Kris Kirschner/Eyewitness News
Fayette County - It's the news hundreds of unemployed workers have been waiting for: A company that makes high-tech police cars is coming to Indiana.
Carbon Motors is moving its headquarters to Fayette County, bringing more than a thousand jobs with it. Carbon Motors is taking over the old Visteon plant in Connersville, where a huge celebration took place Wednesday.
What started as a rally for jobs became a reality for the city of Connersville.
"Somebody interested in creating some new American jobs?" asked William Santana Li, chairman and CEO of Carbon Motors. "I'm here to officially announce the state of Indiana Fayette County and the city of Connersville are the new home of Carbon Motors Corp."
The crowd cheered at the announcement. It was a day of celebration Wednesday as thousands of hopeful residents filled the former Visteon plant to learn they and that facility would be productive once again.
"I'm gonna try to get a job," said Chris Powell, resident.
The announcement that a new brand of police car would be manufactured here and a new company, Carbon Motors, would be headquartered here brings with it the promise of more than 1,500 new jobs locally.
"It's a huge impact for Connersville. We need jobs. It's gonna be great," said Chad Frank, resident.
"Today is as happy a day can get from my perspective," said Gov. Mitch Daniels.
"We need jobs here. When you can pay the house payment, buy a car and live the American way, that's what it's all about," said Connersville Mayor Leonard Urban.
Carbon Motors executives were introduced like the varsity team before a pep rally. But it is they themselves who are this eastern Indiana community's biggest fans.
"They have the passion. They have the tech skills," said Li.
The hope for a community once known as little Detroit is the police car of the future is also their future as the country's new automotive capital.
"The way things are going in Indiana and the way things are going in Michigan, they're going to call Detroit Little Connersville before we're done," said Gov. Daniels.
More about Carbon Motors
Carbon Motors will build the "E7," the first car to be built specifically for police work. The Carbon E7 incorporates bullet-proof door and dash panels, radiation and biological threat detectors, an automatic license plate recognition system, integrated emergency lights and a clean diesel engine. Carbon Motors estimates the E7's 3.0 liter clean diesel engine could reduce law enforcement fleet fuel costs by up to 40 percent.
Carbon Motors says it will invest $350 million to revamp its production headquarters at the 1.8 million square-foot-facility formerly occupied by Visteon.
However, not all agreements are finalized yet. Visteon's bankruptcy and environmental concerns at the vacant facility pose some wrinkles in the deal. Also, an agreement has yet to be finalized which would protect Hoosier taxpayers and give Carbon Motors the chance to compete for federal funding.
Carbon Motors has said it will apply for a federal loan through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. Final selection of a manufacturing site is a condition for Carbon Motors to make that loan application. Such an award could expedite the job creation in Fayette County. DOE's program provides loans to automobile and parts manufacturers for the cost of re-equipping, expanding or establishing U.S. manufacturing facilities to produce advanced technology vehicles or qualified components.
Once agreements are finalized, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation will announce the state's participation.
