Governor goes to Europe, Knauf lays off 50 Hoosiers

Mitch Daniels spent a lot of money to visit Europe on a trade mission last week, but WISH-TV reports that while he was wining and dining executives overseas, one of the companies he was meeting with was preparing to lay off Hoosiers:

One of the companies visited by Governor Mitch Daniels on last week's European trade mission announced layoffs Monday, but the governor still believes his visit will pay dividends.

"I'm very glad we went and very glad to be back," Daniels said.

The governor briefed reporters on his European trade mission on the same day that Knauf Fiberglass in Shelbyville announced 50 layoffs. Knauf is based in Germany. It is one of the companies the governor crossed the ocean to see.

"But they're very pleased with the Shelbyville plant and see that being a big and maybe bigger part of their future, so I think over the long term we expect that to be a very positive contributor," Daniels said.

Shelbyville Mayor Scott Furgeson also believes Knauf's problems are short term, caused by a dip in housing construction.

"It's just a scale back for a short period of time and I believe by the end of the summer things will be back to normal," Furgeson said.