Kernan announces grants for 2 local companies

Two Bloomington companies will receive state-funded grants to aid in the training of new and existing employees from the Indiana Department of Commerce's Skills Enhancement Fund, Gov. Joe Kernan announced last week.\nSEF is one of the many programs utilized by the state of Indiana to aid the Hoosier workforce. Companies are eligible for grants only after they have made a capital investment, such as purchasing new equipment or upgrading facilities, and money is reimbursed by the state on a 50 percent basis, said Angie Dye, director of public affairs for the Indiana Department of Commerce.\n"Investing in our workers is pivotal to our state's future success," Kernan said in a statement. "And these companies are not only making a commitment to the men and women they employ, they are keeping their companies and the state competitive by updating their facilities with new equipment."\nWhitestone Acquisition Corp., a Bloomington-based company which manufactures and develops adult incontinence products, will be given $27,000 to support its recent investment in $320,000 of new equipment. The grant will go to the training of 83 Whitestone employees.\nJoyce Wick, vice president of administration for Whitestone Acquisition Corp., said the reimbursement will be dispersed over the next two years and the company will have to spend $54,000 in order to be reimbursed with the $27,000 grant.\n"This is all tied into a capital investment that you have to make," said Wick. "You have to put money back into your business to even apply for this grant."\nWhitestone will be using the funds to train employees in "analytic troubleshooting and process controls," said Wick.\nWick said the training money will be beneficial for the company as well as its employees.\n"Besides the fact that it's going to enhance our associate's skills in that area, the training will also aid our employees in receiving pay increases. As our employees gain more knowledge in that area, we'll become more efficient in producing our products," said Wick.\nHeitink Veneers, Inc., another Bloomington-based company, which manufactures veneer faces for kitchen cabinets as well as plywood, will receive $3,490 to support a recent $1.2 million capital investment providing new equipment and facility upgrades for the 20-year-old company.\nDye says new equipment and facility upgrades are the main reasons Indiana companies are receiving grants like these.\n"A lot of times companies need training because they are investing in new equipment," said Dye. "(SEF) is a better way for us to meet their needs as far as the skills employees have."\nJan Berend Heitink, vice president and owner of Heitink Veneers, Inc., said the grant will help the company expand through training.\n"We're trying to reinvest in not just machines but also our human resources. This grant will help us finance and be able to provide additional and extensive training for these employees," Heitink said. "We take our human resources very seriously. We can strengthen through training and better education to make us more resilient to our competition and market volatility."\nThe main objectives of programs like SEF and the recently introduced Indiana@Work initiative are to keep Hoosiers well trained and keep the state's workforce competitive, said Dye.\n"The state is continuing to make an investment in updating the skills of our workforce. We are making a commitment to have workers have the most up-to-date skills," said Dye. \nDye also said programs like these will help Indiana's overall economy and might provide jobs for more Hoosiers.\n"We want to make sure Indiana continues to be competitive by having a skilled workforce. Having a skilled workforce makes the state more attractive to companies that are considering expanding or relocating."\n-- Contact business editor Karen Green at kamgreen@indiana.edu.