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Manufacturing & Technology
EYE ON THE PIE: Waiting for evidence of recession
March 10, 2008
Morton MarcusSave the date: March 27. That's when the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis will release the latest data on Indiana's economy.
At that time, we'll get the first estimate of personal income for the last three months of 2007, plus revisions of previous
quarters. If there is a recession, that's where we will see the first clear indications. If? Yes, it is still not clear if
there is a recession because the data, our photos of economic performance, are not...
MoreTelamon on the rebound: Diversification puts Carmel technology firm back on fast track, prevents layoffs
March 10, 2008
Peter SchnitzlerIn 2003, Carmel-based Telamon Corp. hit rock bottom. So, founder Albert Chen returned to his roots. Taiwanese native Chen,
63, had spent two decades building his firm to serve telecommunications giants. But when the dot-com bubble burst, the telecom
industry tanked along with it. Telamon-then Indiana's largest minority-owned business-saw its annual revenue plummet $300
million, down from $456 million in 2001. Most managers would have chosen to shrink Telamon to reflect its new reality. But
Chen doesn't do mass layoffs....
MoreVIEWPOINT: Suffering a slow death by technology
March 3, 2008
Jon FordSomebody help me! I want to go back to the '80s! This technology stuff is killing me. A rotary phone and a busy signal, that's
the ticket. Ma Bell: She's my gal. Simplicity. Doesn't that sound good? I used to think the advances in electron ic technology
were a good thing. The early developments were excellent and, like most people, I rushed out to buy them. The iPod, now, that
was a great advance. A complete Beethoven collection in a...
MoreFormer Thomson exec attempts to revive Proscan TVs: U.S. subsidiary sells South Korean flatscreens
February 25, 2008
Peter SchnitzlerIn the mid 1990s, Carmel's then-giant Thomson Consumer Electronics annually sold $300 million worth of high-end televisions
under the name Proscan. But by the end of the decade, the company's French owners had abandoned Proscan in favor of a strategy
emphasizing the betterknown RCA brand. Now a former Thomson executive based in Indianapolis is attempting to revive Proscan.
Last year, Pat Deighan sold nearly $50 million worth of Proscan high-definition flatscreen LCD televisions in the United States.
This year, he...
MoreAgainst odds, AlGalCo pursues 'Holy Grail' of power cells
February 25, 2008
Sam StallA small West Lafayette technology startup has quietly unveiled a product that might, just might, change the world. At the
TechAdvantage Conference and Expo in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 20, Kurt Koehler, CEO, co-founder (and, for the moment, sole
employee) of AlGalCo LLC, showed off a pre-production hydrogen-powered emergency generator.
MoreUphill battle ahead: State poses tough test for new enviro leader
February 11, 2008
Chris O\'malleyBy the time Jesse Kharbanda earned a Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford, the University of Chicago student already knew
he wanted to advocate environmental policies in the developing world, someday. Eight years later, some might say Kharbanda
has landed in the developing world, all right-Indiana, insofar as it's considered the backwater of environmental stewardship.
One might recall the state's 49thplace ranking in a 2007 review of "greenest" states by Forbes magazine. Only West Virginia-a
national leader in illiteracy-scored worse....
MoreLaw firms making green push: Environmental teams provide marketing boost
February 11, 2008
Scott OlsonThe next generation of environmental law is coming to a firm near you. Many law firms have existing practices that counsel
clients on the complexities of complying with air and water permits or cleaning up contaminated properties. But now that the
corporate sector is embracing "green" initiatives quicker than Al Gore accumulates carbon credits, environmental law is becoming
as sexy as, say, intellectual property. Two of the city's largest firms-Ice Miller LLP and Baker & Daniels LLP-recently unveiled
so-called "green"...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: Readers respond to Indiana stamp
February 11, 2008
Morton MarcusOn Jan. 14, I wrote about the new Indiana stamp from the U.S. Postal Service. I objected to the selection of a farm tractor
with a cityscape in the distance as being typical of Indiana and invited readers to comment. Below are a few typical remarks:
From a reader in Tennessee who grew up in Kokomo: "As I read your column, I was torn between what you were saying and my warm
fuzzy memories of my childhood. ... Indiana represents...
