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Economy
Turnaround specialists in demand: Economy creating opportunities for Periculum Capital, other firms
May 5, 2008
Peter SchnitzlerEven storm clouds have silver linings, if you know where to look. Likewise, even a slowing economy has market opportunities,
for those who can adjust. Economists haven't agreed yet about whether the U.S. economy has slipped into recession. But Indianapolisbased
investment banking firm Periculum Capital Co. LLC isn't waiting for the official call. Known since 1998 for its expertise
in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions, Periculum is beefing up its expertise in business restructuring. "Most
people who build businesses...
MoreVIEWPOINT: Is Indiana prepared for recession?
May 5, 2008
Myron KanningEach day, the headlines are filled with r e c e s s i o n - r e l a t e d news. Some predict a pending recession, while others
outline pre-emptive actions of the Federal Reserve, Congress and the president. During the 2000-2002 recession, Indiana did
not perform well. Indiana lost more jobs than the national average, and its recovery lagged behind the nation's. In fact,
Indiana's jobs still have not recovered to the pre-recession level. If...
MoreNOTIONS: Indiana: See Hillary run against Jack, Bill & Barack
April 28, 2008
Bruce HetrickOn the eve of the allegedly crucial Ohio presidential primary, I e-mailed a friend in Columbus to ask what it's like in a
state where primaries matter. Her response spoke of endless phone calls from volunteers and machines, get-outthe-vote visits
to her neighborhood, yard signs everywhere, nonstop commercials on TV and candidate visits galore. I lamented that Indiana
would never experience such a thing. I stand corrected. Thanks to the never-ending Democratic contest between Sens. Hillary
Rodham Clinton and Barack...
MoreVOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Making green make sense in a competitive market
April 28, 2008
Robert StefanskiDay after day, the news seems filled with stories of disruptive credit markets, an economy teetering on recession, and increasing
energy costs. As business professionals grapple with such issues daily, why would commercial real estate professionals consider
the time and effort to "go green"? Historically, green initiatives suffered in part from stereotypical "tree-hugger" false
perceptions. Such perceptions may lead people to believe that green investments simply aren't worth it. The truth? The real
focus has always been the efficient use...
MoreBEHIND THE NEWS: Is it time for investors to bite on Steak n Shake?
April 28, 2008
Greg AndrewsIt takes courage, but sometimes the best time to invest in a stock is when almost no one else is. That strategy paid off royally
with Finish Line Inc., whose shares are up 180 percent this year. Now, is the time right to dive into The Steak n Shake Co.?
To be sure, naysayers can find plenty of reasons to steer clear of Steak n Shake, which helps explain why shortsellers-investors
who make their money when shares fall-have flocked to...
MoreFormer Duke retail executive ready for first solo project: Schembre preparing to break ground on $15M Lawrence Commons
April 28, 2008
Scott OlsonA former Duke Realty Corp. executive who hung up her own shingle last year is close to breaking ground on her first project.
Cindy Schembre, 49, launched Via Retail Development LLC in January 2007 and is negotiating with tenants and closing on the
purchase of 11 acres at 56th Street and Mitthoeffer Road. The $15 million project, known as Lawrence Commons, is an 80,000-square-foot
neighborhood center that is slated to break ground in June. The development includes a 45,000-square-foot anchor...
MoreSoaring cost of gas makes ethanol blend more competitive
April 28, 2008
Chris O'MalleyPrices of an alternative fuel that's had patriotic and environmental appeal--but not an economic one for motorists--have been
flirting this month with gasoline on an energy-equivalent cost basis. The sudden but often fleeting price appeal of fuel "E85,"
a blend of ethanol with a dash of gasoline, is due largely to gas prices soaring to nearly $4 a gallon.
MoreDefaults also hit business property: Experts expecting bump in commercial loan woes
April 28, 2008
Scott OlsonIn the few short months since Gordon Hendry began leading the Property Management Division for the local office of CB Richard
Ellis, the firm has become involved in a growing number of commercial loan defaults. Locally, CB Richard Ellis is the courtappointed
receiver for Plainfield Crossing, a 92,000-square-foot West Washington Street strip center anchored by Value City, and for
Crooked Creek Center, a 52,000-square-foot center at 79th Street and Michigan Road. Hendry expects the local office will be
assigned to...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Recession speculation is wrong way to use brainpower
April 28, 2008
Mike HicksWith all the media warnings on the state of the U.S. economy, it is hard to get a good idea what a recession is and what it
might mean for Hoosiers. The formal definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. We
haven't had even one quarter where real growth dipped below zero, and the weakerthan-usual employment data of the first three
months this year won't be enough to pull the economy into a recession. The...
MoreVOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: As business property taxes rise, who really pays the bill?
