The Northeast REMC will receive a $320,000 loan that will assist a Whitley County company as it invests $13 million and brings 106 new jobs to a vacant manufacturing building near Columbia City.
The Department of Agriculture announced the award Tuesday. Impact CNC plans to occupy a 30,000-square-foot building, 1380 S. Williams Drive, which the company will buy from Northeast REMC, a consumer-owned corporation that supplies electric power to six counties in northeast Indiana.
Impact CNC announced its plans last month. The business, which will manufacture parts mostly for the automotive, construction and agriculture industries, expects to be operational by March.
Cruise bookings fall after capsizing
The frightful images of a sinking Italian cruise ship have scared off some cruise passengers, at least temporarily, during the industry’s peak booking season.
Travel agents – who book more than two-thirds of cruise passengers worldwide – have been nervously watching bookings ever since the Costa Concordia, which is owned by Carnival Corp., ran aground Jan. 13.
And on Monday, they learned they had reason to be nervous: Bookings fell significantly for Miami-based Carnival Corp. after the capsizing. Attention is now focused on Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which reports Thursday on its earnings.
Noble County plans wages, benefits survey
The Noble County Economic Development Corp. on Tuesday launched its first wages and benefits survey of Noble County employers. Officials plan to make it an annual event.
Various employers contacted the economic development office to say they are asked to participate in several similar surveys each year for specific industries. They asked Rick Sherck, executive director of the Noble County EDC, to facilitate one countywide survey to save time.
Sherck said having access to wage and benefits data will also help his office woo new employers to the area.
“The survey will collect starting, average and maximum wage rates for more than 100 positions, from CEO to janitorial position,” he said in a written statement. The survey will also track health care costs, vacations, holidays, training, retirement and other perks.
Apple appoints exec over retail operations
In its quest to spread its stores around the world, Apple is reaching over the Atlantic to snatch the CEO of a British electronics chain to lead its retail operations.
Apple Inc. said Tuesday that Dixons Retail PLC’s John Browett will become its top retail executive April 20. He will report directly to CEO Tim Cook.
Browett, 48, fills a job that opened when Ron Johnson left to become CEO of J.C. Penney Co. in November. Johnson pioneered Apple’s successful retail stores.
Amazon’s net income shows sharp decline
Amazon’s fourth-quarter net income dropped sharply, weighed down by higher operating expenses even as the company’s revenue grew. Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. said Tuesday that its net income was $177 million, or 38 cents a share, in the three months that ended Dec. 31. That’s down 57 percent from $416 million, or 91 cents a share, a year earlier.
Revenue grew 35 percent to $17.4 billion.
