Biopharma firm west of Bloomington gets $10.4M tax break, to make $225M investment, add 130 new jobs

A tax abatement worth a total of around $10.4 million, which was granted by Monroe County’s council on Tuesday night, has cleared the way for Simtra BioPharma Solutions (formerly Baxter Pharmaceutical) to build a 140,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at its Curry Pike facility just outside Bloomington’s western city limits.

According to Simtra, the investment means a $145 million investment in capital equipment, and another $80,000 in real property investment. The company says that the expansion will create 130 new jobs with an average salary plus benefits worth $73,379 a year.

Simtra’s paperwork indicates 1,039 current employees, so adding 130 would bring the total to around 1,169.

The company expects to have completed the project in about two and a half years, by September 2026. Continue reading “Biopharma firm west of Bloomington gets $10.4M tax break, to make $225M investment, add 130 new jobs”

Elections 2024: Thomas, Iversen square off for builders in Dems primary for county commissioner

Appearing on Thursday in front of around 130 people at the monthly meeting of the Building Association of South Central Indiana (BASCI) at the Bloomington Country Club were Julie Thomas and Peter Iversen.

The two are candidates in the Democratic Party’s primary race for Monroe County commissioner District 2. Thomas is the incumbent, who has served in the role since 2013. Iversen is currently in the middle of a four-year term serving on the county council.

To run for the seat, Thomas and Iversen are required to live in District 2, which coincides with Bloomington Township. That is the northern half of the city of Bloomington.

But the vote for county commissioner seats is countywide. That means any eligible voter who participates in the Democratic Party’s primary will have a choice between Thomas and Iversen.

Asking the questions on Thursday was John Fernandez, who is a former mayor of Bloomington. They covered topics like economic development, housing, and land use. Continue reading “Elections 2024: Thomas, Iversen square off for builders in Dems primary for county commissioner”