April 28, 2008
Brian MannAll Indiana counties revised property tax bills as a result of an outcry by thousands of homeowners who fought back when they
saw their 2007 tax reassessments and bills. Assessors had to go back to work and try again. So, they did. The new bills are
out, and while it may be good news for homeowners, you can bet commercial property owners aren't turning cartwheels in the
parking lot. The average assessment for commercial properties (where you shop, work and...
MoreCompany seeing big growth in family entertainment: Firm supplies parties with oddball acts from acrobats to mimes to ventriloquists
April 21, 2008
Jennifer WhitsonWhen Kathy Fitzgerald has a group of 85 day-camp kids to entertain, she needs someone who can hold their attention-easier
said than done considering they range in age from 6 to 13, not counting the 12 young adults who work as camp counselors. If
an act bombs, the result can be chaos. That's why Fitzgerald, assistant park manager for Broad Ripple Park, has locally based
FamilyTime Entertainment Inc. on her speed dial. FamilyTime can deliver a fully produced magic show,...
MoreVOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: There is no better time to think about going global
April 21, 2008
Michael SnyderA weak dollar. Lost jobs. Liquidity challenges. These and other perceived barriers tend to unfortunately mute short-term considerations
for Indiana businesses thinking about international expansion. The reality? Globalization of U.S. businesses is alive and
well, and proceeding at a breakneck pace. In fact, America and the world remain embroiled in likely the greatest commercial
transformation since the Industrial Revolution with the full integration of U.S. markets in an open era of innovation and
productivity. How does this play out in...
MoreInternational students flock to Purdue, IU: State schools are national leaders in attracting foreign-born scholars
April 21, 2008
Anthony SchoettlePurdue and Indiana universities have become magnets for international students. Purdue is third in foreign student enrollment
among all U.S. private and public colleges and universities. Indiana is No. 15. Another Big Ten school-the University of Illinois-is
No. 2. The University of Southern California is the leader, with 7,000 foreign students. Purdue currently has 4,994 foreign
students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs, while IU has 4,027. This year, overall, there are about 39,102 students
enrolled at Purdue's main campus...
MoreBEHIND THE NEWS: Plans in beaten-down state test HHGregg's strategy
April 21, 2008
Greg AndrewsHHGregg Inc.'s audacious expansion strategy is about to get its biggest test. Since 1999, the Indianapolis-based electronics
and appliance retailer has charged into eight new metro areas, adding 78 stores in such markets as Atlanta; Knoxville, Tenn.;
Birmingham, Ala.; and Charlotte, N.C. The company doesn't tiptoe in. It starts with multiple stores to justify the cost of
building distribution infrastructure and launching an advertising blitz. The strategy has allowed it to swiftly build major
market shares everywhere it's gone. Now,...
MoreIU leader's goal: global integration: CIBER director wants center's work to influence all areas of business education
April 21, 2008
Scott OlsonBarbara Flynn, a veteran of academia who arrived at Indiana University in 2006, is director of the IU Center for International
Business Education and Research. CIBER, founded in 1981, creates business research and study opportunities for IU faculty
and students, with the ultimate goal of preparing graduates to compete in today's global economy. The center mostly is funded
federally and operates on a $500,000 annual budget. The 55-year-old Flynn has a degree in psychology from Ripon College in
Wisconsin and...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: How kids do in high school matters to economy
April 14, 2008
Mike HicksFar too often, our worry about the shortterm state of the economy prevents us from focusing on the long term. That's too bad
because it is the long term, not the short run, that we have the most ability to influence. The most important issue looming
for Indiana and the nation is education. Here is the fate of a representative group of 10 18-year-olds. Four years ago, our
10 Hoosier students entered high school. One could not read. As of...
MoreDocs dip toes into computerized records: Electronic systems are the future, but high costs slow adoption rate
April 14, 2008
J.K. WallAsk Cathy Molchan the cost of installing the electronic medical record system in a doctor's office she administers, and she
gives a clear, quantified answer: $80,000. Ask her whether the system saves the practice any money, and her answer is less
concrete. "It can definitely save money because of the time savings," said Molchan, practice administrator for Dr. Leo Bonaventura,
an infertility specialist at Clarian North Medical Center. "You can actually be focused more on what you need to do,...
MoreNASCAR ponders following IRL's lead with ethanol: Green marketing a major motivator for race series
April 7, 2008
Anthony SchoettleThe Indy Racing League was the first North American race series to use an alternative fuel to power its cars. Now it appears
NASCAR might follow suit-news that has the attention of race fans and sponsors alike. "We're looking at eight or nine different
alternative fuels," said Andrew Giangola, NASCAR director of business communication. "Ethanol is one of the alternatives we're
looking at." NASCAR has put no timetable on adopting an alternative fuel. Because the league switched from leaded, petroleum-based...
