Japanese-owned manufacturer investing $140 million, creating more than 1,200 Hoosier jobs

 

Lafayette – Governor Mike Pence joined executives from Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) today as the company announced plans to significantly expand its operations here, creating up to 1,204 new jobs by 2017.
“Last week’s meetings with government leaders and business executives across Japan have strengthened our economic ties with companies operating in Indiana and sparked momentum for job creation in the Hoosier State,” said Pence. “Subaru chose Indiana as the home for its only assembly plant outside Japan, and now the company is choosing Indiana once more. Last week, executives at Subaru’s parent company told us they are choosing to locate 1,200 new jobs in Indiana because of the long-term relationships we’ve developed and the business climate we’ve built, two things that we’ll keep doing to make sure Indiana remains a state that works.”  
SIA will invest $140.2 million to increase its production capacity by nearly 100,000 units annually. The company will upgrade its existing campus at 5500 State Road 38 East and purchase new machinery and equipment in order to support the expansion and meet the growing demand for Subaru vehicles in North America. Established in 1987, SIA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan-based Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. and is one of only three Subaru assembly plants worldwide. SIA, which builds the Subaru Outback, Subaru Legacy and Toyota Camry, is Subaru’s only production facility located outside Japan.

“SIA associates do an outstanding job of building superior quality into every vehicle, which has helped propel the Subaru brand to tremendous success in the North American market. SIA’s investment of approximately $140 million and the creation of over 1,000 new jobs at SIA over the next two years will enable SIA to build more Subarus to help meet the growing demand,” said Tom Easterday, executive vice president of SIA. “The substantial increase in production volume at SIA will also result in new jobs and investment by many of our suppliers across Indiana. We greatly appreciate the support of state and local government for this significant economic development project.”

This news comes on the heels of Governor Pence’s recent jobs and economic development mission to Japan last week, where he met with the president of Fuji Heavy Industries in Tokyo. SIA’s investment will be in addition to its $400 million expansion currently underway, which was announced in May 2013, dedicated to a new paint shop and an expansion of the engine assembly and stamping sections to enable SIA to begin Subaru Impreza production by the end of 2016.

SIA currently employs more than 3,800 Hoosiers and produces approximately 300,000 cars each year. The facility has built more than 4 million vehicles, including more than 2 million Subarus, since the start of production in 1989. The company’s expansion is also expected to spur growth of its direct material suppliers as well, including 28 located across Indiana.

“This news marks yet another significant investment in our growing community,” said Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski. “It’s a testament to our skilled workforce, positive business environment, quality of life and the company’s confidence in continued success here.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Subaru of Indiana Automotive up to $7,650,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $250,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Lafayette and Tippecanoe County will consider additional incentives at the request of the Greater Lafayette Commerce.

“From the plans to build that were announced almost three decades ago to today’s word that new jobs and expanded production are ahead, Tippecanoe County has eagerly welcomed every step,” said Tippecanoe County Commissioner Tom Murtaugh. “We are grateful to be called home by this leading automaker.”

Indiana’s economic ties with Japan continue to grow. Among all U.S. states, Indiana has the largest amount of Japanese investment per capita and is home to more than 250 Japanese business facilities that employ more than 52,000 associates. Indiana is the only U.S. state that is home to three Japanese original equipment manufacturer (OEM) automotive companies, including Subaru. A full fact sheet on the economic ties between Indiana and Japan is available here.

    September 21, 2015 Upcoming Vanderburgh County Career Fair This past legislative session, I supported an honestly balanced budget which allocated additional funding to Indiana’s Department of Child Services (DCS). This funding was provided to allow DCS to increase their staff and better serve Hoosier families and children. The state is looking to hire additional Family Case Managers across Indiana to serve our communities. To meet these needs, the DCS Vanderburgh County office is hosting a career fair to recruit quality applicants. When: Thursday, September 24, 2015 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Where: DCS Vanderburgh County office 100 E. Sycamore St. Evansville, IN 47713 To participate in the event, candidates must pre-register by Wednesday, September 23, by emailing dcshr@dcs.in.gov. Attention: Recruiter. Those who are interested in this opportunity can click here and view all openings available within DCS as well as other positions throughout the state. For more information about DCS as well as our local office, click here. I encourage you to pass this information along to anyone that has a passion for protecting our children from abuse and is looking for a rewarding career opportunity. Sincerely,

Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.com

The father of a moped driver killed in a collision with a car may not recover on a claim of negligent infliction of emotional distress, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Monday, declining to extend the bystander rule in such cases.

The unanimous decision in Ray Clifton v. Ruby McCammack, 49S02-1504-CT-228, reinstates summary judgment the trial court granted in favor of motorist Ruby McCammack in the death of senior citizen Ray Clifton’s son, Darryl, who provided for his father’s care. Ray Clifton saw a TV news report about a moped crash near his home and he feared it might involve his son. He raced to the scene and his fear was confirmed.

Justices reinstated judgment for the motorist after the Court of Appeals reversed the trial court and ordered judgment in favor of Clifton.

“The undisputed facts demonstrate that Clifton did not meet the circumstantial factors under the bystander test — both the scene and victim were significantly changed before he arrived at the accident, and he had also been informed of the incident indirectly before coming upon it,” Chief Justice Loretta Rush wrote for the court. “Accordingly, as a matter of law, Clifton is unable to recover emotional distress damages, and McCammack is entitled to summary judgment.”

Those circumstantial factors were enshrined as a matter of law in Smith v. Toney, 862 N.E.2d 656 (Ind. 2007). The court chose not to extend the bystander rule to situations such as those in this case while noting there undoubtedly was shock and grief in Clifton’s case.

“(W)e must stress that major public policy concerns dictate that we draw bright lines, especially in terms of this particular tort,” Rush wrote. “To allow a claimant to recover under a bystander theory when his or her emotional distress begins as a result of seeing a news story or the like would result in virtually limitless litigation. Our quickly evolving state of social media and instantaneous news coverage further underscores the importance of setting parameters for this tort.

“We are at a point in time when people are often subjected to seeing live, streaming footage — on high-definition televisions, smart phones, or other devices — of emergencies possibly involving their immediate beloved relatives. There must be a point at which a defendant’s exposure to liability for negligent infliction of emotional distress ends — not to diminish real anguish, but simply because pragmatism demands that the line be drawn somewhere. And our precedent has drawn that line by setting out straightforward limits for recovery under this tort.”