For thousands in northeast Indiana area, jobs no longer taken for granted

MARTY SCHLADEN, The Journal Gazette

mschladen@jg.net

Joe Wyss never considered working outside Adams County - until recently.

Wyss, 47, grew up on a farm there and planned to become a farmer himself. But as the financial barriers to starting a farm mounted, he turned as a young man to factory work.

Last May, however, he lost his job making truck trailers for Strick Corp. in Monroeville. Then in December, Wyss' wife, Lucinda, was laid off from her job making RVs in Decatur.

The Wysses - along with thousands of families in northeast Indiana - have been swallowed by a global recession that has ravaged the regional manufacturing base. Now, with two kids to support, they're wondering what their next move is.