Smoker Craft unveils new 200,000-square-foot facility

Oct. 4—NEW PARIS — Smoker Craft hosted a grand opening for its new 200,000-square-foot boat-production and warehouse facility on Monday.

Smoker Craft President and CEO Doug Smoker delivered remarks about the completion of the new building. It was also announced that Smoker was inducted into the Boating Hall of Fame.

"I just want to call out a couple people," Smoker said. "First of all, I would like to recognize R. Yoder Construction. Those guys did a fantastic job and we met with them every Monday, they were here religiously and we're very thankful for them. We're very thankful they were part of our organization to build this building. Next I would like to thank a couple people from New Paris here at Smoker Craft Josh Drudge, vice president of Operations, Todd Taylor, manager of Continuous Improvement, and Ron Powell, Continuous Improvement engineer, those guys worked a tremendous number of hours and worked very hard to put this thing together. We all suffered, but those guys breathed it all night and all day.

"As we look at this lovely 200,000-square-foot building that is opening up many avenues for Smoker Craft and giving us the opportunity to expand our production, you know I got to believe that our ancestors, Pete's grandfather and Phil's grandfather, and all my ancestors would be totally amazed to see something this nice, and done this way."

Smoker also shared memories about late Rep. Jackie Walorski.

"It was almost two months to the day, when we were originally scheduled to have this gathering together and we took a company picture, but unfortunately we didn't dedicate the building because of the loss of Jackie Walorski," Smoker said. "Whenever I think of this building for now on, Jackie will come to my mind. Jackie was a champion for the boat business in Washington, we grew to know her over the years and she was a wonderful person. She was someone who [lit] up a room and was just amazing to help us through the years.

"She died on Aug. 3; we rescheduled to have this dedication on Aug. 5. I know Pete and I and Phil and everyone else here thought about it a lot," he said. "We just couldn't do it without Jackie being here."

Smoker said the delay did allow other dignitaries to participate. But when I think of Jackie," Smoker said, "I think of her funeral. It was in my church. So I was very pleased to be able to go to that and to hear the congressmen and congresswomen, and the governor of Indiana share their stories about their faith and Jackie — [it] was an amazing time. It's not the kind of publicity you get out of Washington everyday, but it gave me some real hope for things to come because of the way that was handled."

One of those visiting dignitaries was U.S. Sen. Todd Young, who was introduced by Smoker Craft Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Marketing Peter Barrett.

Young pointed out that this is the most manufacturing intensive area of the most manufacturing state in the country.

"Hoosiers make things," he said. "Hoosiers are going to continue to make great things and they will make them in this brand new building here."

The senator for Indiana did comment on the workers' shortage.

"Fortunately, production schedules have been red hot, but unfortunately there hasn't been enough workers to fill up all the factories where they're needed," Young added. "There a lot of reason for that, but certainly there is public policy role for us to ensure that people have the workforce skills so they can continue to have these jobs where they make things and operate sophisticated equipment."

Investments like what Smoker Craft is making a statement to the community and potential workers that the company takes pride in its workforce, he said.

Young also talked about future manufacturing for the state. A point of emphasis during his first term in the Senate has been ensuring manufacturing jobs, including computer chip production.

"The Chinese Communist Party and other regimes around the world are investing heavily in incising computer chip manufactures to their shores," Young said. "We need computer chips to build everything from boats, like they make here, to assemble automobiles, to ensuring a modern economy runs effectively."

Other speakers included Elkhart County Commissioner Suzie Weirick, and R. Yoder Construction General Manager and County Councilman Steven Clark.

A prayer was also held in honor of Walorski.

After the event, Smoker gave a tour of the new facility. During the tour a Smoker Craft employee demonstrated an automated nose cone-forming robot that is the first step in automation for the company.

Joseph Weiser is a photojournalist for The Goshen News. Contact him at joseph.weiser@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2349 or (cell) 574-202-8479.