The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership applauds the awarding of the sixth round of Manufacturing Readiness Grants to 13 businesses located in Elkhart, Marshall and St. Joseph counties. The Manufacturing Readiness Grants are awarded in partnership between the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Conexus Indiana, with the goal of supporting technology-focused capital investments in Indiana. Statewide, grants have awarded $17.4 million in funding to 212 businesses, of which $2.8 million across 36 businesses have come to the South Bend – Elkhart area since launch in 2020.

“Manufacturing is one of the core industries in the South Bend – Elkhart area and with funds received through the sixth round of Manufacturing Readiness Grants, we are further catalyzing our area with equipment investments to make advancing Industry 4.0 best practices,” said Bethany Hartley, CEO of the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership. “This round is bringing $1.2 million in investments to our region, which means 30% of the $4 million in grants from this round statewide are going towards building our strong foundations. . We look forward to seeing the impact these funds will have on the 13 companies – and our region – in the future.

South Bend – Elkhart area recipients include:

• Hoosier Tank and Manufacturing LLC (St. Joseph County; $40,000 grant) – Manufacturer of custom steel air tanks for the heavy-duty truck and trailer industries invests in a Markforged 3D printer to produce carbon fiber reinforced components and a 3D laser scanning system to analyze, measure and control the quality of its finished products.
• ITAMCO Co. (Marshall County; $191,240 award) – The company manufactures gears and precision machining for heavy industries and invests in automation and robotics to increase the pre- and post-heat treatment stages of its manufacturing process.
• Laidig Systems Inc. (St. Joseph County; $130,000 grant) – Manufacturer of bulk material storage and retrieval systems is investing in a new 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility, featuring automated cranes and a computer-controlled lathe at the cutting edge of technology.
• Mack Tools and Engineering (St. Joseph County; $85,000 grant) – The company is a precision machine shop that supplies machined parts and assemblies to the aerospace, medical and other industries. The grant focuses on software to improve the capabilities of its CNC machines as well as a cobot monitoring system to augment its manufacturing process.
• Marson International LLC (Elkhart County; $162,500 award) – This tube manufacturer is investing in robotics and automation for its polishing, bending and cutting processes.
• Michiana Global Mold LLC (St. Joseph County; $145,000 grant) – Precision mold builder for plastics and rubber injection molding invests in automated equipment to increase efficiency and enable unmanned production.
• Skinny Guy Campers LLC (Elkhart County; $37,875 grant) – The manufacturing startup builds self-contained motor homes and plans to invest in digitized measurements of truck beds with advanced precision to enable custom fitment of motor homes to more truck models.
• Steel Warehouse Company LLC (St. Joseph County; $50,000 grant) – This premier, family-owned steel processing and service center with distribution, shipping and processing capabilities for slit coil, sheet, plate and cold-rolled steel products, is investing in a heavy-duty robotic system to automate the production of its dock ramp leveling line products.
• Stoutco inc. (Elkhart County; $75,000 grant) – This steel fabricator manufactures hot and cold rolled steel as well as stainless steel, aluminum and aluminum and offers a range cutting capabilities. The company is investing in an automated fiber laser cutter to augment its current capabilities and secure new business.
• Talon LLC (Elkhart County; $100,000 grant) – Company manufactures fabricated metal products and invests in fiber laser cutters to improve workflow flexibility, eliminate the need for oxygen and cutting gas and reduce energy consumption.
• Vista Plastics LLC (Elkhart County; $60,000 grant) – Plastic extrusion manufacturer is investing in smart equipment to automate various stages of its extrusion production line to cut more precise lengths.
• Walerko Tooling and Engineering (Elkhart County; $55,000 grant) – This manufacturer of precision parts, tools, accessories and specialty machinery is investing in new technology and improved machinery to further automate its machining processes and increase its output.
• Wilco Distribution (St. Joseph County; $50,000 grant) – The company, which specializes in the manufacture of interior and exterior commercial and residential doors and hardware for the hospitality, multi-family construction and design and construction, invests in automated equipment for its pre-hung door manufacturing line.

For more information on Manufacturing Readiness Grants, click here.

About South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership
The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership is a collaboration between economic development partners from 47 smart connected communities in northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan. The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership focuses on a long-term, systemic approach to advancing the region’s economy by aligning the efforts of various stakeholders around five key areas: building a world-class workforce, recruit and retain great talent, attract and develop a new economy. business complementing our remarkably strong manufacturing industries, promoting inclusion and creating opportunities for minorities and helping entrepreneurs to thrive. The South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership seeks to unify and collaborate so that together, communities across the region work together to achieve what cannot be done individually. For more information on the regional partnership, visit SouthBendElkhart.org.