under the oversight of the chamber. The alliance handles economic development for Muncie and Delaware County. 

Delaware Advancement Corporation will keep the Horizon Convention Center, though it will be governed by a “streamlined board” that will focus on the growth of travel and tourism.

Summit is Nov. 1

Indiana Manufacturers Association will hold its inaugural Indiana Health Care Summit for Manufacturers on Nov. 1 at Ivy Tech Community College Culinary and Conference Center in Indianapolis.

The event is designed to provide attendees with information regarding health care issues that impact Indiana manufacturers. There will be panel discussions about pharmaceutical costs, health care options and insurance, with a best practices panel of manufacturers highlighting their experiences.

Those interested in attending should register at indianamfg.com.

Ardagh to debut

Ardagh Glass Packaging – Europe will make its first appearance at the Convention on Pharmaceutical Ingredients (CPHI), which will be held Oct. 24 through 26 in Barcelona, Spain.

The company will discuss requirements of the pharmaceutical sector and showcase the glass containers it has available.

“We have been supplying the pharmaceutical sector for over 50 years with premium quality glass packaging, which perfectly meets the complex requirements of these vital industries,” said Ardagh senior sales manager for pharma and chemical Ingo Erdmann in a press release. “CPHI is the biggest pharma event of the year, and we are excited to exhibit here for the first time among pharmaceutical professionals and innovators.”

Ardagh operates glass manufacturing facilities in Dunkirk and Winchester.

Lilly to purchase

Eli Lilly of Indianapolis announced last week that it has reached an agreement to buy POINT, a radiopharmaceutical firm.

POINT has a series of radioligand therapies for the treatment of cancer in development. The therapies “can enable the precise targeting of cancer by linking a radioisotope to a targeting molecule that delivers radiation directly to cancer cells, enabling significant anti-tumor efficacy while limiting the impact to healthy tissue.”

“We have seen how well-designed radiopharmaceuticals can demonstrate meaningful results for patients with cancer and rapidly integrate into standards of care, yet the field remains in the early days of the impact it may ultimately deliver,” said Jacob Van Naarden, president of Lilly’s oncology unit, in a press release.

“We are excited by the potential of this emerging modality and see the acquisition of POINT as the beginning of our investment in developing multiple meaningful radioligand medicines for hard-to-treat cancers ...”

Firms hit hard

Renewable energy firms have been hit hard recently, with stocks being sold off sharply.

Over the last two months, the S&P Global Clean Energy Index that is made up of the 100 largest companies in renewable energy, has dropped by 20.2%, Financial Times reported. That puts the index in position for its worst annual performance in a decade.

Financial Times said the renewable energy sector has been vulnerable to rising interest rates “because many companies agree to long-term contracts, fixing the price at which they will sell energy, before developing their projects.”

Principal Asset Management portfolio manager Martin Frandsen told Financial Times that inflation is now taking a toll on those companies that had already locked in prices.

NextEra Energy Partners recently cut its distribution per unit growth rate to a target of 6%, half of what the company had previously expected.

Show is Oct. 18 and 19

The Design-2-Part Show is scheduled for Oct. 18 and 19 at Indiana Convention Center.

The free event, which will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., is the region's largest sourcing event for engineers and buyers of custom parts, components, design, prototypes and assemblies. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with suppliers, learn about new technologies, see sample parts and discuss solutions to manufacturing challenges.

For more information or to register, visit d2p.com.

Summit is Oct. 25 and 26

Indiana Chamber of Commerce will host the Future of Indiana’s Workforce Summit Oct. 25 and 26 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown.

The summit, led by Ivy Tech Community College, will feature experts from industry and government who will share information about jobs and employer-led collaborations to address workforce needs. Details will also be shared about using data to make decisions about hiring and training.

“We are in a talent-driven competition,” said Indiana chamber president and CEO Kevin Brinegar in a press release. “Ensuring the quality of our workforce is an ongoing focus of the Indiana Chamber’s policy efforts and it’s critical to securing our economic position locally and around the world. This summit will tackle the main obstacles and challenges and bring together many stakeholders.”

For more information, Go online to indianachamber.com/inworksummit or call (800) 824-6885.