Economy Muncie, Indiana

the ball brothers, industrialists , founders of ball corporation, influential in city s civic , economic development.

from days regional trading center surrounding agricultural community first wave of industrial development brought on indiana gas boom in mid-1880s, muncie has retained ties industrial economy, , lesser extent agricultural roots. in addition, arrival of forerunner ball state in twentieth century contributed muncie s development educational center, while ball memorial hospital, established in 1929, led city s reputation healthcare center east-central indiana.

muncie s major industrial development included glass manufacturing, iron , steel mills, , automobile manufacturing , auto parts factories. among major employers ball corporation, established ball brothers of buffalo, new york, opened glass factory in muncie in 1888. other notable manufacturers in addition ball corporation operations in muncie have included borgwarner, broderick company (aformer division of harsco), dayton-walther corporation, delco remy, general motors, new venture gear, hemingray glass company, ontario corporation, a. e. boyce company, indiana steel , wire, , westinghouse electric.

changing industrial trends caused shifts in city s economic development. in many mid-sized cities in rust belt, deindustrialization, began in 1960s, impacted muncie s economy. several manufacturing plants closed or moved elsewhere. 2001 2011, muncie lost thousands of jobs city continued transitioning blue-collar workforce white-collar service economy based on health care, education, , retail.

muncie has attracted new manufacturers, while older factories have been converted other industrial uses. in 2009 muncie became u.s. headquarters brevini wind, italian-based company manufactures gearboxes wind turbines. in 2011 locomotive maker progress rail services (a subsidiary of caterpillar inc.) opened in former westinghouse facility had been vacant since 1998.

the local economy controversial topic among munsonians. while many older unemployed or underemployed residents identify manufacturing identity of city, newer residents identify city s shift towards educational , health services. contention greatest among residents living in once-industrialized sections of city s south side, of economic growth on last few decades has taken place on muncie s north side. city struggles retain college graduates. despite ball state s presence, 32.2 percent of delaware county s working-age adults (ages 25–64) hold two-year or four-year college degree, below national average.

the first decade of 21st century saw cultural shift toward local businesses , economic empowerment, boosted muncie downtown development partnership , residents, patrons, , business owners of downtown community. in 2007, muncie rated affordable college town in america real estate company coldwell banker. in 2015, forbes ranked muncie 27th among small places business , careers , 18th cost of doing business. first merchants corporation based in muncie, , first scotty s brewhouse location opened in city in 1996.

iu health ball memorial hospital muncie s largest employer.

as of may 2016, largest employers in city were: