Gov. Holcomb announces additional $6.3 million in Next Level Broadband grants

Brings the total grant amount to $28.4 million for the program’s first round

INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb today announced the Next Level Broadband program has awarded an additional $6.3 million in funding to bring the first round total to $28.4 million for 14 broadband expansion infrastructure projects across the state.  

The total first round funding will provide broadband infrastructure to more than 11,300 homes and commercial locations in 18 counties. 

“In the 21st century, high quality, affordable broadband is essential to the success of Hoosiers and our state,” Gov. Holcomb said. “Economic development, the health of our citizens and our quality of life will be directly impacted by expanding broadband to these unserved areas.” 

Today’s award of $6.3 million for three broadband expansion infrastructure projects closes the Next Level Broadband program’s first round of funding. The initial $22.1 million for 11 broadband expansion infrastructure projects was announced in August. 

The $100 million Next Level Broadband program is the largest single state investment in broadband. For the first round of funding, service providers could apply for up to $5 million per project to expand service to unserved areas if they provided at least a 20 percent match. Unserved areas are those without at least one telecommunication provider offering internet fast enough to provide the most basic services – at least 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload. 

Global Marine Management and Operations Company Expanding

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (April  12, 2019) – HMS Global Maritime, an Indiana-based marine management and operations company, and its affiliate, American Queen Steamboat Company, announced plans today to expand in New Albany, creating up to 50 new jobs by the end of 2022. 

"Businesses like HMS Global Maritime and American Queen Steamboat Company are vital to Indiana’s success, helping propel the state’s economy and enriching their communities by providing quality career opportunities for Hoosiers,” said Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) President Elaine Bedel. “This commitment is an exciting step forward for Indiana, where our transportation and logistics industry is thriving in the Crossroads of America, as well as for the New Albany community, which continues to invest in its quality of place to support a growing talent base.” 

HMS Global Maritime and American Queen Steamboat Company, HMS Global Maritime's overnight cruise division, plan to invest nearly $800,000 over the next few years to renovate and equip a recently-purchased, 10,000-square-foot historic building at 213 Pearl St. in downtown New Albany. The new facility will house a training and customer service center for American Queen Steamboat Company, which will accommodate 200 to 300 hospitality and hotel trainees annually. Construction is underway, and the new facility is expected to be fully operational by the fall of this year. 

HMS Global Maritime and its affiliates, including American Queen Steamboat Company, employ 56 associates in Indiana across two existing New Albany facilities and a warehouse in Clark County. With this increased footprint, the companies will scale their teams in Indiana to support operations across the country. Hiring is expected to begin this summer with new positions in customer service and hospitality training. Interested applicants may go online to apply for open positions.

Progressive Materials Plans Floyd County Expansion

Progressive Materials, a silicone roofing systems manufacturer, announced plans today to expand its operations in southeast Indiana, building a new, state-of-the-art headquarters in New Albany and creating up to 25 new jobs by 2023. 

"With the highest concentration of manufacturing jobs in the U.S., Indiana has established a strong reputation for making products that are used around the world," said Elaine Bedel, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). "Because of the state's low-cost, tax-friendly business climate and skilled workforce, small businesses like Progressive Materials have the confidence to expand and create good jobs for Hoosiers."

The company, which is one of the largest silicone coatings manufacturers in the U.S., will invest $13.4 million to expand its New Albany-based headquarters after outgrowing its current facility at 540 Central Court. Progressive Materials will construct and equip an approximately 100,000-square-foot corporate campus at the New Albany North Industrial Park off Hausfeldt Lane with plans to be operational in the new space by December 2019. The complex will be home to Progressive Materials' manufacturing operations, warehouse space, distribution center, sales and marketing offices and quality control laboratories. With this expansion, the company plans to enhance its customer base and complement its rapid sales growth, which surpassed $32 million in 2017 alone. 

Progressive Materials, which currently has 16 full-time employees in New Albany, will begin hiring in 2019 for electrical and operator technicians, silicone-specialized chemists and administrative associates. New positions are expected to offer salaries above the county and state average wage. Interested applicants may apply online. 

