Manufacturing & Technology

Mother of invention: Out of necessity, new mom conceives innovative baby mobile deviceRestricted Content

August 13, 2007
Della Pacheco
As a commercial and appellate litigator for Indianapolis-based law firm Baker & Daniels LLP, Kathy Osborn represents business and individual clients in state and federal court. She has faced formidable challenges, but one outside the courtroom proved especially difficult for the 42-year-old first-time mom: how to quiet her colicky son Harper when he awoke crying every night. A music lover, Osborn was certain she could find a musical mobile that would play a variety of soothing songs long enough to...
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OrthoPediatrics looks to kids to set it apart: Larger implant manufacturers focus on adultsRestricted Content

August 13, 2007
J.K. Wall
But that's changing now, as the orthopedics juggernaut in Warsaw has spawned another company. Formed a year ago, OrthoPediatrics in October will launch its first 10 orthopedic implants designed especially for kids. The startup hopes to do research at the offices and hospital of OrthoIndy, a group of orthopedic physicians in Indianapolis. OrthoPediatrics' niche is one that has been shunned by the larger orthopedic implant companies based in the northern Indiana city-Zimmer Holdings Corp., Biomet Inc. and DePuy Orthopaedics Inc....
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INVESTING: Strange time for business: Bad, good news aboundsRestricted Content

August 13, 2007
Ken Skarbeck
There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says, "May you live in interesting times." The saying possesses a sort of electric connotation, with hopes that one experiences an exciting lifetime. Yet in the historical use of this proverb, the interpretation of "interesting times" hasn't always meant "good times," with some recitals implying "dangerous times." For investors, our times are certainly interesting. We have a global economy that is booming. Economic growth across the planet has never been in such harmony....
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Strides taken in life sciences, experts say: Industry panel: Thanks to ongoing efforts, Indiana has experienced serious progress as biomedical hotbed during last 5 yearsRestricted Content

July 23, 2007
Five leaders of Indiana's life sciences industry offered their perspectives at the Indiana Convention Center June 26 as part of the Indianapolis Business Journal's Power Breakfast Series. The panelists: Mike Arpey, managing director of global investment bank Credit Suisse's Asset Management Division and manager of the $73 million Indiana Future Fund for BioCrossroads, the state's life sciences economicdevelopment initiative. Ron Ellis, co-founder, president and CEO of Lafayettebased Endocyte Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the treatment of cancer through receptor-targeted...
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McBroom Industrial Services: Relationships critical to business survival Repair service keeps evolving to meet customer needRestricted Content

July 16, 2007
Marc D.
When Hilton McBroom founded McBroom Electric in his parents' garage in the midst of the Depression, he couldn't have envisioned that the company would exist 75 years later-or what it would be doing. Back then, McBroom repaired anything someone would pay him to fix. Over the years, the company evolved from repairing washers, dryers and furnace motors (and selling Maytag products) to fixing electric motors in manufacturing machinery to its current concentration-repairing and remanufacturing specialty devices used by industrial customers...
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VIEWPOINT: Domestic 'insourcing' our way to job growthRestricted Content

July 16, 2007
Joe Hornett
Anchor Lou Dobbs of CNN is a pest to some folks and a hero for others. His recurring economic message laments a view of U.S. workers losing out as companies send jobs overseas. Dobbs' critics, of course, cite his convenient omission of the many interna tional companies that invest in U.S. communities through new manufacturing plants, research facilities and other initiatives. Love the debate or detest it, but consider this: Hasn't Dobbs helped stir a discussion about how the new...
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EYE ON THE PIE: Hoosiers are not getting full truthRestricted Content

July 2, 2007
Morton Marcus
Goodnews serves up economic and business reports about Indiana. Recently, I read his draft press release: "Indiana's personal income rose to $211.1 billion in the first quarter of 2007. That is an increase of $8.2 billion, more than 4 percent in the past year." "Is that it?" I asked. "Those are the latest facts from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis," he said. "Anything else would be putting a spin on the basic truth." "Goodie," I said, using his nickname,...
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HUMAN RESOURCES: If you hire in a hurry, you may feel bad for a long timeRestricted Content

