Lilly to expand manufacturing

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company announced Thursday that it is planning a $3 billion expansion of its manufacturing facility in Kenosha County, Wisconsin.

Plans call for expanding capacity to meet demand for the pharmaceutical firm’s diabetes and obesity medicines and other drugs at the site that it purchased earlier this year. The expansion is expected to add 850 jobs at the location.

"Today's announcement represents our single largest U.S. manufacturing investment outside our home state of Indiana and will add to our ability to expand capacity to make both our existing and future pipeline of medicines right here in the Midwest," said Edgardo Hernandez, Lilly executive vice president and president of manufacturing operations, in a press release. "We look forward to bringing high-wage, advanced manufacturing, engineering and science jobs to people in Wisconsin, a state that is becoming a critical geography in our global manufacturing operations."

Partnering with Meta

Invenergy announced last week that it has signed contracts with Meta Platforms to provide 760 megawatts of renewable energy.

The company will provide energy to Meta, parent company of Facebook, through Hardin II Solar of Ohio as well as operations in Texas, New Mexico and Arkansas that are expected to become operational in the next few years.

“Energy demand is soaring — and Invenergy is excited to work with Meta to deliver long-term, clean energy solutions to support their operations,” said Ted Romaine, Invenergy executive vice president of origination, in a press release. “As the largest privately held clean energy owner, operator and developer, we’re pleased that Invenergy’s utility-scale solar projects can contribute to meeting Meta’s clean energy goals, while also providing good-paying jobs and generating millions in local economic benefits.”

Invenergy is planning Skycrest Solar in northwest Jay County.

Closing facilities

Tyson recently announced the planned closure of facilities in Kansas and Pennsylvania

The Kansas Reflector reported Tyson’s plan to shut down its meat plant in Emporia Kansas. It employs more than 800.

It will also close two North Philadelphia plants, resulting in more than 200 employees being laid off.

Open house set

Adams Woodcrest Assisted Living will host a Holiday Open House from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11.

The event will offer tours of the facility and a chance to meet with residents and staff. Refreshments will be available.

The facility is located at 1300 Mercer Avenue, Decatur.

Purchase complete

Last week, Walmart completed its acquisition of VIZIO.

The agreement to purchase the electronics company was announced in February. There was a required waiting period before the transaction could be completed.

“VIZIO offers great products at great prices that customers love. They’ve always put customers at the center of their business – and that’s core to Walmart’s values and the omnichannel experiences we’re excited to roll out,” said Seth Dallaire, Walmart executive vice president and chief growth officer, in a press release. “VIZIO has also expertly changed their business over time, like building and quickly scaling a profitable advertising business. Pairing it with Walmart Connect will be impactful and allow us to invest in our business even further on behalf of our customers.”

Training offered

ServSafe training will be available at John Jay Center for Learning in Portland.

The next session is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25.

Additional sessions are scheduled for March 25 and April 29.

The certification course is open to all food service employees and emphasizes safe food- and beverage-handling practices to minimize the risk of food-borne illnesses.

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

Producing hydrogen

Ardagh Glass Packaging – Europe announced last week that it is now using a hydrogen electrolyser at its facility in Limmared, Sweden, to produce “green hydrogen” for melting glass.

The device uses renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The company began testing the electroyser in October and says it has saved 80 tons of carbon dioxide by doing so.

“The testing phase using the hydrogen energy mix is progressing well, with no impact on the quality of the glass or the furnace,” said Daniel Johansson, project manager for Ardagh. “Our target is to replace 20% of the natural gas in the furnace with green hydrogen, which will reduce carbon emissions from our glass packaging produced in Limmared.”

Ardagh operates glass manufacturing facilities in Dunkirk and Winchester.

Testing delivery

Dollar General is testing same-day delivery to customers.

Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said Thursday the company held a soft launch of the service in September. It is being offered through a third party.

According to NBC News, the test is part of an effort to compete with Walmart.

Grants awarded

Indiana University Health recently announced $6.1 million in grants to a dozen community organizations.

The grants include $365,471 for Nextech Org, an organization that provides internships in technology to underserved teens in the Muncie area.

“Evidence-based research and our own experiences demonstrate that economic and social challenges, such as poverty, limited access to healthy food, inadequate housing, and a lack of education options all play a significant role in the long-term health and well-being of local residents,” said IU Health CEO Dennis Murphy in a press release. “By investing in organizations that address these critical needs, we can make a positive difference in the lives of Hoosiers and move closer to our vision of making Indiana one of the healthiest states in the nation.”

Core shifts

Comcast has moved its 5G wireless core to Amazon Web Services.

The core was previously housed on-site at a Comcast facility but will now be cloud-based. According to reporting from TV Technology, the change will allow Comcast to implement new features and be more efficient.

“AWS’s extensive cloud infrastructure, together with their understanding of telco network requirements and ability to support production-grade 5G networks, will help us to continue delivering the highest quality service to our wireless customers,” said Tom Nagel, executive vice president of wireless strategy at Comcast, in a press release.

Collecting

Pak-a-Sak has launched its five week Paper Kettle Drive at 31 locations in Indiana.

The campaign will benefit The Salvation Army’s Christmas assistance and emergency assistance programs. Paper kettles can be purchased for $1 at Pak-a-Sak stores.

Hosting drive

Menards stores are serving as Toy Drive drop sites this year.

Sites will be near the exits of each Menards story. Shoppers can donate unwrapped gifts for children in need through the end of November.

Menards stores in the region include sites in Muncie, Richmond, Anderson and Celina, Ohio.

Offering boxes

Indiana Grown is offering a 2024 Indiana Grown Holiday Box for purchase as a holiday gift.

The boxes feature items from Indiana Grown members. The initiative seeks to highlight local products.

This year’s boxes include a variety of items including travel-sized scented lotions from The Lotion Company of Muncie.

For more information, visit indianagrown.org.

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