By Chris Pfaff
CEO, Knox County Indiana Economic Development
From a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event to an all-new bioplastic venture to Industry 4.0 innovation and more, Knox County, Indiana advanced on several fronts in 2024. Collaborations and focused incentives from area businesses, Vincennes University, the Pantheon, local government, the state, and more led to the region racking up critical achievements. Here are some highlights from a successful year – and a look at 2025.
The Dark Side of the Wabash
In the Spring of 2024, the First City of Indiana was the first – and the longest to view in the state – the much-anticipated solar eclipse. Many first-time visitors travelled specifically to Vincennes and Knox County to view the eclipse (for example, a visitor to the nearby Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport would have seen the unusual sight of several private jets lined up). Our hats are off to the Vincennes Knox County Visitors and Tourism Bureau, who took full advantage of the event, pumping up the county’s unique position and the region through high-impact outreach and community activities.
A whole new bioplastic industry
Launching out of the Pantheon Theatre innovation center on Main Street in Vincennes, AgroRenew attracted major attention and $82 million in funding to create an all-new bioscience facility. Following its initial announcement in late 2023, and led by founders Brian and Katie Southern, AgroRenew broke ground in the Knox County Business Park in July of 2024. At the end of 2024, design work for the advanced facility was nearly complete, with the first phase of construction expected to begin in 2025.
Three phases of construction, including a research center, will ultimately build a state-of-the-art 196,000 sq. ft. facility producing 100% biodegradable plastic made from crop waste. AgroRenew rightly attracted national attention and industry experts continue to follow developments closely. As reported in Farm World, “the market demand for green sourced, non-petroleum plastics is so great that AgroRenew (AR) has sold out, in advance, 100 percent of its initial future production.”
AgroRenew is expected to create more than 300 jobs in Knox County, as well as becoming a driving force for an all-new bioplastics cluster in the region.
New market rate housing
Job growth means increased need for new market rate housing, and Vincennes welcomed a $35 million project to build 240 new apartment units. Funding details for the 1,000-1,200 sq. ft. 1–3-bedroom configurations were wrapped up in late 2024. With construction beginning in early 2025, first move-ins are expected later in the year, with all phases completed by 2026.
Additional housing projects are in the funding and development planning stages, which represents additional good news for attracting and retaining talent in Knox County Indiana.
Industry 4.0 comes to Wabash Steel in Knox County
A Manufacturing Readiness Grant (MRG) from Conexus Indiana helped spur a 100-year-old facility to move toward 21st century Industry 4.0 upgrades. In addition to the grant, a $2.5 million investment in Wabash Steel, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lenex Steel, will see productivity and workforce capacity increase with IoT automation. The new equipment “is disruptive technology that elevates our entire operation and helps us attract needed talent to our plant,” said Jason Turk, Executive Vice President of Operations for Wabash Steel.
The new equipment is expected to be fully operational in 2025, fostering additional new job creation. “This is the first of many investments to come,” said Duane Geiger, Chief Financial Officer of Wabash Steel, when the project was announced earlier in 2024. “We appreciate our relationship with Conexus Indiana, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and our local Knox County economic development supporters.”
Wabash Steel operations are located adjacent to Vincennes University, which provides easy access to VU’s technology and robotics training facilities.
Child-care facilities opened
To help build and sustain a viable workforce for economic growth, Knox County moved forward with the opening of the Little Alice Learning Center in Vincennes. Offering 72 seats for children aged 3-4, the facility’s capacity has already been filled for the current term. Additional opportunities are being explored.
The new child-care facility was funded from a $750,000 grant awarded to the Knox County Life Enrichment Foundation (KCLEF) from the Indiana Family Social Services Administration’s (FSSA) Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. The state partnered with the Indiana Chamber and the Indiana Manufacturing Association for the program.
Helping existing companies thrive and expand
Vincennes and Knox County, Indiana are fortunate to be home to many important businesses, manufacturing companies, and nonprofit organizations. These include international companies like Futaba Indiana of America, Excell, and SCHOTT. A full spectrum of businesses and companies make up the Knox County economic eco-system, including entrepreneurial ventures coming out of the Pantheon.
Knox County Economic Development devotes considerable resources to a robust business retention and expansion (BRE) program, headed up by Mary Jo Wallin-Orlowski, Director of Business Development. This helps the county take advantage of regional opportunities, including the planned $1.4 billion expansion of the nearby Toyota Indiana facility in Gibson County. Both Futaba and Excell directly support Indiana Toyota operations.
The BRE program supports businesses of all sizes and works to ensure that area companies have access to the resources they need. This helps area businesses sustain operations and grow to meet competition and create new opportunities.
Future leaders in Knox County CEO program
In addition to the successful Pantheon Theatre business accelerator, the next generation of local teenage entrepreneurs are forging an exciting future in the Knox County IN CEO program. With 12 students currently taking part, the local Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) program allows students to learn from local business leaders and develop essential skills of problem solving, teamwork, self-motivation, responsibility, communication and professionalism. Ross Martin and Kristi Morron do an excellent job in facilitating real-world experiences, starting a new business, and building critical networks in collaboration with area schools for our future leaders in Knox County.
A vibrant 2025
Many opportunities are on deck for the coming year, with 2025 expected to see additional job growth and new resources in housing, child care, infrastructure, and more. Vincennes University continues to be an outstanding partner in helping the Knox County region seize opportunities and create new ones, including developing a new generation of talent for 21st century jobs.
Knox County, Indiana continues to be a great place to live, work, and play. The region is fortunate to have a strong collaborative environment that is attractive and productive. In my experience, strategic economic development requires a team working together. Vincennes Mayor Joe Yochum (who recently outlined Knox County achievements at the annual Indiana Economic Development Association conference in Indianapolis), Bicknell Mayor Thomas Estabrook, and other elected officials, including our city councils, county commissioners, and county councils in Knox County have all proven invaluable to elevating economic growth and talent attraction.
The same is true of Vincennes University President, Chuck Johnson, and his team. It’s no accident that the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) chose Vincennes University to host Gov. Eric Holcomb (who has his own formative experiences in Knox County) and the IEDC board for IEDC’s September 2024 quarterly meeting, where the public-private agency announced a record $38.3 billion in state capital investment commitments in the previous quarter.
All of these represent a winning team for Knox County Indiana Economic Development that is prepared and ready to do what it takes for continued strategic growth.
We of course will continue to experience challenges, but with challenge comes opportunity. Many exciting developments are on deck for 2025.
To follow new and emerging developments, remember to check out the news pages on KnoxCountyIndiana.com and our social media on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and more.
This column also appeared in the Dec. 30 2024 edition of the Vincennes Sun Commercial