June 25, 2007
Tom Phillips
Of all the components of finding and hiring the right employees, employers consider interviewing job candidates the most difficult. If not done well, interviews can lead an employer to make the wrong decision. Why? Because job candidates rehearse their answers to the traditional interview questions, telling the employers what they want to hear. However, if employers ask behavioral based questions, job candidates can't manipulate their answers as easily. Perhaps a scenario-a composite taken from typical real-life episodes-will illustrate the difference...
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Bank exec forms electric-vehicle bizRestricted Content

June 18, 2007
Peter Schnitzler
Banker Steve Tolen is attempting to resuscitate the electric car. Tolen believes conditions are ripe for an upstart automaker to launch a safe battery-powered vehicle capable of rapid acceleration, highway speeds and over 100 miles of distance between charges.
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EYE ON THE PIE: Indiana's future not looking so goodRestricted Content

June 18, 2007
Morton Marcus
"Aye," Fergus affirmed. "They'll have tornado alerts and heavy-rain warnings," I said. "They'll flood us with high-water forecasts, beat upon us with hail reports, and show us maps that make us abandon all outdoor activity while we glue ourselves to the TV." "'Tis so," nodded Fergus. "Those weather people are worse than economists when it comes to urging data on us," I insisted. "Could be," Fergus said. "No doubt about it," I replied. "It wasn't in the papers or on...
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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Will state's job growth always trail nation's?Restricted Content

June 18, 2007
Patrick Barkey
You usually have to swallow your pride when it comes time to forecast the growth of the Indiana economy. That's because no matter what your heart says, your head tells you what the best forecast will be. That is the one that pulls up well short of growth in the rest of the country. There are a lot of talented people working hard around the state trying to change that. And if the full truth be told, most of our...
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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Focusing on factory jobs misses the big pictureRestricted Content

June 11, 2007
Patrick Barkey
There's been something peculiar going on in the business media in Indiana over the last few weeks. We've been beating ourselves up because the state is losing manufacturing jobs. Headlines about the decline are popping up, and state and local development officials are facing the bright light of media scrutiny. The chatter on Internet "talk-back" forums serves up plenty of people to blame-the governor, the unions, the Chinese and even our neighbors who buy imported goods. But if I could...
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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Despite the doomsayers, manufacturing still mattersRestricted Content

June 11, 2007
John Layden
From a manufacturing perspective, the United States in the 21st century is a curious place. In 1950s, science promised us the day when high-technology advances would perfrom a whole range of mundane work, thus releasing humanity to the pursuit of more noble intellectual and fulfilling activities. A half-century later, much of that promise-at least from the technology side-has been fulfilled. Yet, curiously, when the natural evolution of the free market affects U.S. manufacturing, all manner of handwringing and doom-saying emerge....
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Yurt biz owners think it's hip to be round: McCordsville firm counts on growing popularity for circular buildings with odd nameRestricted Content

June 11, 2007
Anthony Schoettle
It was a terrible storm. Emerging from his tattered tent at a Renaissance re-enactment camp more than 20 years ago, Ken Lawrence surveyed the decimated landscape, with only three oddlooking round structures surviving the 60-plus-mile-per-hour winds. Intrigued by what kind of structure withstood such a violent blow through this tent town, Lawrence poked his head inside the Mongolian-style yurt, a round tent-like structure with a uniquely engineered roof. "I was amazed they were still standing," Lawrence said. "Utterly amazed." Immediately,...
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Autism's rise challenges local agencies: Those with disorder face difficulties in locating meaningful employmentRestricted Content

June 4, 2007
Tracy Donhardt
Experts haven't pinpointed the exact reason, but they do know one thing-the rate at which children are being diagnosed with autism has been rising. About one child in 150 is diagnosed by the age of 8 with autism or a related autism spectrum disorder such as Asperger's syndrome, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That rate is up about 10 times from the 1980s. Experts have a variety of theories to explain the...
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Coal vendor not digging coke plant closure: Virginia firm sues Citizens Gas for breach of contractRestricted Content

May 28, 2007
Chris O\'malley
Citizens Gas & Coke Utility faces the first big fallout from a vendor involving the planned closure of its coke manufacturing plant. A breach-of-contract lawsuit by Bristol, Va.-based Central Coal Co. could make the plant even more of a money pit as Citizens seeks to cut its losses and escape the problems caused by falling coke demand and rising environmental compliance costs. Central Coal says it's out almost $831,000 because Indianapolis Coke failed to buy all the coal required under...
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Public-company CEOs lavished in perks, disclosures revealRestricted Content

