Director of Development Amy Sealts spoke at the PCCIC Q4 connecting event on Tuesday morning in Ottawa.
OTTAWA — The Putnam County Community Improvement Corporation highlighted manufacturing at its Q4 Quarterly Connect meeting on Tuesday.
While these events are usually un-themed, Tuesday’s theme was manufacturing. With October being Manufacturing Month, several businesses and companies provided updates and shared key information with the audience.
Nelson Manufacturing in Ottawa will unveil a 73,000-square-foot facility in 2025. According to Nelson Secretary and Treasurer Amy Niese, the new facility will bring numerous benefits to the company, including the potential for 18 new employees.
“This facility is going to be our blasting operations, our painting operations, and our final assembly operations. Our operations will be more efficient and effective,” she said.
Another company experiencing growth in Ottawa is Endera, with the bus manufacturer increasing production from one bus to at least three per day.
“We went from a headcount of 50 to 120 as of yesterday,” Endera Human Resource Manager Mindi Rue said.
Rue said getting into schools and informing upcoming graduates of careers at Endera has been a fantastic experience.
“These kids are the best of the best,” she said.
Karl Schimmoeller, director of workforce partnership in Putnam County, had statistics to back up the celebration of manufacturing. In Putnam County, there are 3,800 manufacturing jobs, making up 28% of the workforce. As Putnam County’s median household income is $73,000, the average income with a manufacturing job is $80,000, according to Schimmoeller.
“Jobs grow 1 to 2 percent faster than the population,” he said, emphasizing the workforce growth in the county.
Shannon Shartell, human resources manager at PRO-TEC Coating Company, discussed the recent training the company has used and talked about expansion in Lipsoic.
“Through our strategic planning, a lot of associates mentioned losing their identity, and it’s mainly because of not knowing anyone due to expansion,” she said.
O.R.A., an acronym standing for ownership, responsibility, and accountability is used as a strategy for employees to take liability.
Kendra Magg from K&L Ready Mix shared that the company is expanding with an emphasis on technology that helps drivers get to a worksite quicker. A track-it system allows where job sites are, due to some not having addresses, according to Magg.
“The track-it system lets dispatchers know when a truck is loaded and informs contractors when it will show up at the job site,” she said.
Economic Development Director Amy Sealts said the Phillips Building received $2 million for contamination and clean-ups that should go into effect at the end of the year or in early 2025.
Reach Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351
