Investment, Hiring Continue at Crane

Fueled by increased workload and a strategic fit for the U.S. military, employment at Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division has grown to the highest levels in more than three decades. Over the last three years, Crane has hired approximately 1,100 entry and journey level employees, pushing total civilian employment at the sprawling base to 3,700, in addition to more than 2,000 contractors who work there. And the hiring is not finished.

“We at Crane are open for business,” said Corporate Operations Department Director Angie Lewis. “Our outlook for Fiscal Year 21, which will begin in October, is upwards of 300 additional positions,” said Lewis, noting critical vacancies in areas including computer engineering, electrical engineering, data science and business administration.

Lewis and Kyle Werner, Crane’s acting technical director, talked about hiring and Crane’s future on this weekend’s edition of Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick.

Crane will attempt to fill some of those job openings at a first-ever virtual career fair October 22.

The Crane footprint in southern Indiana encompasses more than 63,000 acres and 100 square miles. Its economic imprint is just as impressive, accounting for an estimated $1.5 billion in spending annually.

The installation, which opened in 1941, is a key piece of Governor Eric Holcomb’s plan to triple defense investment in Indiana by 2025.