MUNCIE, Ind. (May 25, 2021) – Global packaging manufacturer CANPACK announced today it will build its second U.S.-based, state-of-the-art aluminum beverage can body manufacturing plant in Muncie, creating over time approximately 345 high-paying, local jobs by 2023.

Among those who paid tribute to the legacy of the Ball family at the 9^th annual Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce’s Legacy Gala was Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb.

The Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance announced today that Magna Powertrain of America, an automotive parts and systems supplier, will expand its drivetrain component operation in Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana. The Troy, Michigan-headquartered company will invest $9.3 million to add new equipment in its 200,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, MPT Muncie, resulting in the addition of 50 new jobs.

At a ceremony today, Delaware Dynamics, the largest producer of die cast molds in North America, officially broke ground on a new facility that will be dedicated to escalating their high-tech capabilities. The building will house high-speed mills including another state-of-the-art 5-axis machine, and the expansion of their 3-D printing capabilities to greater sizes and a larger variety of materials.

The Kitselman Trailhead, Muncie’s new eastern gateway to the city, has kicked-off the second phase of construction. This entrance into Muncie will be fundamentally transformed with the addition of a pedestrian bridge, new trail connections, trailhead parking, and a sloped lawn with seating overlooking the White River.

The town of Yorktown, Indiana and the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance have announced the certification of a 72.55-acre property by the Verisite Certification Program as a prime opportunity for industrial development. The McKibben site is located East of S. Marsh Ave. (S. Co. Rd. 600 W.) and South of CSX Transportation Incorporated railroad approximately 0.5 miles south of S.R. 32 (Smith St.).

Waelz Sustainable Products LLP (WSP), a joint venture between Indianapolis-based Heritage Environmental and Monterrey, Mexico-based Zinc Nacional, announced plans today to establish operations in Muncie, creating up to 90 jobs over the next several years. The new facility, which will be located on the former BorgWarner campus, is one part of a significant investment being made by Heritage Environmental to transform the property and facilitate the creation of up to an additional 210 jobs at the repurposed site.

The Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce honored Kelly Stanley with their 2018 Legacy Award. The Gala Event held at the Horizon Convention Center, had nearly 300 guests.

The Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce held its 123rd Annual Meeting on October 19, 2017 with more than 300 business and community leaders in attendance.  The event, held at the Horizon Convention Center, is the Chamber’s annual meeting and awards event.

The City of Muncie, Cardinal Greenways, INDOT and KPEP—the Kitselman Pure Energy Park—continue in cooperation to revitalize the former Indiana Steel and Wire and King Indiana Forge  brownfield factory areas on the east side of Muncie.

Joined by local elected officials and business leaders, AT&T and the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance announced that four Delaware County business parks– three in Muncie and one in Yorktown – have been certified as being AT&T Fiber Ready. This marks the first time in Indiana that four Fiber Ready locations have been announced at once.

The Muncie Redevelopment Commission has approved an economic development agreement with Roebuck, LLC for the former Sears Building and parking lot at Walnut and Main streets in downtown Muncie, Indiana. The $7.5 million mixed-use project will include 42 one to three-bedroom residential, market-rate housing units and more than 20,000 square feet of commercial space in the heart of downtown.

The Steering Committee for the VISION 2021 planning effort will hold a series of roundtable focus groups to solicit public input on the community's economic development priorities for the coming years. Feedback from these meetings will help determine the framework and goals for Vision 2021, the community’s next comprehensive five-year economic development plan. 

At an unveiling ceremony, Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler announced a transformative revitalization plan for the former King Indiana Forge and Indiana Steel & Wire industrial sites, located adjacent to the White River at the city’s eastern gateway. The plan, a result of decades of visionary, broad-based collaboration, was detailed by Tyler and representatives of numerous partners. Significant components of the plan include the Kitselman Trailhead, a new eastern gateway to the City of Muncie, Muncie Arts & Culture Trail, and the Kitselman Pure Energy Park (KPEP).

American college towns are becoming appealing places to live – for all ages, from retirees to young people.  They are looking for the cultural events, quality of life, sports and recreational activities, community engagement opportunities, job opportunities and entrepreneurial spirit found in college towns.  The realtor.com data team ranked more than 300 college towns by median home price to determine the top 10 least expensive and top ten most expensive college towns.  Muncie, Indiana, home of Ball State University and Ivy Tech Community College leads the nation in affordability with a median home price of $77,900.  The college town criteria specified areas where student residents were greater than 5,000 and made up more than 20% of the community’s total population.  Eight of the ten least expensive college towns are located in the Midwest.

Population stagnation and the loss of talent are critical issues that have faced East Central Indiana and the state of Indiana for decades. The Regional Cities Initiative is an opportunity for regions within the State of Indiana to collaborate, identify projects, and put together regional solutions to quality of life issues that directly relate to the attraction and retention of talent. These community-based plans are to provide a bold vision that will lead to transformational change within the Region and seek to grow the Region into a nationally-recognized destination of choice for talent and investment. To help incentivize local communities to undertake Regional Development Plans, the state of Indiana has set aside $84 million from the tax amnesty program to partner with communities in the funding and implementation of projects identified in the plans. “ADVANCE – A Vision for East Central Indiana,” is the name of the area’s Regional Development Plan (RDP) that will compete with six other Regions across the state for a slice of this funding.