Jackson County Industrial Development Corp. annual Reports, Reviews, and Rewards luncheon — held Monday — included a ceremony recognizing a local leader for his help in the community during the depths of the pandemic.

During the event at the Jackson Live and Event Center in Seymour, Dr. Eric Fish, president and chief executive officer of Schneck Medical Center, was honored for giving county industries critical information concerning COVID-19, JCIDC Executive Director Jim Plump said before giving him an award.

Plump said in March 2020, Fish was just settling into his new position as CEO.

“He reached out to us and said, ‘If there’s anything we can do, let us know. We want to help,’” Plump said.

The JCIDC board of directors held weekly virtual meetings, and Fish was a weekly participant.

“Because of that leadership, JCIDC would like to bring Eric Fish to the stage to present him with a gift today in appreciation for what he did not only for our industrial family but for all of Jackson County and southern Indiana,” Plump said.

In his acceptance speech, Fish thanked the JCIDC board.

“I’m just glad, as a mission of the hospital is to improve the health of our communities, and our organization had an opportunity to do that, and I appreciate the recognition,” he said.

Gerry Dick was the guest speaker for the luncheon. He is a business reporter, president of Inside INdiana Business, division of IBJ Media and host of the Emmy award-winning program “Inside INdiana Business.”

JCIDC board President Kevin Gabbard introduced Dick and reflected on the past year.

“A wise old friend of mine once told me that the best thing about Jackson County is that when we have challenges and troubles we have to deal with, we come together as a community,” he said. “We work together, we do it strategically and we work systematically.”

Gabbard said the luncheon was held to celebrate positive happenings in the county, like how the 2020 Census numbers revealed that Jackson County is the fastest growing rural county in Indiana.

He also said more than $100 million in capital projects have been invested by stakeholders in Jackson County for next year.

Dick’s speech largely went over business happenings in Indiana and how the state is recovering from the pandemic.

“I think Indiana by and large is doing a decent job,” he said. “I think there are folks that are seeing Indiana as being pretty resilient in recovering from the economy, still a lot of challenges no question about it. Manufacturers are coming back and the restaurants and hospitality industry continues to get hit hard and face challenges.”

Looking forward, Dick said the Indiana University Kelley School of Business expects a 2% growth in jobs in the state next year.

“We’re slowly but surely getting back to normal,” he said. “People are doing more in-person events like this one, and I think that’s positive.”

Dick said he felt Jackson County is successful with its industrial development.

“If you look at Jackson County in particular, a couple of things stand out,” he said. “One, there has been some big projects that have been announced. Aisin has announced not just one but two big multi-million-dollar expansion projects, keeping jobs and bringing more jobs to the region. Cummins had a major announcement about the Seymour facility a year ago.”

In August 2016, Aisin USA Mfg. Inc. chose Seymour for a $100 million investment to expand its manufacturing facilities and create 100 new jobs.

Aisin Drivetrain Inc. received a 10-year tax abatement from the Crothersville Town Council in September 2021 for a $54.5 million investment for new manufacturing equipment, logistics equipment and information technology equipment. That investment is expected to add 75 to 85 new employees.

Cummins Inc. announced in October 2020 that more than $25 million would be invested in its Seymour Engine Plant that would improve plant infrastructure, add new manufacturing capabilities and create and retain more than 150 jobs.

Population growth is another large factor tht has contributed to Jackson County’s industrial development, he said.

“What I think is as big as any development here is the news from the Census that showed that the population in Jackson County in increasing. In fact, it’s increasing at a rate that’s about twice the state average,” Dick said. “One of the biggest challenges or opportunities facing the state is talent. How do we keep people in Indiana and get more people to come to Indiana to get these jobs, so the fact that the population is growing in Jackson County is a real positive.”