Draper's Spiceland facility as it appears today
Draper is headquartered in Spiceland, Indiana, a community of 800 people located one hour east of Indianapolis. Many customers and suppliers who visit us live in large cities. Some think it odd, perhaps quaint, that we would choose to be located in such a small town.
Simply stated, we are here because we got started here 109 years ago and have never had any reason to leave. While some might regard living and working in a small, rural community as a hardship, we have always considered it one of our strengths. We have an outstanding group of employees, many second- and third-generation, and incredibly low turnover. It’s a friendly workplace. Everybody is on a first-name basis, and by and large we all get along. Most of our employees live within fifteen minutes of the plant, and some go home for lunch. Taxes are low, land is plentiful and cheap, and the quality of life, by our standards at least, is good. We don’t have a lot of the problems that manufacturers who are located in big cities have to deal with.
Draper factory and employees, around 1920.
On my ten-minute drive home each night through the Blue River valley, I give thanks that we are located in Spiceland.
