Main Street businesses react to new business venture in Bourbon
Business leaders in Bourbon are sounding off after Indiana Components made an announcement to create 200 jobs in Marshall County. Indiana Components a fiberglass manufacturer will open at the former Reynold's Building on Center Street.
The building hasn’t seen updates lately. Kim Bates, lifelong resident and the only bank manager in bourbon, can attest.
“It's been a while, but it’s big news for us here in bourbon," says Bates.
On Tuesday local and state officials announced that Indiana Composites will slowly begin manufacturing next week.
“We are in a great location and we are going to have great people," says Mike Peters, CEO of Indiana Composites.
Peters says he will bring 200 new employees to work just half a mile from Main Street.
“It's a small town and I know how Bourbon is. Business has been off and on," says Jetta Bradley a waitress Brito's restaurant.
From the empty tables you can see Bradley’s business description is accurate.
Brito’s is a new restaurant in Bourbon and around noon there weren’t many diners.
But shortly after some of the new employees from Indiana Composites started showing up.
"I'm excited because we have been trying to establish the business more and do more things to bring in more customer,” says Bradley.
Across the street at the only bank in town Bates is also excited to see the new faces.
"We are hoping that the workers who relocated to Bourbon will bank with us and they will of course need a home mortgage," says Bates.
Les McFarland who is president of the Bourbon Council wants Bates to get those mortgages ready.
He says talk of developing housing on newly annexed land is already in the works.
"A workforce of 200 employees means that we are growing we are expanding," says McFarland.