The CEO and co-founder of AgroRenew says plans are suspended but not canceled for a nearly $80 million manufacturing project in Knox County. In an interview with Inside Indiana Business Inside Indiana Business on Tuesday, Brian Southern said the company faced too many economic uncertainties to move forward.

He cited delays in overseas equipment deliveries, unpredictable shipping costs, and not knowing whether tariffs would be in place when the specialized equipment arrived. Southern said it didn’t make sense to continue spending without firm delivery dates and pricing, and that construction timing also needs to align with production seasons to avoid months of downtime.

AgroRenew has transferred the project land back to the Knox County Indiana Development Corporation and is repaying incentive funds. Southern told Inside Indiana Business that the company remains committed to the project and continues research and development work while waiting for market conditions and supply timelines to stabilize.