LIGONIER - Two Ligonier factories announced plans to add a total of 50 new jobs this week, giving hope to city officials that the economy is starting to recover.

Silgan Plastics and Guardian Automotive Industries both came to the Ligonier City Council meeting Monday, asking for tax abatements for the installation of new industrial equipment that will create jobs.

Silgan Plastics is putting in $5.5 million in equipment, with most of that coming from a plant that was recently closed by the company in Ohio. About 24 new jobs are being created with that expansion, and the possibility exists that more jobs could come to Silgan during the coming year, according to Bob Rose, plant manager.

The company produces more than 1 million plastic containers at its plant on Gerber Street in the city's industrial park.

Guardian Automotive, which produces glass products for vehicles, recently signed on Volkswagen of America as a new customer, and will be supplying windshields and other glass panels for that company's plant in Tennessee.

Plant manager Jim Recob said the new line will allow Guardian to hire about 24 people.

The company asked for, and received, a five-year abatement on $1.1 million in new equipment.

Guardian currently has 168 employees. That's still down quite a bit from its peak of about 300 employees five years ago. But Recob said the possibility also exists at Guardian that more jobs could be added in the coming year.

Ligonier Mayor Patti Fisel complimented both companies. "We appreciate your being proactive and being willing to diversify in order to add more jobs," she said.

The news from Guardian and Silgan comes on the heel of an announcement earlier this year from Tenneco that it plans to add 98 new jobs in the coming year. The company was given a $93,750 grant from the Ligonier Redevelopment Commission, and Monday night the city council gave its formal approval to that grant.

The Noble County Economic Development Corp. added about $13,000 to the grant to Tenneco to make improvements to its building in the industrial park.