You may be familiar with the phrase “turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse.” It captures well the can-do, positive attitude needed in these tough times, and we can apply it to the vacant Getrag plant near Tipton. We have a terrific opportunity to practice a little of this country wisdom.

What at once looks like a heart-sinking disappointment can be turned into a huge win for our community. Let’s rally our forces and make the Getrag plant into a new community jewel.

Chrysler’s signal that it would offer bonds back to Tipton County was just the signal needed, proof that Detroit would be looking for a way out of a costly and distracting legal and public relations battle with this community. It’s time to capitalize on this signal and take control of the situation to turn this disappointment into a victory for this region of the State.

Let’s “buy” the $530 million plant for pennies on the dollar and turn it into a 21st Century Clean Technology and Energy Center. Let’s create a community cooperative or public-private partnership to take temporary or permanent ownership of this tremendous asset, and market and operate it.

Then, with a new $180 multi-million dollar plant in our hands, let’s create the first maintenance and repair center for wind turbine equipment in the eastern half of the country. Let’s run a rail spur to the site, and create a campus area master plan. Let’s use extra space to create a clean technology incubator for new energy business start ups and bring Purdue, Indiana University, Notre Dame, Ivy Tech and Ball State into a new partnership to provide training, education, support and research applications on site. Let’s harness the Lugar Center at IUPUI and the Energy Center at Purdue to help us identify and attract other uses and consider additional office space and buildings on the campus.

Let’s reach out to Governor Daniels and to Washington — not for a hand-out but for help in selling this concept to Chrysler, the Getrag bankruptcy panel, and to the wind and clean energy community. The newly formed Energy Systems Network outlines an outstanding vision for making Indiana the home to cutting edge, next generation clean energy technologies. This plant, at the epicenter of the Crossroads of America, can serve as the anchor of such a vision.

In recent days, I’ve reached out to the wind energy industry and to the State and I’ll continue to do what I can to stimulate interest from the national and international business community in this facility. I’ve also met with the Mayor and Tipton County Commissioners, and with the State, and I was very encouraged by their focus and commitment to resolving this challenge in a way that benefits north central Indiana.

I think the term that best describes north central Indiana’s role in the next generation of alternative energy is “The Electric Prairie.” Our location, our engineers, our workforce, our know-how, our manufacturing prowess and our business climate makes this area the perfect place to drive a stake in the ground and announce to the world that this will be the home to the next generation of fully electric and alternative energy vehicles! Let’s go on the offensive and make this sow’s ear a fine silk purse!

Brose McVey is a Republican candidate for Congress in the 5th Congressional District and founder of Nexpointe Strategies, LLC. McVey served as lead consultant in the design of the State’s “Hoosier Home Grown” Energy Plan.

April 29, 2009