Editing Muncie, Indiana (section)

== Economy ==
[[Image:Ball Brothers 1.jpg|thumb|The [[Ball brothers]], industrialists and founders of [[Ball Corporation]], were influential in the city's civic and economic development.]]

From its early days as a regional trading center for the surrounding agricultural community to its first wave of industrial development brought on by the [[Indiana Gas Boom|Indiana gas boom]] in the mid-1880s, Muncie has retained its ties to an industrial economy, and to a lesser extent its agricultural roots. In addition, the arrival of the forerunner to Ball State in the early twentieth century contributed to Muncie's development as an educational center, while Ball Memorial Hospital, established in 1929, led to the city's reputation as a healthcare center for east-central Indiana.

Muncie's major industrial development included glass manufacturing, iron and steel mills, and automobile manufacturing and auto parts factories. Among its early major employers was the Ball Corporation, established by the [[Ball brothers]] of [[Buffalo, New York]], who opened a glass factory in Muncie in 1888.<ref name=Quigley14/> Other notable manufacturers in addition to the Ball Corporation with operations in Muncie have included [[BorgWarner]], The Broderick Company (aformer division of [[Harsco]]), Dayton-Walther Corporation, [[Delco Electronics|Delco Remy]], [[General Motors]], [[New Venture Gear]], [[Hemingray|Hemingray Glass Company]], Ontario Corporation, A. E. Boyce Company, Indiana Steel and Wire, and [[Westinghouse Electric]].<ref name=Spurgeon-multi/>

Changing industrial trends caused shifts in the city's economic development. As in many mid-sized cities in the [[Rust Belt]], [[deindustrialization]], which began in the 1960s, impacted Muncie's economy. Several manufacturing plants closed or moved elsewhere. From 2001 to 2011, Muncie lost thousands of jobs<ref name="Recovery">{{cite news|author=Paul Davidson| date=May 9, 2011 |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/economy/2011-05-08-uneven-jobs-recovery_n.htm| title=Two Indiana cities symbolize both sides of uneven jobs recovery|work=USA Today| access-date=July 17, 2013}}</ref> as the city continued transitioning from a [[blue-collar worker|blue-collar]] workforce to a [[white-collar worker|white-collar]] [[service economy]] primarily based on health care, education, and retail.<ref name="Forbes">{{cite magazine|year=2012|url=https://www.forbes.com/places/in/muncie/|title=Muncie IN|magazine=Forbes|access-date=July 13, 2013}}</ref>

Muncie has attracted some new manufacturers, while older factories have been converted to other industrial uses. In 2009, Muncie became the U.S. headquarters for Brevini Wind, an Italian-based company that manufactures gearboxes for wind turbines.<ref name="Recovery"/><ref name="Unions">{{cite news|first=James |last=Hagerty |date=March 18, 2012 |url=http://tipstrategies.com/blog/2012/03/as-unions-lose-their-grip-indiana-lures-manufacturing-jobs/ |title=As Unions Lose Their Grip, Indiana Lures Manufacturing Jobs |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=July 17, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701160035/http://tipstrategies.com/blog/2012/03/as-unions-lose-their-grip-indiana-lures-manufacturing-jobs/ |archive-date=July 1, 2014 }}</ref> In 2011, locomotive maker [[Progress Rail]] (a subsidiary of [[Caterpillar Inc]]) opened in a former Westinghouse facility that had been vacant since 1998.<ref name="Unions"/><ref name="Progress">{{cite web|year=2011|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/progress-rail-announces-grand-opening-of-muncie-indiana-locomotive-assembly-operation-132773508.html|title=Progress Rail Announces Grand Opening of Muncie, Indiana Locomotive Assembly Operation|publisher=PR Newswire|access-date=July 17, 2013}}</ref>

