BraunAbility executives Greg Kiser and Tom Eastman announced Jan. 14 a 15-year contract that will keep its manufacturing plant in Winamac. They spoke at the lunch meeting of the Winamac Kiwanis Club.

BraunAbility, which will celebrate its 50^th anniversary in 2022, has admittedly undergone some changes in recent years, particularly following the death of its founder Ralph Braun in 2013. Change naturally results in some uneasiness.

But Tom Eastman, president of BraunAbility’s North America manufacturing, and Greg Kiser, vice president of consumer sales assured the Kiwanis audience the company remains committed to Ralph Braun’s dedication to his Winamac hometown.

In fact, Eastman and Kiser announced that the company has just negotiated a 15-year contract with the Braun Family for the use of the Winamac plant. The deal also includes three 15-year renewal options.

Eastman, who has worked a Braun’s for 15 years – most of that time as chief financial officer, noted the company was beginning to transition in Ralph’s last years. As largely a family-owned company, Braun would need additional capital to enable it to grow.

In September 2015, it was announced that Investor AB, a Swedish firm, had negotiated terms to acquire BraunAbility. The Braun purchase was the 100-year-old investment company’s first North American purchase.

“For me, it’s carrying on Ralph’s mission,” Eastman said. “There’s a lot of opportunity for this company to grow.”

Kiser, a Star City native, admitted he was a little skeptical at first, but soon grew to understand that Investor AB’s policy is to “buy to grow, not to spin off” companies.

Eastman reported that BraunAbility has a high market share in the North American mobility industry. “2019 was our best year yet,” he said. “How Winamac goes, so goes the business.”

Last year, BraunAbility built a new corporate headquarters in Carmel. The company also has plans to expand its operation with an investment in its facilities in Winamac. The office in Carmel will focus on the company’s broader business enterprise and global support. This includes a focus on innovation and new product development, supporting the company’s dealer distribution channel and developing businesses in Europe.

This move also caused some local nervousness. There have been a lot of questions about what is going on at BraunAbility and what the future looks like for Winamac and those that work at the Winamac facility.

“There have been rumors,” Kiser said, about the company leaving Winamac. “I understand. The public is concerned for a reason” BraunAbility is Pulaski County’s largest employer. The company has 800 employees at its Winamac facility, and about 1,600 globally.

Interestingly, only about 45 percent of Winamac’s BraunAbility employees reside in Pulaski County. The need for an available skilled workforce (preferably residing in the county) continues to be an issue for Braun and other local employers and a continuing challenge to be addressed by county government, educators and business leaders.

It was pointed out, at the time of the announcement to move company headquarters, that of the jobs transitioning to the Indianapolis area office, the majority were held by those already commuting to Winamac from outside the county, as far away as Indianapolis. Also, the planned growth will provide a need for more jobs locally to support Winamac operations.

But in the meantime, Kizer and Eastman emphasize BraunAbility’s commitment to Winamac. “We’re here to stay. We aspire to become a $1.2 billion company within the next three to five years.”

- By Karen Clem Fritz, PulaskiPost editor