[r40]Reps. Thompson and Steuerwald: Right to Work is right for Hendricks Co. (4/19/2012)

STATEHOUSE – Indiana State Representatives Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) and Greg Steuerwald (R-Avon) applaud Steel Dynamics Inc. for expanding their operations in Hendricks Co. The jobs announcement specified Indiana’s Right to Work law, which was passed during the 2012 legislative session, as one of the main factors for choosing to expand in Indiana.

The announcement comes as a result of Indiana becoming the 23rd Right to Work state which states that an employee cannot be forced to join or financially support a union in order to get or keep a job. Indiana is the first state in the industrial Midwest to become a Right to Work state, and the first Right to Work state in the nation that does not have a Right to Work state on its borders.

“This announcement is a great opportunity for our communities,” said Rep. Steuerwald. “Right to Work is a great addition to the economic development tools available to companies who want to work with Indiana, and this announcement is proof that Right to Work can help bring more jobs to Hendricks County.”

The facility located in Pittsboro, Ind. will be among the largest single-site special-bar-quality (SBQ) facilities in North America and capable of producing 950,000 tons of SBQ bars annually. The mill produced 638,000 tons of steel bars in 2011.

“My top priority is to bring more jobs to Indiana,” said Rep. Thompson. “While our state continues to be at the forefront for private sector job growth and economic development, becoming a Right to Work state has opened the door to even more opportunities. I’m confident that more companies will be calling Indiana home and expanding within our borders due to this legislation and our taxpayer-friendly business climate.”

Steel Dynamics’ news comes shortly after Busche Enterprise Division, Inc. announced that it was expanding its operations in Noble County, and Android Industries also announced that it would be locating a new operation in Allen County. Both companies cited Right to Work as a key factor in expanding and locating in Indiana.

Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Steel Dynamics has operations at 34 locations in 19 cities throughout Indiana, including Indianapolis, Columbia City, Butler, Pittsboro and Jeffersonville. The company currently employs 386 full-time associates in Pittsboro and more than 3,100 across the state. It will begin hiring new skilled manufacturing, technical and administrative positions in Pittsboro next year.

"The recent enactment of the right-to-work legislation is further evidence of Indiana's commitment to providing the most competitive business environment possible for global companies like us to grow," said Barry Schneider, vice president and general manager of Steel Dynamics' engineered bar products division.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Steel Dynamics, Inc. up to $600,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company's job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. Hendricks County will support the project through additional incentives at the request of the Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership.

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Rep. Greg Steuerwald serves House District 40. He is the Chair of the Courts and Criminal Code Committee and the Vice Chair of the Statutory Committee on Ethics and serves on the Judiciary, Financial Institutions and Employment, Labor and Pensions Committees.

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