The local economy is a controversial topic among Munsonians. While many older unemployed or underemployed residents strongly identify with the manufacturing identity of the city, newer residents identify with the city's shift towards educational and health services.<ref>{{cite news|author=Robin Gibson|title=LOST MUNCIE: Current, former Muncie residents revisit the past online|url=http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20140504/NEWS01/305040045/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140504211750/http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20140504/NEWS01/305040045/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 4, 2014|access-date=May 4, 2014|newspaper=The Star Press|date=May 3, 2014}}</ref> Contention is greatest among residents living in the once-industrialized sections of the city's south side, as much of the economic growth over that last few decades has taken place on Muncie's north side.<ref>{{cite news|author=Mary Williams Walsh| date=April 19, 2000|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-apr-19-mn-21190-story.html| title='New economy' deepens the wealth divide| work=Los Angeles Times| access-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=November 6, 2011 |url=http://www.munciefreepress.com/node/24766 |title=Muncie Mayor Election: The final vote |work=Muncie Free Press |access-date=July 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504224555/http://www.munciefreepress.com/node/24766 |archive-date=May 4, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Ron Fournier| date=April 19, 2012|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/features/restoration-calls/in-nothing-we-trust-20120419| title=In Nothing We Trust|work=National Journal| access-date=July 13, 2013}}</ref> The city also struggles to retain college graduates. Despite Ball State's presence, only 32.2 percent of Delaware County's working-age adults (ages 25–64) hold a two-year or four-year college degree, which is below the national average.<ref>{{cite news|author=Seth Slabaugh |title=Where have all the college grads gone?|url=http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20140503/NEWS01/305030012/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140504211743/http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20140503/NEWS01/305030012/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 4, 2014|access-date=May 4, 2014|newspaper=The Star Press|date=May 2, 2014}}</ref>

The first decade of the 21st century saw a cultural shift toward local businesses and economic empowerment, boosted by the Muncie Downtown Development Partnership<ref name="MDDP">{{cite news|year=2012|url=http://www.downtownmuncie.org/arts-entertainment-accomplishments-muncie-in.htm|title=MDDP Accomplishments & Awards|publisher=MDDP|access-date=May 4, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504191204/http://www.downtownmuncie.org/arts-entertainment-accomplishments-muncie-in.htm|archive-date=May 4, 2014}}</ref> and the residents, patrons, and business owners of the downtown community. In 2007, Muncie was rated the most affordable college town in America by real estate company [[Coldwell Banker]].<ref>{{cite news| date=November 6, 2007| url=http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=26301| title=Muncie Tops Most Affordable College Town List| work=Inside Indiana Business| access-date=July 17, 2013| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504223334/http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=26301| archive-date=May 4, 2014}}</ref> In 2015, ''[[Forbes]]'' ranked Muncie 27th among small places for business and careers and 18th for cost of doing business.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best Small Places For Businesses and Careers List|url=https://www.forbes.com/best-places-for-business/list/small/|magazine=Forbes|access-date=April 17, 2016}}</ref> [[First Merchants Corporation]] is based in Muncie, and the first [[Scotty's Brewhouse]] location opened in the city in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Roysdon|first1=Keith|title=Scotty: 'Really excited' for Muncie restaurants|url=http://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2015/08/02/muncie-scottys-brewhouse-remodeling-liquor-wise-men/31018141/|website=Dine and Dash|publisher=The Star Press|access-date=April 17, 2016}}</ref>

[[Image:Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie, Indiana (17-04-2007).jpg|thumb|IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, one of the city's largest employers]]
{{As of|July 2022}} (compare to October 2014), the largest employers in the city were:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Employer
! 2022 Employees<ref>{{cite web|year=2022|url=http://www.muncie.com/Site-Selection-Data/Major-Employers.aspx|title=Major Employers|publisher=Muncie–Delaware County Economic Development Alliance|access-date=September 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728142457/https://muncie.com/Site-Selection-Data/Major-Employers.aspx|archive-date=2022-07-28}}</ref>
! 2014 Employees<ref>{{cite web|year=2014|url=http://www.muncie.com/Site-Selection-Data/Major-Employers.aspx|archive-date=2014-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004085102/https://muncie.com/Site-Selection-Data/Major-Employers.aspx|title=Major Employers|publisher=Muncie–Delaware County Economic Development Alliance|access-date=October 9, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ball State University]]
| 3,379
| 3,741
|-
| [[Ball Memorial Hospital|IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital]]
| 2,613
| 3,000
|-
| Muncie Community Schools
| 650
| 926
|-
| [[Navient]]
| 633
| 650
|-
| [[Magna Powertrain]]
| 571
| 325
|-
| Concentrix
| 555
| 675
|-
| [[First Merchants Corporation]]
| 551
| 526
|-
| Meridian Health Services
| 550
| 610
|-
| Youth Opportunity Center
| 516
| 276
|-
| [[Progress Rail]]
| 500
| 281
|-
| City of Muncie
| 465
| 465
|-
| Delaware County Government Offices
| 452
| 522
|-
| Muncie Sanitary District
| 143
| 531
|}