MoreTechnology park could boost area's biomedical efforts: First phase of Purdue project, featuring accelerator building for up
to 25 startups, should be finished this year
February 4, 2008
Scott OlsonThe park is expected to be a major amenity for the area's growing biomedical economic development efforts. Purdue Research
Foundation paid $2.5 million in June to purchase a half-interest in 78 acres at AmeriPlex industrial park. The university
ultimately anticipates filling it with as many as 75 businesses and 1,500 jobs. AmeriPlex owner Holladay Properties, a South
Bend developer of industrial parks, owns the other half of the site. Dubbed Purdue Accelerator Park at AmeriPlex-Indianapolis,
the project is intended to...
MoreVOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: More businesses can benefit from a doctor in the house
February 4, 2008
Christopher S.Fifty years ago, a sick or injured worker in a manufacturing plant did not have to leave work to get care-the worker simply
went to the plant clinic and saw the company doctor. Today, the idea of the company clinic is making a come back, but with
a new emphasis on wellness and prevention. health recommendations and concerns. In some cases, these routine visits can lead
to the discovery of potentially serious conditions that might have otherwise gone unnoticed and...
MoreThrottling up for big job cuts at Rolls-Royce?: Local impact of international job reductions isn't clear
February 4, 2008
Chris O\'malleyThe more than 4,000 employees at the region's second-largest manufacturer are waiting to learn whether some will lose their
jobs. Rolls-Royce Group PLC plans to cut up to 2,300 U.S. and European positions. The British aerospace company on Jan. 11
said it plans to slash its work force by almost 6 percent among managerial, professional and clerical ranks. It blames rising
raw material costs and the declining value of the U.S. dollar. First-half 2007 profits of $600 million were roughly...
MoreSTATEHOUSE DISPATCH: Legislators avoiding games as they tackle tax reform
January 28, 2008
Ed FeigenbaumPeople outside the legislative process finally are understanding that there is no perfect solution to the property tax reform
dilemma, that it is not a zero-sum game, that there will be winners and losers, and that this is not a Democrat vs. Republican
issue. What they still do not realize is how hard legislators are working to accommodate the legitimate concerns of homeowners,
governmental units and schools, businesses, and agricultural interests, and how difficult it is to assemble a package...
MoreCity emerging as drug distribution hub: Medco Health Solutions deal latest boon to growing subsector in Indiana's life sciences
development efforts
January 21, 2008
Peter SchnitzlerThanks to a series of major economic development wins, Indianapolis is enjoying a pharmaceutical distribution business hot
streak. Life sciences industry leaders hope to keep the sizzle burning in 2008 and beyond. "It's not something we're hoping
we can do someday. It's something we're already doing now," said BioCrossroads CEO David Johnson. "We're simply trying to
expand the footprint of what we're doing." Pharmaceutical logistics has become a big business. According to the Arlington,
Va.-based Healthcare Distribution Management Association, U.S....
MoreGrowing biomed firm rolls with the changes: Under string of owners, Seradyn develops niche producing immunoassays
January 21, 2008
Scott OlsonLife sciences firm Seradyn Inc. on Georgetown Road has endured a revolving door of owners in the 30-some years since its inception.
But what hasn't changed is its dedication to developing immunoassays for medical purposes. Immunoassays are chemical tests
used to detect or quantify a specific substance-the analyte-in a blood or body fluid sample. Seradyn develops and manufactures
assays that use antibodies to measure drug concentrations in the bloodstream. In the past 10 years, Seradyn has developed
15 such products...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: Indiana being stamped with wrong image
January 14, 2008
Morton MarcusBlessed be our friends at the U.S. Postal Service. They do a great job of collecting and distributing the mail. They face
strong competition from private carriers and from the Internet, but they continue to serve the public well. Then, too, USPS
always looks for new ways to honor America and Americans through the issuance of new stamps. If a particular series catches
on, they can make a pretty penny by selling stamps that are never used. That's why USPS...
MoreNY Times job helps ACS Sign gain attention
January 14, 2008
Anthony SchoettleACS Sign System's unusual approach to sign-making--some are not strictly signs at all--has helped the company grow its revenue
and expand its footprint beyond Indiana. In recent years, sales outside its home state have grown from 20 percent of total
revenue to almost half.
MoreINVESTING: Look to battered sectors for bargain investments
December 31, 2007
Ken SkarbeckThis was a puzzling year for investors. It began with ample lowcost money available to borrowers and record-low volatility
across markets. It will end with a credit crunch hobbling financial firms and a market punctuated by volatile spurts. And
yet despite this significant shift in market character, the major averages will end the year with modest positive gains. The
year began with a sort of benign complacency for investors, as stocks had been on a smooth upward trajectory since the...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Why state's job growth is better than neighbors'
December 24, 2007
Mike HicksFor the past week or so, I have been flooded by phone calls from colleagues in Illinois and Michigan, chortling over a new
marketing campaign launched by Hoosiers. The privately financed billboards and radio spots ask businesses and residents whether
they are tired of high taxes and unresponsive government. If so, they are invited to "Come on IN" to Indiana. It's high-order
fun this holiday season. Indiana sits as a small island of growth in the Midwest, and it is...
