Scherer Development acquires Jasper’s Erny Sheet Metal, keeps all employees

Scherer Development has agreed to acquire Erny Sheet Metal Inc., and the most immediate impact for Jasper is simple: all current employees will stay on as the longtime metal shop continues business as usual at 1020 Second Avenue.

The deal keeps one of Jasper’s established industrial names tied to the city where it has operated for decades. Erny Sheet Metal was incorporated in Indiana on March 20, 1978, and the Jasper Chamber of Commerce still lists it as a current metal and welding member. Local business listings identify Dave Erny as president and Barbara Erny as secretary and registered agent, underscoring how closely the company has been linked to the Erny family.

Corey Scherer is the buyer. He is publicly listed as president and chief executive officer of Scherer Development and Advanced Sports Supply, two Jasper-linked businesses that point to a broader local expansion strategy. Advanced Sports Supply was filed in Indiana in 2020, and Scherer Development LLC was filed in 2024, giving Scherer a relatively new but growing footprint in the local business community.

For workers, the headline is job security. The company said every current Erny Sheet Metal employee will be retained, a rare sign of stability in a manufacturing town where ownership changes can quickly raise questions about layoffs, relocation, or a shift in direction. For customers and suppliers, the promise that business will continue as usual suggests the same Jasper location, the same local operation, and fewer disruptions to orders and service.

The acquisition also fits Jasper’s broader economic identity. Dubois Strong Economic Development says manufacturing leads employment in Dubois County, and the City of Jasper describes the community as a center of commerce for a multi-county region where manufacturing is one of the main pillars of the local economy. That matters in a city whose industrial base includes companies producing furniture, cabinets, engines, electronics, elastomers, drivetrains, and metal products.

In that context, Erny Sheet Metal’s transfer reads less like a corporate shakeup than a local succession story. A Jasper manufacturer with a 48-year history is changing hands, but the company name, the workforce, and the address remain rooted in the city. For Dubois County, the deal points to continuity inside an economy that still depends heavily on homegrown industrial employers.