Global Distilling Company to Revitalize Vacant Plant, Create 100+ Jobs

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (May 30, 2018) – The Sazerac Company, which is one of the oldest, private family-owned distilling companies in the U.S., announced plans today to establish a new bottling plant in Floyd County, creating up to 110 jobs by 2021. 

“Indiana’s business-friendly environment and skilled workforce offer companies like Sazerac the perfect recipe for continued success,” said Elaine Bedel, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). “We’re excited to welcome Sazerac to the Hoosier state as it establishes its first facility here, increasing its manufacturing footprint and creating good jobs in southeast Indiana.”

The Louisiana-based company is investing $66 million to purchase, renovate and equip the 455,000-square-foot former General Mills Pillsbury plant at 707 Pillsbury Lane in New Albany, which has been vacant since closing in 2016. The new facility, which is scheduled to be operational at the end of 2018, covers approximately 58 acres and will significantly expand Sazerac’s alcohol processing, blending, packaging and distribution capabilities. The company plans to initially phase in two to three packaging lines and then increase its production to meet expected demand.   

Sazerac has several spirit manufacturing facilities in North America with 11 plants and nearly 2,000 employees in Maine, New Hampshire, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, California, Kentucky and Montreal, Canada. The New Albany facility will be the company’s first in Indiana. To support planned growth, Sazerac plans to create up to 110 new manufacturing jobs, including 50 new employees by the end of this year. New positions are expected to offer average salaries above the state and county average wage. Interested applicants may apply online.

SBA Disaster Assistance - Business

Smart Meter Presentation by Duke Energy

Duke Energy has provided the following presentation on Smart Meter Technology being implemented in Floyd and Clark County. For more information click on the link below or visit the following website on Smart Meters. 

Indiana AMI Deployment (pdf)

Homegrown Manufacturer Expanding in Floyd County

W.M. Kelley Company, a manufacturer specializing in material handling equipment and conveyor systems, announced plans today to expand its operations in Floyd County, creating up to 13 new jobs by 2019.

“The gears of Indiana’s manufacturing economy keep turning,” said Governor Mike Pence. “Indiana leads the nation with the strongest concentration of manufacturing jobs, and we’re proud of our low-regulation, low-tax business climates that helps companies grow and expand. And we’re proud of our Hoosier workforce, whose skills and work ethic are the catalysts behind Indiana’s job creation and why homegrown success stories like W.M. Kelley continue to expand across our state. I’m glad W.M. Kelley chose to build their business in the Hoosier state, and I’m looking forward to its continued growth.”

The homegrown Hoosier company will invest $1.88 million to expand and equip its facility at 620 Durgee Road in New Albany. In order to meet growing demand from the material handling industry, the company will begin construction in January on a 14,000-square-foot addition to its manufacturing facility, expanding the building to cover nearly 100,000 square feet. This increased floor space will allow the company to support its plans to increase sales by 30 percent by the end of 2018.

W.M. Kelley, which currently employs more than 65 associates, plans to continue hiring skilled welders and machine operators. These positions are expected on average to pay salaries above the Floyd County average wage. Interested applicants may apply in person at the company’s facility or by emailing a resume to [email protected]

New Albany Historic Building receives 10K Renovation Grant

Lt. Governor Eric Holcomb announced today the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) awarded 17 properties funding through the Historic Renovation Grant Program (HRGP).

The 17 properties located throughout 10 communities will receive grant funds ranging from $10,500 to $100,000 to be used on exterior renovations and repairs. Such renovations include roof replacement, masonry restoration, repair and replacement of windows, façade renovation, painting, storefront upgrades and rear entry improvements. The 10 communities include: Batesville, Brazil, Corydon, Evansville, Frankfort, Greenfield, Lawrenceburg, Liberty, New Albany and Rochester.

