Economic development work nets two for Indiana county

One company makes plastic recycling equipment. The other makes plastic and rubber sealant parts. Both are headed to Indiana from Italy.

A recent economic development trip to Northern Italy has netted Delaware County a memorandum of understanding for Gamma Meccanica S.p.A., a maker of plastic recycling equipment, to locate the company's first facility in North America.

Gamma Meccanica at the K Show in Duesseldorf, Germany, in October 2022 indicated a desire to create a showroom for the company's equipment in the United States to support sales and service efforts.

Having a permanent office in the United States, Bibbiano, Italy-based Gamma Meccanica previously said, will include laboratory facilities as well as installed lines to test and run recycled resin samples.

Now just a little over a year after that show, the company looks to put down roots in Indiana thanks to efforts by Delaware County Economic Development.

"We were fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Delaware County earlier this year. The work and support that County Economic Development Director Brad Bookout put into helping us made the difference in our decision. We are delighted to now set our roots to be a part of the Muncie-Delaware County Community and we look forward to working with more residents and local companies as we advance our plans," CEO Andrea Burini said in a statement.

Another company from Italy, Vi-Technik srl, also has signed a memorandum of understanding to locate in Delaware County. The company will start in a 15,000-square-foot location in the Muncie Industrial Center with more than $1.8 million of equipment. The company ultimately expects to hire up to 40 workers.

Vi-Technik, based in of San Vito al Tagliamento, is supplier of plastic and rubber parts to automobile manufacturers and their Tier 1 supplies as well as other Fortune 100 companies, the county said.

Vi-Technik expects to begin putting equipment in place in the spring and hopes to begin production in the summer. The company indicated it looked at many locations in the Midwest before deciding on Delaware County.