Chrysler Group's recent announcement to invest $266 million in new manufacturing operations in Kokomo will "absolutely" have a beneficial impact on Miami County, one official said.
Miami County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Jim Tidd said every day the county has more than 3,000 people "driving outside the county for work, particularly into Howard County.
"I imagine there will be more opportunities for people in Miami County to get jobs in that industry," he said. "Chrysler is advanced manufacturing, which is definitely an industry that we're trying to further develop. People make a good living - a great living - with Chrysler. This will help improve the overall quality of life for people here throughout the region, including Miami County."
He said that, combined with a likely increase in disposable income to support Miami County businesses, means "everybody wins in this situation."
Chrysler, according to a press release, announced its investment Monday, which "will enable the company to expand production of its 8-speed transmissions at two of its four Kokomo plants."
Tidd said he couldn't "think of a disadvantage or a negative" for Miami County in regards to the investment.
"When any one of our industries expands, whether it's in Miami County, Howard County, Cass County, or wherever, we all benefit because it's additional opportunities for our residents and residents throughout the region to be employed."
Tidd previously said, while discussing unemployment in Miami County, that when he advertises the area for businesses to consider developing in, he doesn't just limit it to Miami County.
"I just don't use Miami County's number when we're trying to talk to businesses looking to locate here. It's not factual," he said. "We import and export labor across the region. It's more important for us to work as a region, as our labor force is regional. As a region, we can say we have accessibility to so many workers."
The release stated consumer demand "led to the need to increase manufacturing capacity" in Kokomo and that more than one million Kokomo-built vehicles with the 8-speed automatic transmission had been sold.
The release also stated Chrysler has invested more than $1.5 billion at its Kokomo transmission plants since 2009 and was now "the world's largest producer of transmissions," employing more than 7,600 at its facilities in Kokomo.