“Indiana is full of historic properties that are being utilized to enhance their community’s quality of life and economy,” said Lt. Governor Holcomb. “Over the years, a number of historic properties have not been properly maintained and the Historic Renovation Grant Program gives communities the resources to restore them and truly better downtown economic development.”

The Historic Renovation Grant Program, currently in its first year, is a competitive grant program designed to preserve and rehabilitate historic properties in order to further incentivize downtown economic development. Grant funding for the program, to be administered by OCRA, was approved by the Indiana General Assembly during the 2016 legislative session. Applications for the HRGP, formerly known as the Historic Tax Credit Program, were also reviewed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA) to ensure that they met the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.

“The Indiana Legislature recognized the importance of assisting communities in restoring historic properties and they charged OCRA to partner with DNR to design and implement the Historic Renovation Grant Program” said OCRA Executive Director Bill Konyha. “Renovation of historic properties assists communities preserve their heritage while transforming local economies.”

Applicants located within an Indiana Main Street or non-entitlement community have the opportunity to apply for project funding between $10,000 and $100,000 at a maximum request of 35% of the total eligible project cost. Eligible applicants include: individual, partnership, firm, association, joint venture, limited liability company, corporation or non-profit affordable housing organization.

For more information on HRGP, visit www.in.gov/ocra/hrgp.

John E. Noyes Building, 1866
157 East Main, New Albany Italianate

John E. Noyes purchased this lot in late 1865 and was selling his boots, shoes and dry goods from this building by 1868. In 1879, Mr. Noyes lost his building to Sheriff’s Sale. The building has seen numerous businesses and owners over time including the former site of the Schad Law Office and is now the home to Chestnuts & Pearls.

^{Posted Nov 3rd 2016}

FireKing Adding Distribution Center

FireKing Security Group, a security and loss protection company, announced plans today to expand its operations in Indiana, constructing a new distribution center that will create up to 50 new jobs by 2020.

“FireKing is a true Indiana success story,” said Governor Mike Pence. “After launching in Indiana 65 years ago, FireKing has experienced tremendous growth and now sells its Hoosier-built products around the world. Through that growth, FireKing has continued to invest and grow in Indiana, helping contribute to the 156,800 new jobs added in the state since 2013.”

The homegrown Hoosier company will invest more than $4 million to lease and equip a new 75,000-square-foot facility at 102 North Reas Lane at the new Grantline Industrial Park West in New Albany. The new facility, which is less than three miles from its existing headquarters, will serve as a distribution center for the company’s growing line of office products including fireproof file cabinets, storage cabinets and safes.

FireKing currently employs more than 450 associates, including more than 300 Hoosiers, across its facilities in Indiana, Illinois and California. In addition to its headquarters operations, the company also operates two additional plants in New Albany. FireKing plans to begin hiring distribution associates next June.

“We are grateful to the city and the state for their efforts in assisting in our expansion efforts,” said Mark Essig, chief executive officer at FireKing. “We are also very thankful for the individual efforts of Kathy Crowley from One Southern Indiana and Trevor Lane from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation for all of their hard work in making this possible. The positive business environment in Indiana is deeply appreciated as we expand our footprint and bring more jobs to the area.”

Founded in 1951 as a manufacturer of high-quality fireproof filing cabinets, FireKing is now a broad-based security and asset protection company with a wide range of products and services, including vital records protection, secure cash handling services and digital video surveillance. FireKing sells its products in more than 85 countries.

“We look forward to welcoming Fire King International LLC as the first business to locate in the Grantline Industrial Park West development,” said New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan. “The newly opened 40-acre site, located only 1.75 miles from Interstate 265, is the perfect home for a company with a long history of succeeding in New Albany, and we stand ready to help in any way we can.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Fire King International LLC up to $225,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $45,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of New Albany will consider additional incentives at the request of One Southern Indiana.

With the growth of companies like FireKing across the state, Indiana businesses have added 156,800 new Hoosier jobs since January 2013. Indiana’s labor force is at its largest size ever and private sector employment has remained above its previous peak for 14 consecutive months. Additionally, Indiana’s unemployment rate fell last month to 4.5 percent, which is below the national average.

