Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
FRENCH LICK – From a reputation as a jack-of-all trades to a master of microelectronics and munitions, Naval Support Activity Crane has transformed itself since 2005 when it landed on the government’s Base Realignment and Closure list.
The base that was described then as the Navy’s best kept secret didn’t close and instead, the leadership paused and took a strategic look at Crane and how it could become a base that was essential to the Department of Defense.
Jenna Dix, director of engagement at Crane, detailed the federal laboratory’s intentional evolution over the past 18 years to a base that now does advanced research and development work. She gave an overview of the base during the Radius Indiana Economic Development Course April 25-27 at the French Lick Resort.
“In 2005, we were a very different organization. At that time, we did a lot of things and provided a lot of solutions to customers and we were inexpensive. There was tremendous pride in that mission but the down side of that was Crane ended up on the BRAC list. As a Navy lab, people didn’t have an awareness of the critical work we were doing,” Dix said.
Today, the third largest naval base in the Midwest employs nearly 6,000 (4,000 are DoD civilian employees). In 2022, Crane did $386 million in business with small businesses and spent $3 billion in contracts, salaries and acquisitions.
As a federal lab, Dix said Crane’s mission is about delivering capability and technology to the nation’s warfighters.
It is focused on three priorities:
- Strategic missions, which is nuclear deterrents
- Electronic warfare, which is controlling electromagnetic signals
- Expeditionary warfare, which is equipping Navy SEALS and special operations
As an example of Crane’s higher level of expertise, Dix said Crane is involved with the hypersonics program. Dix said the United States is behind its adversaries in the development of hypersonics and is working to catch up.
Dix said it’s a common question for people to ask how the third largest Naval installation ended up in Indiana. She said the land that today is Crane was acquired by the federal government with plans to create a park. But the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, changed the plan when the DoD sought a place to store munitions that wasn’t on a coastline.
Today, Crane has developed partnerships with Indiana University, Purdue University, University of Southern Indiana and the Battery Innovation Center. Regional investment and the extension of Interstate 69 have further transformed the area around Crane.
The creation of a tech park, which led to WestGate One, is the latest achievement. A microelectronics project will bring 550 jobs to the area between 2024-28. Plans call for an $84 million facility to make semiconductors. The project has received about $30 million in incentives and total investment when completed is estimated at $384 million.
The resulting transformation has placed Crane on solid ground.
“With our level of expertise now, it makes it really hard for BRAC to impact us,” Dix said. “Crane is an economic engine for our region. We want the region to come alongside and experience the same kind of growth.”