MoreVIEWPOINT: 'Buy local' should be rallying cry
April 7, 2008
Brian SullivanIn recent months, our governor and mayors across the state proudly have announced business developments and out-of-state companies'
plans to expand or relocate in Indiana. They've worked overtime to earn these economic boosts, and they're to be congrat ulated
for helping bolster the state and local economy. But we're ignoring a simple strategy that could yield many more high-paying
jobs: Buy local. Here's the irony: Pursuing this strategy doesn't have to cost a dime. No recruiting trips to China, no...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Sales tax increase helps cut government spending
April 7, 2008
Mike HicksIndiana's sales taxes rose a penny this week, to 7 percent. The increase was a necessary remedy to our property tax mess.
But it's worth laying out its impact on our economy. Sales tax is paid by Hoosier residents, visitors and businesses alike.
By my estimates, Indiana households will pay $640 million in additional sales taxes, businesses $500 million more, and out-of-state
visitors an extra $160 million. The two effects economists might worry about with a tax hike are changes...
MoreDeveloper pulls back on growth to survive precarious economy
March 31, 2008
Cory SchoutenThe CEO of locally based Lauth Group Inc. says most people he knows in the business, even the steely types who always project
optimism, are privately nervous about the economic morass that began with a collapse in subprime mortgages.
MoreBEHIND THE NEWS: 2 tech firms planning IPOs get curveball from markets
March 31, 2008
Greg AndrewsAprimo Inc. and ExactTarget Inc. haven't had to weather the recent stock-market turmoil. Not directly, at least. But the two
Indianapolis software companies-which filed plans for IPOs last fall, when markets were comparatively serene-surely would
have made their public debuts by now if conditions had remained favorable. Lately, they've been anything but. The tech-heavy
NASDAQ Composite is off 12 percent in the year. And the volatility of the Dow Jones industrial average is enough to make anyone
queasy. One day,...
MoreVIEWPOINT: Get on board with transit, or miss the bus
March 31, 2008
Dennis DyeThe Crossroads of America is at a crossroads-a transportation crossroads. And the direction we choose will affect our area's
competitiveness and economy for decades. It's imperative that we embrace mass transit. Mass transit matters because it correlates
to a key concern for companies planning to move or expand: access to a qualified work force. In choosing a community, companies
assess obvious factors such as site acquisition costs and taxation, but even those typically take a back seat to work-force
access....
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Talk of corporate greed falls flat with this economist
March 31, 2008
Mike HicksIt is an election year again, and talk of corporate greed, that stalwart in the lexicon of electioneering, once again fills
the airwaves. An economics columnist usually wouldn't write about matters of sin. But attacks on greed always seem to have
a policy message attached, and that is a big problem for all of us. Formally, corporations cannot be greedy. Corporations,
not being human, cannot feel the weight of sin and so do not exhibit greed any more than they...
MoreLegislators tackle range of business-related measures:
March 24, 2008
Property tax reform took center stage during the just-completed session of the Indiana General Assembly. But lawmakers also
grappled with a host of other measures with business implications. A roundup appears below. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
One of the session's most divisive issues-whether to penalize companies that hire illegal immigrants-died during the waning
hours. Under the legislation, introduced by Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, companies could have had their business licenses suspended,
or revoked after three instances. The Senate and House passed...
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Good ole' Obamacare. Thanks liberals and those who didn't bother to vote.
Yes. Blame those who were too lazy to go vote Obama out and those who voted him in again. That's my take on it. I know folks won't get it on the left. OK. Start berating me now!
Serioulsy, people are AGINST this project? Most communities would be salivating over a project like this. You'd rather have an empty eye-sore gas station and shacks posing as apartments? This project is exactly what BR needs. BUILD IT MR MAYOR. And yes, I am a BR resident, and have been for 20 years.
As a St. Vincent employee of over 20 years, I am saddened and disheartened by this announcement. Unfortunately, as the healthcare "industry" continues on this political and corporate path, all that St. Vincent Hospital has stood for spiritually for its employees and this community is being sucked dry. I know it truly has no choice. It is not just Obamacare or just competition or just any single thing. This trend started long before I was even born when the government became involved in healthcare and it became an "industry." I grieve for those who will lose their jobs, one of whom may be me, but I also grieve for this hospital which I have served for over 20 years. May God give us and it the grace to withstand the future of healthcare.
Why do people constantly harp on this issue and act ignorant about what a city population measures? A city's population is the city's population. There is no argument or debate about it. If you want to measure the density of a city--measure it. If you want to measure the size of a metropolitan area, then measure the metropolitan population. City boundaries cover different sized areas--and they always have (though the disparity has probably increased since about 1900 or so when more cities began annexing their surrounding communities). For example, San Francisco only covers 49 square miles while Houston cover nearly 600 square miles. No one argues about the population rankings of either city even though they clearly cover extremely different sized areas. Indianapolis is the 13 largest city by population in the U.S. That is a fact. While the population of a metropolitan area may give you a better sense of how large a community is, as noted, even metro areas can vary widely in the size of geographic area they cover--so that is not a perfect comparison either.