ODON— The WestGate@Crane Technology Park is becoming an increasingly busy place. That was part of the message from Daviess County Techpark Representative Kent Parisien to the Daviess County Commissioners.
Parisien says that even though a big microelectronics building failed to launch because of the federal government not releasing money from the CHIPS act, the microelectronics sector is still finding a home at Westgate.
“Three of the four companies that were supposed to go into the microelectronics building now are operating in the tech park. NHanced is there. They bought the Bush building and improved it. TSS or Trusted Semiconductor Solutions is there. Reliable MicroSystems (RMS) is there,” said Parisien. “Everspin is the only company that had been part of the original project that has not moved in.”
Those companies have taken smaller but significant approaches in building a presence at Crane.
“NHanced spent $20 million on the Bush building. They will finish the work in the second quarter of 2025. They will add 50 new jobs by 2030,” said Parisien. “RMS has located in the Westgate number two building. They will expand into the former SAIC building. TSS has co-working space at the academy and they will be expanding into the old SAIC building as well. There has been a $6 million improvement to the SAIC building. It is now called the Engineering Collaboration Center (EC2), there will be 100 new jobs there.”
Parisien points out that two other high-profile developments should break ground in the Daviess County portion of the tech park this year.
“Amentum will be a radiation hardening facility, south of SR 558. It will be a $118 million investment. It will open in 2026 with 20 high wage jobs,” he said. “Kratos, hypersonics, will be an $80 million building that will finish in 2026 with 150 high-wage jobs.”
“We should have some buildings coming out of the ground this year and that is what we want to see, the actual brick and mortar. Of course, we also want the jobs,” said President of the Daviess County Commissioners Nathan Gabhart. “There are a lot of variations and avenues these companies can take. They are working on secondary options. Being near the Navy base is the sweet spot for them.”
Parisien says that the board is working on an almost $17 million update of infrastructure to serve the companies at the tech park.
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