-Source IEDC

Cheerful Children Daycare / Preschool Grand Opening September 8th

The Cheerful Children Daycare/Preschool in New Albany, Ind., celebrated their grand opening on Thursday, September 8th, with a ribbon cutting hosted by One Southern Indiana (1si). The event was attended by: City of New Albany, Mayor Gahan; Indiana State Representative Dist. 72, Rep. Ed Clere; 1si President and CEO, Wendy Dant Chesser, 1si staff, Ambassadors and the public.

Cheerful Children Daycare / Preschool, located at 1615 Grant Line Rd. in New Albany, was officially opened by owner Jenny Hupp on August 29, 2016. The daycare offers preschool for children, from toddler age to 5 years. Hupp originally opened Cheerful Children Daycare as a licensed family home daycare in September 2010. Hupp states, “I never knew it would grow this big, this fast. After the many calls and requests we received wanting care, we knew it was the right time to grow and expand.” Cheerful Children Daycare/ Preschool also features a state-of-the-art playground that came from Glick’s Playsets in Clarksville, TN. Hupp is very excited about the future of Cheerful Children Daycare/Preschool.

ABOUT CHEERFUL CHILDREN DAYCARE/PRESCHOOL:

Cheerful Children Daycare/Preschool offers a structured curriculum designed to build a foundation of knowledge and critical thinking skills to foster mental, social, emotional and physical development. In order to achieve these goals, they feel that it is important that the child should do all learning through ACTIVE participation and it must be fun! For more information, visit www.Cheerfulchildren.net

-Courtesy One Southern Indiana

Floyd County Job & Economic Data

Visit "Hoosiers by the Numbers" for the most recent Job & Economic data for Floyd County. 

"Hoosiers by the Numbers" is maintained by the Research and Analysis division of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and provides data and tools to support the department's twin goals of:

• Aggressively empowering Indiana workers to become a highly-skilled, competitive workforce
• Providing premier customer service to all internal and external customers

Click here to visit the Hoosiers by the Numbers Website

Floyd County Indiana Business Resources

Business Planning Resources

Floyd County Planner

The Floyd County Planner is responsible for the strategic development planning for Floyd County. 

Don Lopp - Floyd County Planner
[email protected]

Floyd County Plan Commission

The Plan Commission reviews proposed commercial and residential developments, and administers and enforces zoning ordinances. The Board of Zoning Appeals makes determinations on appeals and variance requests.

Floyd County Zoning Ordinance

Click the following link to review the Floyd County Zoning Ordinance. Please be advised this document is for reference only. Please contact the Plan Commission to verify zoning before any construction. 

Economic Development Organizations

One Southern Indiana

One Southern Indiana (1si) is the Lead Economic Development Organization (LEDO) and Chamber of Commerce for Clark and Floyd Counties on the Indiana side of Louisville, Kentucky. 1si proactively works to grow our regional economy through business attraction, retention and expansion; through encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs and workforce development; and through providing government and workforce advocacy, business education, networking opportunities and other business services to our members and investors.

One Southern Indiana
4100 Charlestown Road, New Albany, IN 47150
Phone 812.945.0266
www.1si.org

River Hills Economic Development District & Regional Planning Commission

River Hills was formed in 1974 along with the other Economic Development Districts in the state of Indiana. The Economic Development Administration (EDA) provides yearly funding and, as such, defines River Hills' scope of work. The main goal of River Hills is to assist local governments with development needs. One of their yearly requirements is to complete a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the District. This report assesses the problems that exist within each community, rating them by priority and feasibility. The CEDS report maintains the District's eligibility for EDA funding, a major source of infrastructure grants. Since 1990, River Hills has secured secured over $15 million for public facility projects within the five county district. Over $22 million dollars in EDA financial assistance has been received since 1980.

River Hills Economic Development District and Regional Planning Commission
300 Spring Street, Suite 2A
Jeffersonville, Indiana 47130
Phone: 812.288.4624
http://www.riverhills.cc