City staff told the Elkhart City Tax Abatement Committee that PlaCon Corporation met or exceeded its capital commitments but was under its new-job target for two consecutive years. PlaCon general manager Mike Nielsen described industry-specific supply-chain shocks that constrained production and hiring but said the company worked to retain employees through shift consolidations and four-day work weeks during the downturn.

Nielsen said a major supplier explosion and material allocations in 2021 forced extended lead times; production destocking began in late 2023. He told the committee PlaCon peaked at 105 employees but adjusted schedules to avoid layoffs and had reopened a third shift in April, with 81 full-time employees and eight temporary workers whom the company hoped to convert to full time.

Committee members asked whether supply-chain issues were resolved; Nielsen said lead times had returned to normal levels in most cases. After discussion, a council member moved and the committee voted to recommend a finding that PlaCon is in substantial compliance with its statements of benefits for both personal and real property; the recommendation will go to the Common Council for final action.