JASPER — Local manufacturers now have a place to demo the latest manufacturing technology.

Machine Solutions opened a technical center at 1110 Vine St., Jasper. The company serves manufacturers in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio, offering factory production technology, service and support.

Though always headquartered in Jasper, Machine Solutions operated a tech center in Peru, Indiana, and Owner and President Rick Braun, a Tell City native, wanted to move the tech center into the area. Braun closed his Peru tech center and opened the Jasper location last week.

“Dubois County has one of the highest concentrations of wood-based manufacturing companies in the country,” Braun said. “It would make sense to provide this Industry 4.0 Level facility right in the middle of all of this because we want to be able to support area companies locally.”

Industry 4.0 technology uses machines connected by the internet to automate production lines. Industry 4.0 machines can communicate with each other and act independently on the production floor while being controlled from a remote location. Braun plans to let representatives from local companies come to the Vine Street location and demo the equipment.

“We’re going to use it as an education tool for decision-makers,” he said.

Machine Solution’s products could also help fill the labor gap in Dubois County through automation, a service

Braun said local companies have asked of him.

Braun founded Machine Solutions in 2010 after working in the manufacturing industry for years. The company currently employs eight people throughout its four-state service area, but Braun is in the process of hiring more people. The company is growing, he said, which is part of what sparked the move to Jasper.

Machine Solutions’ arrival is the latest of several projects happening in the Vine Street area that are revitalizing abandoned factory buildings.

Cincinnati-based Miller Valentine repurposed the old Jofco building into Jasper Lofts, a workforce housing apartment complex, and is in the process of turning the old Jasper Wood Products building into a senior housing facility called Vine Street Lofts. Todd Fromme, owner of 1280 Vine St., has created The Vine, a building that houses local businesses. Jasper-based engineering and land surveying firm Cash Waggner and Associates purchased and moved into the property at 402 E. 13th St. in 2014.

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