Are we positioned to supply into, or benefit from, Indiana's nuclear and utility-tower buildout in Sullivan and Montgomery counties?

Nucor's Crawfordsville expansion and the Sullivan County nuclear proposal both point to a multi-year run of utility capital spending that favors suppliers of steel, structural components, and grid hardware. Check whether your bid list includes either project's supply chain before the Q1 2027 groundbreaking.

With Nucor hiring at $87,500 average wages and Rolls-Royce and Kratos both expanding, where will we find skilled trades and engineers to compete for that talent?

Three separate Indiana employers are now recruiting welders, machinists, and engineers at wages well above most county medians, so plan your own retention and wage strategy now rather than after Nucor's mid-2027 hiring ramp starts pulling from the same labor pool.

How much should we commit to AI pilots or nuclear supply chain bets that depend on leadership and licensing paths that haven't been proven out?

Purdue's Google partnership lost its architect to Northwestern mid-contract, and the NWS Crane reactor still has to prove a commercial vendor can site and operate outside the NRC process. Treat both as developments worth watching, not commitments to build your own plans around yet.

Manufacturing News TEG Daily

October 20, 2026 · Sullivan · Montgomery · Marion · IM AEP

Sullivan County Nuclear Plant, Nucor's $105M Crawfordsville Expansion, and Indiana's Defense Boom: What Manufacturers Need to Track

Amazon and AEP's Sullivan County nuclear plant, Nucor's $105M Crawfordsville expansion, and Indiana's defense wins: what manufacturers need to track this week.

Daniel BurkePublished every day

Amazon, AEP, and X-energy have signed a joint development agreement to explore a 960-megawatt nuclear plant in Sullivan County, a feasibility-stage deal that still puts southwestern Indiana in the running for one of the largest advanced nuclear projects announced anywhere in the country. The same week, Nucor committed another $105 million to its Crawfordsville towers plant, Governor Braun kept adding to a growing list of Indiana defense sector wins, and Purdue's AI Summit registration deadline arrived with new questions about who is actually steering that partnership. Here's what each of those four developments means for your plant this week.

01Sullivan

Amazon, AEP, and X-energy Weigh 960 MW Nuclear Plant in Sullivan County

Amazon, American Electric Power subsidiary Indiana Michigan Power, and X-energy signed a joint development agreement to study a 960-megawatt nuclear plant at the former Breed Generating Station site in Sullivan County. The plan calls for 12 X-energy Xe-100 reactors at roughly 80 megawatts each, with AEP owning and operating the plant if it moves forward.

For the huddle: If our power costs or reliability plans assume new baseload nuclear capacity in southwestern Indiana, are we underwriting a technology that hasn't proven itself commercially anywhere yet?

SourcesAmazon and Ohio-based utility explore 960-megawatt nuclear project in Indiana (constructionreviewonline.com)

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02Montgomery

Nucor Commits $105 Million to Expand Crawfordsville Towers Plant

Nucor announced October 8 it will invest $105 million to add 125,000 square feet to its Towers & Structures facility in Crawfordsville, creating up to 100 jobs by the end of 2029 at an average wage of $87,500. Groundbreaking is expected in the first quarter of 2027, hiring starts mid-2027, and the IEDC is offering up to $1.65 million in tax credits plus $500,000 in Hoosier Business Investment credits, pending Montgomery County approval.

For the huddle: With $87,500 average wages well above Montgomery County's median income, are we prepared for wage pressure on welders and skilled trades as Nucor's hiring ramps through mid-2027?

SourcesNucor plans to expand utility towers and structures manufacturing facility in Indiana (plantservices.com)

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03Statewide

Governor Braun Stacks Defense Wins From Space Academy to NWS Crane

Governor Braun announced Indiana will bid, with Purdue, on the new U.S. Space Academy, and detailed a run of 2026 defense wins: a Department of War plan to install Indiana's first advanced nuclear Micro Modular Reactor at Naval Weapons Station Crane by no later than September 2028, Rolls-Royce's completed $1 billion decade-long investment in Indianapolis and West Lafayette test facilities, and Kratos Defense breaking ground on a second facility at its Odon campus following a completed $50 million hypersonics payload building. Indiana's defense sector has drawn $2.5 billion in committed capital since 2020, with a 24% rise in contracts.

For the huddle: If a privately-run, Army-regulated reactor at NWS Crane proves out faster than NRC-licensed projects, would that change how we think about on-site power options for our own facilities?

SourcesGovernor Braun strengthens Indiana defense, powering innovation, jobs and national security (giant.fm)

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04Marion

Purdue and Google AI Summit Registration Closes October 21

Purdue and Google Public Sector are holding the third annual Purdue + Google AI Summit October 29-30 in Indianapolis, themed "AI Impact: From Possible to Proven." Registration closes Wednesday, October 21 at 5 p.m.

For the huddle: Given the leadership turnover at Purdue, should we commit engineering staff to multi-year IPAI pilots now, or wait for clarity on who's actually steering the partnership?

SourcesPurdue-Google summit advances physical AI, manufacturing and workforce readiness (wbiw.com)

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