Pulaski County Contributes $30,000 for Indian Trails Career Cooperative’s Pursuit of Matching Grant

Pulaski County has decided to chip in $30,000 to help the Indian Trails Career Cooperative upgrade its equipment and train teachers. Indian Trails requested $100,000 from each of the five counties it serves to apply for a Skill UP grant from the state. Any money committed locally would be matched three-to-one, if Indian Trails is selected.

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Manufacturing Day Events Planned for Starke, Pulaski Counties

 

Manufacturing Day is just over a month away, and economic development officials are getting ready. Seventh graders from around Starke County will once again have the chance to meet with representatives from local industries, during an event hosted by the Starke County Economic Development Foundation.

Precision Waterjet Concepts (PWC) was founded in 2002. The company founders saw a need for quality abrasive Waterjet Cutting in many industries and started the company to meet that demand.

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Braun Corporation Announces Partnership With Brazil-Based Business

Braun Corporation founder Ralph Braun
Braun Corporation founder Ralph Braun
Pulaski County’s largest employer is forging a partnership with another leading mobility business in an effort to reach a growing market share. Braun Corporation officials announced what’s described as a “substantial investment” in Brazil-based FOCA Controles de Acessos Ltda. The company is a leading provider of access control systems, turnstiles and urban bus lifts used for accessible public transportation. Braun is a worldwide leader in wheelchair lifts. Company officials say the partnership will establish an extensive and powerful line of wheelchair lifts to serve the rapidly growing accessible transportation market in Brazil and throughout Latin America. Braun Corporation President Nick Gutwein said in a statement, “We are enthused about this opportunity to partner with FOCA to further improve the lives of people with physical disabilities throughout the world. FOCA has strong leadership, a reputation for manufacturing quality and shared values grounded in a commitment to caring for its customers. We are delighted to be a part of this team.”

Braun Corporation President Stresses Company’s Commitment to Pulaski County

Braun Corporation founder Ralph Braun
Braun Corporation founder Ralph Braun
The Braun Corporation’s recent announcement that it is adding jobs and products to it’s Winamac production facility is welcome news on many levels. President Nick Gutwein says it underscores the commitment by the leadership team and board of directors to remain in Winamac despite the passing earlier this year of company founder Ralph Braun.

“You can tell that to people, and yet still the fear with the loss of such an icon and a pioneer in the community and the industry – until we do things people won’t see it. This is not anything but what we had planned to do if Ralph was still here, so it just happens to be that the timing is good, and it will be tangible evidence to people that we’re committed to this area,” said Gutwein.

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Braun Corporation to Invest More Than $5 Million in Pulaski County

  
 
The Braun Corporation is investing in the Winamac area with a proposed expansion of more than $5 million going into the plant over the next couple of years. Nathan Origer, executive director of the Pulaski County Community Development Commission, told WKVI that the county council this week approved a 10-year tax abatement for the expansion. The expansion involves the creation of 65 new jobs in Winamac, and the retention of 30 existing jobs that would otherwise have been let go due to a production line that had been closed down.

While not all the newly created jobs will be given to county residents, Origer said it is still a great gift to the county.

“In one respect, it’s almost impossible to elaborate on just what a gift this is to Pulaski County. Braun is already far and away the largest employer; they’ve got just a little more than 800 people working in Winamac, and of those 800, somewhere between 350 and 400 are Pulaski County residents. The number of jobs they’re creating if that same 46-ish percent ratio of residents to total employees continues, we’re looking at 35 new jobs for residents,” Origer said.

While that number may seem small, but take into consideration the fact that the county only has around 7000 people on the labor force rolls at any given time, and Origer said it’s a nice bump up for the area.

“We don’t have the capacity for, you know, 200, 300 jobs at a time. This is hitting the sweet spot, and the property tax investment, the increases we’ll see in income taxes, the increase we’ll see in money – payroll that residents have to be spending in the area – it’s just fantastic,” Origer said.

The company makes wheelchair accessible vehicles and lifts and is spending $7.5 million to relocate production from its facility in Kalamazoo, Mich. A new production line should be fully operational next year and will allow Braun convert additional Dodge, Chrysler, Honda and Toyota minivans into rear-entry, wheelchair accessible vehicles. The company is also adding another production line to accommodate the conversion of trucks and SUVs.

Origer said the council approved the abatement for parts of the expansion, particularly personal property, such as equipment and other items. He said the business is looking at purchasing more than $2 million in assessed value worth of equipment to go into the plant over the next couple years.

He explained this goes a long way to show the company’s dedication to the area, as Nick Gutwein and Ralph Braun both have strong ties to the community.

“The relationship they’ve had, the workforce that they have been able to find in this community – they don’t see any reason they’d ever have to pick up and leave. Nick is originally from Pulaski County, Ralph Braun spent his entire life here in Winamac. Ralph was dedicated to this community, Nick is dedicated to the community, the entire management and workforce of that company is dedicated to Winamac and to Pulaski County, and I think more than any words could ever prove that, the investment they are making in this location right now shows how deeply dedicated they are to continuing to grow in and with Pulaski County,” Origer said.

Origer said the expansion should wrap up sometime late 2015. The Indiana Economic Development Foundation offered the Braun Corporation up to $500,000 in additional tax credits and up to $10,000 in training grants based on its job creation plans. The company will only qualify for these and other local incentives if it meets its hiring and expansion goals. Braun Corporation is already interviewing candidates for additional engineering, management, information technology, sales, marketing and aftersales positions and anticipates more hiring over the next year. Find more information about openings online at www.braunability.com.

Justin Hines to Perform in Free Concert

  
 
International recording artist Justin Hines will be performing in a free concert hosted by the Braun Corporation and BraunAbility. He will be singing selections from his “Vehicle of Change” tour.

Hines was recently featured on the CBS Sunday Morning Show and the Oprah Winfrey Network where he showcased his inspiring talent.

The concert is set for Wednesday, July 10 at 7 p.m. ET at the Winamac Town Park. Food will be offered along with face painting, balloon artists and more. Free will donations will be accepted and donated to the Ralph Braun Foundation to help those with physical disabilities afford mobility transportation.

Braun Corporation CEO to be Featured on CNN

Ralph Braun

Ralph Braun, CEO of the Braun Corporation and Braunability in Winamac, will appear on CNN this weekend in a piece called “The Human Factor” hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Braun will discuss how he designed a four-wheeled and three-wheeled electric scooter to help in his mobility needs. He was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy when he was six and has been using a motorized scooter as a way to be mobile.

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Braun Corporation To Sponsor Indianapolis 500 Entry

The number 99 BraunAbility/Sam Schmidt Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car will be driven by Townsend Bell.
The Braun Corporation out of Winamac and its dealership, Superior Van and Mobility in Indianapolis, are sponsoring a Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry in this year’s Indianapolis 500.

The number 99 BraunAbility/Sam Schmidt Motorsports Dallara/Honda/Firestone car will be driven by Townsend Bell, who will start sixth in Sunday’s race.

Ralph Braun, owner of the Braun Corporation in Winamac, and Sam Schmidt, owner of Sam Schmidt Motorsports, have both built successful businesses, both have the intense love of racing, and both have achieved remarkable careers while living and running their businesses from a wheelchair.

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