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Slate Auto’s Story At KEDCO’s Annual Meeting
The customization options of Slate Auto’s trucks were shown in a slide presentation by Chris Barman who explained how the simple truck could be customized from a two-seat vehicle to a five-passenger SUV, color wrapped in days and customized to the desire of the customer
Posted Aug 27, 2025 Updated: Aug 27, 2025 @ 9:22 PM
Text and Photos
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews
SYRACUSE — The Slate Story was told at the 2025 Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation Annual meeting Wednesday, Aug. 27. The largest crowd ever at a KEDCO annual meeting gathered at The Event Center at Oakwood Resort, Syracuse.
Chris Barman, CEO of innovative electric vehicle manufacturing startup, Slate Auto, was the keynote speaker. She highlighted the process of finding a home for Slate, sharing the meetings with county officials and KEDCO, where the company is today, its plans for the local plant and the vehicle itself.
“I’m very proud that we are going to be building out Slate here in Indiana and Kosciusko County,” Barman stated. “We wanted to find a manufacturing location where we knew that we were going to have a strong partnership in the community, but also we had to make sure that it really worked for us and our business plan.”
She noted it was a competitive decision among a number of communities. While she is from Indiana, she assured everyone that she did not put here “thumb on the scale. This community won outright.”
Recapping the first meeting in 2024, she showed a video, which focused on the late Mike Long, who was county council president at the time, making the presentation and offer to the company, providing a letter outlining what the county was willing to do and offering any assistance necessary. “We want you here,” the late county councilman state.
Chris Barman, CEO of Slate Auto, was the keynote speaker at the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation’s annual meeting.
Barman stated the company came to the county in a stealth mode, not sharing a lot about who they were. “I really appreciate that KEDCO and the community supported us even though they didn’t know who we were and what we were about and what we were going to build.” At the first meeting she shared how the group allowed them to share their story, their purpose, the bigger vision and mission of what they wanted it to be — make an affordable vehicle. “They were with us from the very beginning,” she said.
“By the time of our second conversation, we realized that was the opportunity for a partnership. Somebody to work with us, shoulder to shoulder,” she added. They remained in stealth mode until they had the opportunity to reveal the right way. “We knew we were going to be successful on the site because it met a lot of our needs for producing our vehicle. We knew it would be very successful because of the partnership with Kosciusko and KEDCO.”
Moving forward to the past 18 weeks, Barman stated 18 weeks ago, Slate launched to the world the goal of giving “America an affordable, safe, reliable and radically customizable vehicle.” She stated over 100,000 people have places reservations to be among the first to have a Slate vehicle. “We’re going to build those trucks right here in Kosciusko County.”
The manufacturing will remove unnecessary content, simplifying the automotive manufacturing and putting the”power back into the consumer hand. We’re here to retool the 1.4 million square foot RR Donnolly building, bring over 2,000 jobs to Kosciusko County … special community with roots in manufacturing and a strong desire for revitalization.”
Barman talked about the truck itself which has a simple approachable, deliberately straight forward and made in a single configuration from the factory. “Every one is built exactly the same. No paint, no options but infinitely customizable. It can be anything,” she said noting it can go from a two passenger truck to a five passenger SUV. It will come with a DIY wrap process kits, cut and measured to fit the shape of the vehicle that can be done in hours.
The interior is just as revolutionary, with everything taken out so the customers can put back in what they want or they need. There will be 100 accessories offered at launch including a bundled SUV kit. “Every Slate is built exactly the same. But that’s where the power of creativity of the owner comes to play,” said Barman.
She invited people to go to slate.auto where people can create their own Slate garage which will store up to six creations. She said over 8 million Slate inspirations have been created.
The price will be in the mid $20s. “That’s the price for every Blank Slate. Having a reliable vehicle can be a life changing purchase for many individuals, who think their only choice is a used vehicle with high mileage that is out of warranty. With a Slate they get a vehicle that’s designed with all the highest, latest safety standards, extremely reliable and comes with a warranty.”
She further noted “we are building the affordable vehicle that long has been promised but never delivered.”
Barman noted it is estimated the company will add $125 million to the economic development of the county once it’s fully operation and contribute up to $39 billion to the state over time.
“We can’t wait for the community of Kosciusko County to meet with Slate,” she said inviting everyone to Fifth Friday, Friday, Aug. 29, downtown Warsaw, where people can view the vehicle, learn about the company and the career opportunities.
“We knew early if we were going to be successful, we needed a community to be shoulder to shoulder with us. Thank you KEDCO for believing in Slate and in our disruptive business model for simplifying the manufacturing process and industrializing America.”
Prior to Barman’s presentation Peggy Friday, KEDCO’s chief executive officer, gave background details of Barman, noting her 25 years at Chrysler and becoming the CEO of Slate Auto in 2023. “When we heard it (about Slate) we were captivated and I’ll never forget sitting in, the first time they came, the first time they visited. Mike Long … he was so excited about it, about the prospect of Slate that he wanted to buy the first truck off the line.
