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Employment Overview

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Executive Summary

Executive Summary

Maintaining healthy, strong existing businesses is not only important for the economic vitality of Knox, Indiana and Starke County, but it plays a critical component in growing the economic base of the area. What’s more important is that the existing companies here work together to create a thriving community.

Starke County's industrial base is varied with heavy emphasis on the steel, related components, plastics, automotive, agricultural, home, and container industries. Even in difficult economic times nationally, employment and job search opportunities in Knox and Starke County have remained strong, and better than much of the U.S.

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A distinct advantage to industry provided by the Starke County Economic Development Foundation is the ability for Starke County Industries to work together in producing their respective products. Some examples are: Hoosier Custom Plastics provides the plastic injection onto the fine blanked parts manufactured by MPI; and Dragon Industries does some work for Kruz, Inc. The City of Knox and Starke County are also larger employers in the area. The following are some more notable employers in Starke County:

American Oak Preserving Company manufactures and imports home accent décor items which are sold in small stores and large chain stores throughout the United States. Beginning as a family-owned business in 1916, it first began preserving oak leaves and has since expanded to all types of natural home décor items. The Company recently finished construction of new administrative offices and showroom for their products, as well as a new warehouse facility.

Callisons, Inc. is the market leader in the global supply of premium mint oils, mint flavors, and mint - related ingredients. Callisons has two divisions in Starke County, the first being its Research and Development in the Town of Hamlet and its storage and shipping division in the City of Knox. Callisons is the leading buyer of mint oil in Indiana.

Chester's Ag Systems Division is located in North Judson where they sell and service irrigation systems, and grain handling or storage facilities.

Dragon repairs truck trailers and also are dealers in tarps, fenders, bedliners, and other items for tractor trailers, as well as doing aluminum and steel welding and fabrication.

Hoosier Custom Plastics specializes in tight tolerance and plastic insert molding applications with specialties in injection molding, plastic molding, plastic insert molding, and over molding. Additional services include design, mold-flow analysis, assembly, sonic welding, and tooling services for both Asian and domestic sources. Ecogolf produces biodegradable golf tees.

J.W. Hicks provides a full range of quality refractory products and services for the metal industry through specialty refractory products. Equipment required for on-site refractory use or placement is also supplied.

Kemin uses science and research to enhance nutrition and health for humans and animals, manufacturing over 500 specialty ingredients used by the feed and food industries, and the health, nutrition, and beauty markets.

Knox Fertilizer Company blends fertilizers and provides research on fertilizers and their release for the residential, golf course, and athletic field markets. Knox Fertilizer blends for its own lines as well as other wellknown labels. Through its research efforts, Knox Fertilizer holds many patents.

Kruz, Inc. is a high value manufacturer of aluminum trailers, "Ravens by Kruz," and steel "Kruz" trailers used in the heavy construction and scrap fields. Kruz ships throughout the United States, Canada and Iceland.

MPI was a pioneer in the United States Fine blanking industry and is the largest fine blanking organization in North America. As such, it is a global leader and highly specialized supplier of fine blanked components and innovative die design, process engineering, and customer service. Fine blanking is a high-precision, near-net process combining principles of metal stamping and cold-forming.

Norton has operated in Hamlet, Indiana since 1996 supplying containers that hold a variety of products for the paint, janitorial, petrochemical, agricultural, adhesive, and food packaging industries.

Outstanding Tradeshow Exhibit Services is a woman-owned custom designer of tradeshow exhibits, graphic designs, and banners

Konrad has been in operation in Starke County since 1957, being an architectural millwork plant manufacturing kitchen cabinets and business office suites out of wood, plastic laminates, and solid surface materials. Their primary customers include schools, libraries, governmental offices, medical facilities, banks, and churches.

Reagent Chemical and Research has constructed three buildings and 6,155 lineal feet to the existing County Lead Track in order to equip new rubber-lined tank cars and maintain and repair its existing fleet of rail cars, and also over the road trailers. Another division of this company, White Flyer, has been operating in Knox for some time.

Selected Furniture is a prime manufacturer of commercial furniture catering to the hospitality industry, including fast food chains, quick service restaurants, and fine dining establishments.

Traffic Control provides traffic signs, striping, parking bumpers and equipment, and also engages in parking area maintenance and marking. They can also produce plastic, aluminum, and wood signs including all traffic control signs in multiple sizes. The company also serves as a subcontractor to several prime highway contractors.

WestRock is one of the world's largest paper and packaging companies with $15 billion in annual revenue and 42,000 employees in 30 countries. The company aspires to be the premier partner and unrivaled provider of paper and packaging solutions in consumer and corrugated markets.

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