A Minnesota-based miner's $350-million investment in a new taconite pellet plant in Reynolds, Ind., is giving a much-needed boost to central Indiana's economy after a painful downturn that sent skilled tradespeople bolting across the state line, employers say. The project also forecasts further labor crunches in the region as employers continue to seek skilled labor amid upticks in activity.
"This particular project has opened up a lot of jobs in the construction field," says Scott Potter, project manager for Logansport, Ind.-based Dilling Group Inc., a mechanical contractor helping to build out the pellet plant. So far, it has been busy building a 100-ft-tall ball mill, two 70-ft-dia thickener tanks and a filtration building on the nearly 400-acre site.