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Local workforce expected to grow by 5 percent with arrival of Slate Auto and Autocam Medical later this year. August 11, 2026 By dan spalding News Now Warsaw. WARSAW - Kosciusko County is on the verge of its biggest bump in job growth in a long time with the arrival of Slate Auto at a revamped facility on Old Road 30 and Autocam Medical's 100,000-square-foot production site currently under construction a mile away along US 30. Slate Auto is expected to begin production of its electric pickup trucks later this year at its facility in the old RR Donnelley parking and a large number of vehicles from employees and contractors can already be seen every day as it plans to eventually employ upward of 1,900 workers. Autocam, headquartered in Grand Rapids, has already been using part of Medronic's facility for the past year or so and will eventually hire 300 workers at its new facility on the west end of the Warsaw Technology Park. Combined, those two numbers represent a 5.2% increase in the Kosciusko County workforce, based on US Census statistics. Officials with Warsaw and the county have been working to address the need for more housing for years, but is seeing some results, with the opening of two new apartment complexes in Warsaw anticipated this year, and with construction of several other subdivisions across parts of the county. But more plans are in the works. Peggy Simmons, the executive director of KEDCO, acknowledged that they want to see more of the new and future workers find homes nearby rather than commuting from other nearby counties. She said they've been working on a housing plan for two years. "We're going to be making some announcements pretty soon," Simmons told News Now Warsaw last week. "The team at KEDCO has been working with Club 720 and Mission Build from Fort Wayne to bring attainable housing here." Simmons, in an interview for the public affairs show, In the Know, also commented on a recent story by News Now Warsaw about the increased fuel sales at the Warsaw Municipal Airport in the past year. Much of that is attributed to flight traffic involving Slate and Autocam, according to the airport manager. Simmons said she thinks that kind of increase, if sustained, could boost the airport in the future. "We are hoping that the increase in usage and sales in fuel will spur the airport to grow. We know that if we want to land larger jets, we need a longer runway. So hopefully, we're starting to make the case that the numbers speak for themselves and that there is room for growth," Simmons said. Plans for lengthening the airport's east-west runway have been discussed for years but is still not a top priority. Other long-term changes, such as a still-unresolved solution to CR 100E, have become an immediate concern. A tunnel or another solution to that road issue is needed before runway expansion can be considered. Simmons said KEDCO's annual banquet is Sept. 9 at Oakwood in Syracuse and the featured speaker will be Polywood CEO Brady Maller. Representatives of Slate and Autocam are also expected to address the gathering. Simmons joined OrthoWorx CEO Ryan Christner for last week's public affairs show on Kensington Digital Media radio stations. Christner highlighted current work undertaken by OrthoWorx. You can see that story here.

Slate Auto, the Bezos-backed electric truck maker, has partnered with Crayola on five vehicle wraps for its $25,000 truck. This marks Crayola's first automotive collaboration. The wraps come in five colours from Crayola's crayon range: Cerulean, Fern, Jersey Tomato, Razzmatazz, and Dandelion. Each starter pack includes decals, a colour-coordinated key-fob cap, and a dashboard accessory called a "Slatelet". The Crayola packs cost $1,550, three times more than Slate's standard wraps, which start at $500. The base Slate truck retails for $24,950, making it America's cheapest new truck. The vehicle features a gray composite body, no touchscreen, and manual windows to keep costs down. The company designed the truck specifically to be wrapped rather than painted.

Slate's new affordable EV truck has its newsroom divided. Jun 28, 2026, 3:37 AM PT Tiny truck takeover. Slate Auto revealed its base-model, two-seater would cost $24,950, branding it the "most affordable truck in America." It is expected to hit US roads by the end of the year. How exactly does Slate keep the price so low? By stripping away many of the features that drivers have come to expect. There's no touchscreen or built-in stereo. The windows operate with old-school manual cranks. Its estimated range tops out at just 205 miles. The truck is tiny, too. At just 14.5 feet long, the vehicle is closer in size to a Toyota Camry than a Ford F-150. The driver's seat is low to the ground, more like a sedan than an SUV. The price tag is undeniably attractive, especially at a time when new cars seem to only get more expensive. Fewer than 5% of new vehicles sold last year had starting prices under $25,000, according to car-shopping website Edmunds. But it wasn't the price that divided its newsroom; it was the design. A colleague called it "the ugliest thing I'd ever seen." Another said they'd happily buy one. Dan DeFrancesco, this newsletter's weekday writer, was also a fan: "I know this country was built on excess. (And God knows I love an all-you-can-eat sushi spot.) But less is more with pick-up trucks. Unless you have a professional need for it, owning anything bigger than a Ford F-150 just makes you a hardo." EV demand has cooled in recent years, making it a tough time for Slate to come to market. Still, one of its main selling points is its level of customization. The company says it will offer more than 200 accessories and add-ons, including vehicle wraps, seat covers, roof racks, light covers, a stereo, and interior tech. BI's Ben Shimkus offered a detailed overview of all the add-ons and their costs. My take: At first glance, I thought the truck was ugly. But after playing around on the website with accessories, colors, and designs, the concept grew on me. There is also something quaint about an old-school design without all the bells and whistles found in today's vehicles. What do you think about Slate's new EV truck? Would you buy one? Drop me your thoughts at [email protected]. Steve Russolillo is the Chief News Editor of Business Insider. He directs and drives the newsroom's coverage of business, technology, markets, finance, and innovation, overseeing reporters and editors across the U.S., London, and Singapore. Before joining BI, he spent 17 years at The Wall Street Journal in various reporting and editing roles. He helped build and then led the Journal's breaking news desk - a team of reporters, editors, and photo journalists tasked with dominating the most important stories of the day across coverage areas. Before that, he was a foreign correspondent in Hong Kong, covering markets, finance, and cryptocurrencies for the Journal from 2017 to 2020. Steve earned an MBA in finance from Baruch College and worked at Goldman Sachs in the firm's asset management division. He went to undergrad at the University of Delaware.