TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — John Young, CEO of
AIS Gauging
, not only has a vision for his own company’s expansion, he has a vision of bringing an entire tech corridor to the Vigo County Industrial Park.
When his company moves from its current location on North 13th Street to an old
Pfizer lab
, it will be the first business along the new East Innovation Drive.
The street is an old access road that used to lead from the Pfizer building to Carlisle. When talking about re-opening the road, Young said the original idea was to call it Gauge Street after his own company. After looking at the bigger picture, he said it was important to convey the message of bringing innovation to the area.
Young called the area an “ideal location for a tech company.”
“That part of the industrial park has a lot of vacant land,” he said. “But it’s really nice land.”
Young wants to see all of the buildings in that area house tech start-ups.
“Tech growth comes not from companies that have 200-300 people,” he said. “But from small companies.”
Young understands small start-ups. He began his company nearly 22 years ago in his home. He said it has only been through his faithfulness to God that he has been able to continue to grow.
AIS Gauging uses technology to measure density of products as they are being manufactured. This technology allows companies to produce better quality products while reducing scrap.
The company is locally-sourced as much as possible, using Terre Haute machine shops and local suppliers, which Young said is beneficial to the community and allows AIS to streamline its process.
AIS currently employees eight people; however, the expansion will bring 20 or more jobs to the area. Many of the positions will be tailored to those with degrees in areas such as mechanical engineering and software engineering–degrees available in Terre Haute, Young noted.
Young said the colleges in the area, including Rose-Hulman, attract students from all over the world looking to receive “cutting-edge education.”
“But then what?” he asked. “They leave.”
Young wants to change that through his company’s expansion.
To help fulfill Young’s vision, AIS requested a 10-year property tax abatement from the county. The first of two required votes passed the County Council Tuesday night.
“It’s quite an interesting thing,” County Council president Mike Morris said of AIS. “It’s high tech. It’s a niche, but it’s being filled by Mr. Young here locally.”
Morris explained the abatement would be graduated, with the county receiving a little more tax revenue each year. The Pfizer lab building has been vacant for several years, he noted, and it has not been on the county’s tax roll for some time.
A final vote will be held during the February County Council meeting. At that time, Morris said there will be an opportunity for public comment.
