Who this guide is from: Mortgage Forfeiture is Roger Choate's local direct home-buying business serving Southern Indiana and the Louisville metro. Informational guides are general education; legal, tax, lending, and court decisions should be reviewed with the appropriate licensed professional.
E&H Tubing, a steel tubing maker based in Brownstown, is opening a second plant in Salem in two buildings at the former Child Craft and Smith Cabinet site. The company told the Salem City Council it expects to invest about $4 million in the first year, hire up to 40 people and add about $900,000 a year in payroll. If you own a house in Salem or anywhere else in Washington County, here is what has happened so far and what it means for you.
What the company announced
On March 24, 2025 the Salem City Council voted 6-0 to approve a five-year tax abatement for the expansion. The company told the council it would invest about $4 million in the first year, counting roughly $2.7 million in equipment and about $1.4 million in steel, hire up to 40 people and pay about $900,000 a year in wages. It signed a five-year lease with an option to buy two buildings on the former Smith Cabinet property. A company representative told the council, "When we come to Salem, we're going to stay in Salem," and, "If we're successful, we could bring $20 million in business to Salem" (WSLM Radio, March 24, 2025).
The Washington County Economic Growth Partnership announced the expansion on August 26, 2025. Its executive director, Ashley Conrad, said, "I am very excited to welcome E & H Tubing Inc. to Salem and Washington County." The building is at Cornerstone Facilities, the site that was once Child Craft Industries and later Smith Cabinet Furniture (Southern Indiana Business Report, Aug. 26, 2025).
On February 12, 2026, Radius Indiana, a regional economic development group, announced a low-interest loan through its Intermediary Relending Program to Cornerstone Farms to renovate the former Child Craft facility for E&H Tubing (Radius Indiana news). That month the company was hiring for Salem: tube mill operators at $25 to $30 an hour for experienced hires, maintenance technicians at $24 to $26 and offbearers at $14.50 to $16, on four 10-hour days a week (WBIW, Feb. 17, 2026).
E&H Tubing makes high-carbon mechanical steel tubing for farm equipment, carports, gates, boat docks and metal buildings. Its home plant is at 848 W. Sweet St. in Brownstown, with 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space (E&H Tubing). The investment and job figures above are the company's own numbers as presented to the council and reported locally; we found no separate state incentive announcement.
Why 40 jobs matter in Washington County
Washington County had an estimated 28,383 people in mid-2025. Median household income is $64,641, below Indiana's $71,957. About 82.1 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $172,200 and median gross rent is $780. The county issued 34 building permits in all of 2025 (Census QuickFacts, 2020-2024 ACS and 2025 estimates). That last number is the one to notice: very little new housing gets built there, so new workers mostly buy or rent what already exists.
The airport project
Salem's other long-running project is the municipal airport. The READI project page says the FAA-approved plan extends the existing 3,000-foot runway, which opened in 2019, to 5,000 feet, funded 90 percent by the FAA, 5 percent by the state and 5 percent locally, on a timeline of March 2023 through December 2026 (Indiana READI, Salem Municipal Airport). The city's own airport page still shows an older phase plan, so use the READI page for the current numbers.
What this means if you own a house there
Nobody can promise what a new employer does to your home's value, and we are not going to guess. What the record shows is a company with a signed lease, a tax abatement, a renovation loan and job postings, in a county that adds very few new homes each year.
If you need to sell a house in Salem or anywhere in Washington County, Roger Choate buys houses directly, as-is, across Washington, Scott, Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties. He reviews the property and the records, then puts a written offer in front of you. If you accept, a title company handles the closing and you pick the date, subject to payoff and title work. There is no seller company fee or agent commission. Your mortgage payoff, liens, taxes, prorations and other settlement items still come out of the price and show on the settlement statement. See the full list of areas Roger buys in or how he buys houses in Southern Indiana.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the E&H Tubing plant in Salem?
At Cornerstone Facilities, the industrial site that was once home to Child Craft Industries and later Smith Cabinet Furniture. The company signed a five-year lease on two buildings there with an option to buy.
How many jobs is E&H Tubing bringing to Salem?
Up to 40 in the first phase, with about $900,000 a year in payroll, according to what the company told the Salem City Council in March 2025 and repeated in February 2026 reporting. The company said more could follow if fabrication lines expand.
Is the Salem plant open yet?
In February 2026 the company was hiring tube mill operators, maintenance technicians and offbearers for Salem, and Radius Indiana had just announced a loan for the final renovations. For the current status, ask the company or the Washington County Economic Growth Partnership.
Will new jobs raise home values in Washington County?
Nobody can promise that, and we will not. What the numbers show is that Washington County issued 34 building permits in 2025 and 82.1 percent of its occupied homes are owner-occupied, so there is not much new housing coming on line.
If selling is on your list, get a written number early so you can compare it with listing. Call (502) 528-7273 or Get My Cash Offer.
Want to Compare a Direct Sale With Your Other Options?
Ask Roger to review the property and explain the written direct-sale option. Mortgage Forfeiture charges no company fee or agent commission; title, lien, tax, and payoff items still appear on the settlement statement.
Call (502) 528-7273 or Get My Cash Offer