Slate celebrates arrival, spotlights factory tranformation with tours

This post was provided by News Now Warsaw

By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — The first concrete signs of the massive reindustrialization of Kosciusko County’s biggest blighted property were on full display Thursday at Slate Auto’s future electric vehicle plant.

Months after the electric vehicle start-up announced plans to enter the US auto market, the company opened its doors to showcase the frist signs of progress to parts of the 1.4 million square foot property.

Dozens of guests were given extensive tours of some of the multiple buildings along Old Road 30 that arre being transformed from a regional catago printing center into a state-of-the-art electric pickup truck plant. 

The company is currently working to retrofit many of the buildings — an extensive effort that will see many interior walls removed and floor resurfaced.

The tours offered a glimpse into the future but also served as another example of how the company continues to embrace the community.

One of the tour guides who worked for decades for RR Donnelley and Sons (and then LSC Communications after it was sold), said he thought he was headed toward retirement just a few months ago.

That didn’t last long.

“My name is Tom Stoneburner, I’m the senior electrical engineer with Slate. I started here in April of this year. I’ve been with RR Donnelley and LSC Communitycation for the last 43 years or so … I’ve lost count.  

Meanwhile, company officials and community leaders celebrated for the first time the company’s plans to open the plant, which was announced in April.

The company plans to hire upward of 2,000 for the Warsaw facility and has already begun hiring some.

A chance to learn more about hiring opportunities happens Friday night when the company hosts a block party in downtown Warsaw from 5 to 7 p.m.

Guest speakers at Thursday’s event included Congressman Rudy Yakym and Warsaw Mayor Jeff Gros, whose father, Frank Grose, was a longtime employee at Donnelley’s.

Yakym talked about the dramatic financial impact of the new auto maker in Kosciusko County.

“Today, as we’re celebrating a new chapter in American manufacturing, Slate Auto is investing $383.5 million right here in Indiana. They’ll be creating more than 2,100 new jobs and sparking new opportunities for Hoosier families, Yakym said.

Grose talked about the property’s legacy

Whether you realize it or not, the rain this morning is part of this very electrifying event,” Grose said.

“Whether we like it or not, it’s washing away an absolutely incredible history and impact this plant has had on this community,” he said.

Grose credits his father’s decision to move from a career in law enforcement to the printing plant for helping set the stage for his own future success.

In an emotional moment, the company said it will honor the late Kosciusko County Councilman Mike Long for his role in helping bring Slate to the county by establishing a memorial bench on the property.

Long was a key negotiator for the county in the early stages as local leaders worked to lure the company to Warsaw.

Long was ecstatic about progress being made with the company but died unexpectedly in an accident on his farm in February, midway through ongoing talks.

On Thursday, members of Long’s family were recognized at the event.

Hanna Troy, one of Long’s daughters, said they never expected such a gesture.

“What they did, I think, was above and beyond what I would expect them to do for any person,” Troy said. “That just showed me the impact my dad had on the company, on the  community, on the county 

She said her father was excited about the opportunities being mapped out, but that he never shared details with family because negotiations were still a secret.

Long had told some people that he wanted to be the first person to buy one of the pickups.

“We knew something was happening, but we didn’t know what it was. So finding out what it was surprised me, honestly, being a diesel-loving farmer, that he was so interested in electric trucks.”

 

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