The customization options of Slate Auto’s trucks were shown in a slide presentation by Chris Barman who explained how the simple truck could be customized from a two-seat vehicle to a five-passenger SUV, color wrapped in days and customized to the desire of the customer
Posted Aug 27, 2025 Updated: Aug 27, 2025 @ 9:22 PM
Text and Photos
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews
SYRACUSE — The Slate Story was told at the 2025 Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation Annual meeting Wednesday, Aug. 27. The largest crowd ever at a KEDCO annual meeting gathered at The Event Center at Oakwood Resort, Syracuse.
Chris Barman, CEO of innovative electric vehicle manufacturing startup, Slate Auto, was the keynote speaker. She highlighted the process of finding a home for Slate, sharing the meetings with county officials and KEDCO, where the company is today, its plans for the local plant and the vehicle itself.
“I’m very proud that we are going to be building out Slate here in Indiana and Kosciusko County,” Barman stated. “We wanted to find a manufacturing location where we knew that we were going to have a strong partnership in the community, but also we had to make sure that it really worked for us and our business plan.”
She noted it was a competitive decision among a number of communities. While she is from Indiana, she assured everyone that she did not put here “thumb on the scale. This community won outright.”
Recapping the first meeting in 2024, she showed a video, which focused on the late Mike Long, who was county council president at the time, making the presentation and offer to the company, providing a letter outlining what the county was willing to do and offering any assistance necessary. “We want you here,” the late county councilman state.
Chris Barman, CEO of Slate Auto, was the keynote speaker at the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation’s annual meeting.
Barman stated the company came to the county in a stealth mode, not sharing a lot about who they were. “I really appreciate that KEDCO and the community supported us even though they didn’t know who we were and what we were about and what we were going to build.” At the first meeting she shared how the group allowed them to share their story, their purpose, the bigger vision and mission of what they wanted it to be — make an affordable vehicle. “They were with us from the very beginning,” she said.
“By the time of our second conversation, we realized that was the opportunity for a partnership. Somebody to work with us, shoulder to shoulder,” she added. They remained in stealth mode until they had the opportunity to reveal the right way. “We knew we were going to be successful on the site because it met a lot of our needs for producing our vehicle. We knew it would be very successful because of the partnership with Kosciusko and KEDCO.”
Moving forward to the past 18 weeks, Barman stated 18 weeks ago, Slate launched to the world the goal of giving “America an affordable, safe, reliable and radically customizable vehicle.” She stated over 100,000 people have places reservations to be among the first to have a Slate vehicle. “We’re going to build those trucks right here in Kosciusko County.”
The manufacturing will remove unnecessary content, simplifying the automotive manufacturing and putting the”power back into the consumer hand. We’re here to retool the 1.4 million square foot RR Donnolly building, bring over 2,000 jobs to Kosciusko County … special community with roots in manufacturing and a strong desire for revitalization.”
Barman talked about the truck itself which has a simple approachable, deliberately straight forward and made in a single configuration from the factory. “Every one is built exactly the same. No paint, no options but infinitely customizable. It can be anything,” she said noting it can go from a two passenger truck to a five passenger SUV. It will come with a DIY wrap process kits, cut and measured to fit the shape of the vehicle that can be done in hours.
The interior is just as revolutionary, with everything taken out so the customers can put back in what they want or they need. There will be 100 accessories offered at launch including a bundled SUV kit. “Every Slate is built exactly the same. But that’s where the power of creativity of the owner comes to play,” said Barman.
She invited people to go to slate.auto where people can create their own Slate garage which will store up to six creations. She said over 8 million Slate inspirations have been created.
The price will be in the mid $20s. “That’s the price for every Blank Slate. Having a reliable vehicle can be a life changing purchase for many individuals, who think their only choice is a used vehicle with high mileage that is out of warranty. With a Slate they get a vehicle that’s designed with all the highest, latest safety standards, extremely reliable and comes with a warranty.”
She further noted “we are building the affordable vehicle that long has been promised but never delivered.”
Barman noted it is estimated the company will add $125 million to the economic development of the county once it’s fully operation and contribute up to $39 billion to the state over time.
“We can’t wait for the community of Kosciusko County to meet with Slate,” she said inviting everyone to Fifth Friday, Friday, Aug. 29, downtown Warsaw, where people can view the vehicle, learn about the company and the career opportunities.
“We knew early if we were going to be successful, we needed a community to be shoulder to shoulder with us. Thank you KEDCO for believing in Slate and in our disruptive business model for simplifying the manufacturing process and industrializing America.”
Prior to Barman’s presentation Peggy Friday, KEDCO’s chief executive officer, gave background details of Barman, noting her 25 years at Chrysler and becoming the CEO of Slate Auto in 2023. “When we heard it (about Slate) we were captivated and I’ll never forget sitting in, the first time they came, the first time they visited. Mike Long … he was so excited about it, about the prospect of Slate that he wanted to buy the first truck off the line.
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