State awards Manufacturing Readiness Grants

June 22, 2022

By Mary Roberts, Writer/Reporter
INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana Economic Development Corp., in partnership with Conexus Indiana, announced the sixth round of awards totaling nearly $4 million in Manufacturing Readiness Grants. The IEDC says the grants are being awarded to 43 Indiana businesses, supporting more than $46 million in technology-enabled capital investment. The program aims to stimulate private sector investments to modernize Indiana’s manufacturing industry. Since it was established in 2020, the IEDC says more than $17 million in grant funding has been awarded to 212 companies in 60 counties. “Manufacturing is in Indiana’s DNA—we build things,” said Governor Eric Holcomb. “The demand for the Manufacturing Readiness Grants program has proven time and time again to us that these investments help Hoosiers build things better.” The grant recipients are listed below:
  • Antique Candle Works Inc., Tippecanoe County – $200,000 to invest in a digital plant initiative that will utilize the Internet of Things, centralized data gathering, cloud-based analytics, automation, and machine learning.
  • Batesville Tool & Die Inc., Ripley County – $71,912 to invest in smart robotics for an automated bin-picking and assembly process.
  • Dewig Bros. Packing Co. Inc., Gibson County – $50,000 to invest in an automated link cutter for its sausage line.
  • Diamond K Sweets & More LLC, Owen County – $137,500 to invest in automated equipment to produce confectionary products on a commercial scale.
  • Dorel Juvenile Group Inc., Bartholomew County – $68,600 to invest in various robotics, including cobots, to automate the packaging and handling of its finished goods.
  • Economy Signs, Lake County – $21,750 to invest in equipment to automate the production of channel letters, currently performed by hand.
  • EHOB Inc., Marion County – $110,000 to automate its wheelchair cushion manufacturing process with custom-built machinery.
  • Green Sign Co. Inc., Decatur County – $50,000 to invest in two ultraviolet, light-emitting diode flatbed digital printers to automate the cutting process.
  • Griner Engineering Inc., Monroe County – $32,250 to invest in robotics and sensors to automate the loading and unloading of materials and allow its machines to run unattended.
  • Hoosier Tank and Manufacturing LLC, St. Joseph County – $40,000 to invest in a Markforged 3D printer to produce carbon fiber reinforced components and a 3D laser scanning system to analyze, measure and quality check its finished goods.
  • Indiana Furniture Industries Inc., Dubois County – $109,121 to invest in autonomous mobile robots for material handling.
  • Indiana Mills & Manufacturing Inc., Hamilton County – $105,000 to invest in cybersecurity, robotic welding systems and advanced sensors for environmental monitoring.
  • Inotiv Inc., Posey County – $41,877 to invest in digital testing equipment to create a mobile workstation, which will include wireless capabilities, digital radiography, data collection, and analytic capabilities.
  • ITAMCO Co., Marshall County – $191,240 to invest in automation and robotics to augment both the pre- and post-heat treatment steps in its manufacturing process.
  • Laidig Systems Inc., St. Joseph County – $130,000 to invest in a new 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, including automated cranes and a computer-controlled lathe.
  • Lanthier Winery LLC, Jefferson County – $50,000 to invest in technology to transition from batch to continuous distillation as part of a larger winery expansion.
  • LOD LLC, Benton County – $140,000 to invest in a robotic welding system, fiber laser cutting and 3D scanning to enable modern design for various vehicle models.
  • Mack Tool & Engineering, St. Joseph County – $85,000 to invest in new software to enhance the capabilities of its 16 CNC machines as well as a cobot tending system to augment its manufacturing process.
  • Major Tool & Machine Inc., Marion County – $175,000 to invest in RFID technology for CNC cutting tools and Machine Learning software.
  • Marion Manufacturing, Vigo County – $115,000 to invest in its first collaborative robots, or cobots, to automate two machine cells.
  • Marson International LLC, Elkhart County – $162,500 to invest in robotics and automation for its buffing, bending and cutting processes.
  • Michiana Global Mold LLC, St. Joseph County – $145,000 to invest in automated equipment to increase efficiencies and allow for more unmanned production.
  • Miller’s Wood Specialties Inc., Wayne County – $155,000 to invest in an automated system with machine vision, which can identify recycled lumber, cut the lumber to the optimum length and sort the material into bins of similar sizes.
  • Ottenweller Co. Inc., Allen County – $110,000 to invest in a robotic welding system to secure new business.
  • Paragon Medical Inc., Kosciusko County – $105,000 to invest in additive manufacturing, with a focus on metal 3D printing, enabling rapid iteration on patient-specific devices for the medical device market.
  • Peak Toolworks, Dubois County – $60,763 to invest in automated equipment for its tool manufacturing processes and robotics for auto-loading thousands of tools.
  • Pivot Manufacturing Inc., Delaware County – $58,750 to invest in new equipment to offer rapid manufacturing in the form of small-volume prototype orders for its customers.
  • POLARIS Laboratories LLC, Marion County – $36,700 to invest in autonomous robotics to prepare samples for its Inductively Coupled Plasma spectroscopy analysis system, which uses proprietary AI and machine learning software.
  • Precise Tooling Solutions, Bartholomew County – $167,500 to invest in an automated work cell that pairs cobots with a new CNC graphite mill/pallet changer and an EDM sinker machine for lights-out manufacturing.
  • Prime Cut 41, Fountain County – $10,000 to build a new processing facility for custom orders with retail space and investing in an automated cutting system to bring meat processing capabilities in-house.
  • Rathburn Tool & Manufacturing, DeKalb County – $170,000 to invest in smart robotics and automation, including cobots, machine vision systems, automatic feeder systems, laser scanners and smart torque guns.
  • Riverside Mfg LLC, Allen County – $200,000 to invest in an automated, high-capacity production line for next-generation electronics assembly.
  • Rochester Iron & Metal Inc., Fulton County – $37,500 to invest in an automated conveyor belt, magnets and pre-shredder.
  • Skinny Guy Campers LLC, Elkhart County – $37,875 to invest in digitized truck beds measurements with advanced precision to enable custom fitting of camper designs to more truck models.
  • Stalcop Metal Forming LLC, Boone County – $68,039 to invest in advanced fabrication equipment to perform its manufacturing processes in-house and secure new business.
  • Steel Warehouse Co. LLC, St. Joseph County – $50,000 to invest in a heavy payload robotic system to automate production of its dock ramp leveling line products.
  • Stoutco Inc., Elkhart County – $75,000 to invest in an automated fiber laser cutter to augment its current capabilities and secure new business.
  • Talon LLC, Elkhart County – $100,000 to invest in fiber laser cutters to enhance workflow flexibility, eliminate the need for oxygen and cutting gases, and reduce energy consumption.
  • Uniseal Inc., Vanderburgh County – $20,000 to invest in automated equipment to augment its material blending process.
  • Vista Plastics LLC, Elkhart County – $60,000 to invest in smart equipment to automate various steps in its extrusion production line for cutting more precise lengths.
  • Walerko Tool and Engineering, Elkhart County – $55,000 to invest in new technology and enhanced machinery to further automate its machining processes and to increase output for current and new customers.
  • Wilco Distributing, St. Joseph County – $50,000 to invest in automated equipment for its manufacturing line for pre-hung door production.
  • Workhorse Motor Works Inc., Randolph County – $130,000 to invest in robotic automation, machine vision and advanced sensor systems to improve its Union City manufacturing and quality control processes.