MoreUnion push under way at 2 Indianapolis hotels: They would be first to unionize in central Indiana
December 24, 2007
Jennifer WhitsonEmployees at two Indianapolis hotels have begun a push to unionize-a move that, if successful, would make the properties the
only union hotels in central Indiana. Several workers at the downtown Westin and the Keystone Sheraton have met with representatives
of New York-based Unite Here, a labor group that represents about 440,000 hospitality and textile employees nationwide. Both
hotels are part of Bethesda, Md.-based Host Hotels & Resorts Inc.'s global portfolio. Backers said a union is needed to raise
wages...
MoreCentury-old manufacturer cleans up on dirty water
December 17, 2007
Anthony SchoettleOne hundred and one years ago, Cole Stickle convinced the Langsenkamp family to help him start a company based on a
technology few understood--turning water into steam power. Five generations later, the 15-employee operation continues to
thrive.
MoreETS turns city into world's tanning-bed capital: Company produces 24 models for home, business use
December 17, 2007
Scott OlsonIndianapolis-based ETS Tan Inc. is the world's largest manufacturer of tanning beds, annually churning out twice as many as
its nearest competitor. Yet, the company founded in 1984 by Trevor and Edna Gray has plans to boost production, thanks to
new ownership that has the financial clout to make it happen. In August 2006, MH Equity entered the indoor tanning industry
with the purchase of Sunshine Holdings, the umbrella company for ETS, Australian Gold and software provider Helios LLC. MH...
MoreIndesign LLC: Engineers designed firm after losing corporate jobs Ownership stake gave workers even more motivation to succeed
December 17, 2007
Marc D.Eleven years ago, AT&T/Lucent Bell Laboratories announced it was closing its wired consumer product design division in Indianapolis
and consolidating operations in New Jersey. That left about 90 employees here with a choice: Move or find another job. Most
went or joined other companies. But 34 decided to stick together and start their own business here-Indesign LLC. Today, the
high-tech electronic design and development company near Fort Benjamin Harrison is a $6 million-a-year business with 53 employees
and clients that...
MoreBEHIND THE NEWS: Cash infusion propels pioneering battery firm into future
December 10, 2007
Greg AndrewsEnerDel, an Indianapolis company pioneering a new kind of battery for hybrid vehicles, has just received a badly needed jolt
of juice. EnerDel's parent, Florida-based alternative-energy firm Ener1 Inc., late last month wrapped up $32 million in equity
financing from a group of investment heavyweights, including JPMorgan Chase and Credit Suisse. The investors received warrants
giving them the right to invest another $43 million within 180 days, boosting the total capital commitment to $75 million.
"The investors we have gotten...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: How globalization benefits Hoosier companies
December 10, 2007
Mike HicksThe debate on globalization most often focuses on imported goods. This is natural, for it is the sole source of pain associated
with increasing international trade. The pain accrues to workers and investors in businesses that cannot compete internationally.
Of course, the net impact is positive, in part because trade reallocates workers and capital to more productive activities.
These more productive activities pay better and so are ultimately better for the economy-both here and abroad. One often-overlooked
element of the...
MoreFull incubator widens reach: Tech center to help non-tenants
November 26, 2007
Scott OlsonThe "no vacancy" sign hanging at an Indiana University business incubator has prompted officials to launch a program in which
startup companies can gain access to support services without renting space. IU's Emerging Technologies Center, on West 10th
Street near the Central Canal, houses 25 companies in about 44,000 square feet of space. The center has been operating at
full capacity the past two years and has a waiting list of four companies. For those who can't get into the...
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It's also across the street from Fogo de Chao and Morton's....
Yep, the haters are trying to make good news bad. I guess it is hard to get people to believe the series is dying when they are gaining new sponsors.
David Copperfield! I remember watching his specials on TV when I was little.
Don't forget this is next to an MMA gym, a pawn shop, and some abandoned spaces.
Good project for Zionsville - A group who has owned the property for many years has waited and worked patiently to bring highest and best use development to a major corridor, and mix that in with the great downtown you have. Win Win. All the Best to Pittman Partners and Zionsville.