May 28, 2007
J.K. Wall
Seven Indiana public companies not only own corporate jets, but also let their executives use them for personal trips. Cummins Inc., Hillenbrand Industries Inc., Zimmer Holdings Inc., Eli Lilly and Co., NiSource Inc., WellPoint Inc. and 1st Source Corp. all allow some personal use of company jets.
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CHRIS KATTERJOHN Commentary: 'Rip' is just right for CICPRestricted Content

May 28, 2007
It's been 15 months since Central Indiana Corporate Partnership CEO Mark Miles wrote in these pages that he felt like Rip Van Winkle when he returned to the city after being away for 15 years. Miles has done anything but sleep since he got back. Neither has the CICP board of directors. That group should be congratulated for making an outstanding choice of a new leader and for taking bold steps forward. This seems to have been a perfect match...
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Techpoint honors Indiana companies, educators: Judges narrow 80 nominees to 13 Mira winnersRestricted Content

May 21, 2007
Peter Schnitzler
This year's recipients of Techpoint's Mira awards include some of the area's best-known technology startups as well as lower-profile firms that have racked up big achievements. On May 18, the technology trade group was scheduled to acknowledge the accomplishments of Hoosier entrepreneurs in information technology, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and education with its eighth annual gala at the Indiana Roof Ballroom downtown. "It's always good to recognize companies and give them a pat on the back, put them on the...
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Full Perspective Video Services Inc.: Marketing firm is one-stop shop Company stays agile thanks to logistics unitRestricted Content

May 21, 2007
Julie Young
After a stint in public accounting, Whetzel went to work for Fleming Packaging Co., a firm that duplicated and distributed videotapes. After taking some losses on a couple of projects, the owners of Fleming didn't see the potential for video duplication and distribution, so Whetzel and business partner Charlie Seldon bought the company in 1991. Doing the deal wasn't easy. "I borrowed from family, refinanced the house, and took everything out of savings," he said. "I was dead broke and...
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Welding school's custom curriculum gains notice: Institution counts on business-to-business contactsRestricted Content

May 21, 2007
Anthony Schoettle
Seeking to take advantage of a growing statewide welder shortage, the area's first school specializing in advanced welding opened this month. Photon School of Welding Inc. Director Charles Garinger and a silent partner have invested more than $300,000 to open the school at West 84th Street and Zionsville Road. The operation is financed through the founders' savings and a loan from National City Bank. It opened this month in a 6,000-squarefoot facility with a capacity of 52 welding booths. Many...
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Contamination reconsidered: Developers show more acceptance toward environmental trouble spots When property is scarce, mitigation becomes viableRestricted Content

May 21, 2007
Chris O\'malley
When property is scarce, mitigation becomes viable The plan to close Citizens Gas & Coke Utility's coke manufacturing plant this year has already brought a few inquires about its reuse potential. But perhaps the biggest impact of the foundry fuel-maker's demise will be stoking discussions over whether other environmentally scarred properties are ripe for redevelopment. Until recent years, many developers regarded any property with even a tinge of environmental contamination as if a parcel in Chernobyl. The coke plant "illustrates...
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Ex-Brightpoint officer points to higher-upsRestricted Content

May 21, 2007
Greg Andrews
John Delaney, a second-tier Brightpoint Inc. executive convicted of securities fraud last year, charges in a newly public letter that upper management was in on the scheme. The 2004 letter implicates former Chief Financial Officer Phil Bounsall, now executive vice president of locally based Walker Information.
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Ruined Brightpoint manager heading to trialRestricted Content

May 21, 2007
Greg Andrews
Four years after the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Harcharik of committing securities fraud at Brightpoint Inc., he finally has his day in court. A civil jury trial is scheduled to start May 21 in Manhattan. It could last as long as three weeks.
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Local manufacturer tops in laundry coin machinesRestricted Content

May 14, 2007
Jennifer Whitson
Standard Change-Makers employs 118 people who make 3,500 change machines each year for self-service laundries, self-service car washes and arcades nationwide. Local workers design, build and service change machines.
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