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Manufacturing & Technology
Pact with automakers puts firm in fast lane: Battery pioneer signs deal with big three alliance, hopes to push technology
for hybrid cars to market
June 26, 2006
Anthony SchoettleA deal with the big-three U.S. automakers has positioned an Indianapolis manufacturer to be one of the leading battery providers
for domestically made hybrid vehicles. EnerDel Inc., which employs 35 at its 8740 Hague Road headquarters, recently signed
a deal to provide technology for hybrid-vehicle batteries to a consortium formed by DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford Motor Corp.
and General Motors Corp. EnerDel is a joint venture between two publicly traded firms, F l o r i d a - b a...
MoreAquaculture industry set to cast bigger net: Ag officials hope Indiana spawns more fish farmers
June 26, 2006
Scott OlsonForrest Gump owned a shrimp boat. Tim and Julie Connor have a shrimp farm instead. The couple, who live on 22 acres near Monrovia,
are in their third season raising prawn, or large shrimp, from a pond on their property. The $4,000 they earned last year
from selling 350 pounds of the crustaceans to the public is hardly enough to cause Tim, 47, to retire from the job he's held
at Allison Transmission for 28 years. But if the sideline...
MoreCar event 'astonishing': In 4th year, local show already one of nation's largest
June 19, 2006
Anthony SchoettleEconomic development leaders and corporate executives thought Roger Brummett was spinning his wheels when he launched a classic
car show in Indianapolis four years ago. But Brummett and partner Tim Durham find themselves at the wheel of such a fastgrowing
enterprise that they hope to expand it into a multiday event, with an auction and classic-car race, that they believe would
draw 100,000 attendees. The pair also plans to replicate the show in other markets, starting in Naples, Fla., in...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Motor-vehicle jobs: a path to the future?
June 12, 2006
Patrick BarkeyWould landing a new Honda plant be a plus for the Indiana economy? You bet it would. In fact, it's hard to think of any similar-size
investment that holds the same immediate potential for supporting additional jobs beyond those inside the plant walls. The
project scores well on just about every objective measure you can come up with to assess its attractiveness. It draws on skills
and occupations Indiana already has. Its activities hold great promise for new business for...
MoreRegional partnerships called key to making it: Purdue urges state manufacturers to join supply chain
June 12, 2006
Anthony SchoettleGrowing global competition is bringing local manufacturers together. And the definition of local is changing from around the
corner to within 500 miles. Officials from Purdue University have conducted a series of manufacturing summits encouraging
Indiana plants to tear down their separatist walls and become an integrated part of regional supply chains. "Supplier-based
manufacturing is based on long-term relationships in a 500-mile radius, so we need to think about Indiana manufacturing regionally,"
said John Sullivan, director of Purdue's Center for...
MoreGeographic restrictions could backfire for PERF: $105 million fund carries lots of potential, risks
June 12, 2006
Peter SchnitzlerBy restricting the new $105 million Indiana Investment Fund I to deals within state lines, Gov. Mitch Daniels hopes to simultaneously
spur economic development and earn a spectacular return for Indiana's retired public employees. But venture-capital experts
warn it's nearly impossible to have it both ways. "You need to be very, very clear what your objectives are when you invest
[pension] money. Is it for economic development or to help the pensioners earn better pensions?" said John Taylor, vice president...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: What if we moved the elderly out of state?
June 12, 2006
Morton Marcus"Don't write about this," Sid Simpleton told me. He is the state's social policy director. "People who have recently experienced
the loss of a loved one do not like death discussed without appropriate gravity." "I'll warn them not to read the column if
they have recently had such a loss," I said. Sipping gin and tonics on a warm spring afternoon does make the troubles of the
world seem less serious. "OK, if you think it's safe," Sid said. "This...
MoreProposed resource center targets science, tech, math: BioCrossroads wants to help build strong foundation Pulling things together
June 5, 2006
Tracy DonhardtOnly 64 percent of Indiana's fifthgraders passed the latest ISTEP+ test in science. A little better-76 percent-passed the
math component. Unfortunately, as children advance in grades, their ISTEP+ math scores worsen. By eighth grade, only 64 percent
passed the math portion of the test. Yet, economic development officials in Indiana-and much of the country-want young students
to choose to study in college areas of advanced manufacturing, life sciences, informatics, agribusiness and an array of disciplines
that require a strong foundation...
MoreDANIELS' DEAL CLOSERS: IEDC generating jobs, but economy shares part of credit
June 5, 2006
Peter SchnitzlerIt would have been big. Just last month, a team of officials from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and The Indy Partnership,
its local equivalent, were furiously negotiating with South Carolinabased fire-engine maker American LaFrance. Intrigued by
a mix of economic incentives and Indiana's central location, American LaFrance considered moving its operations to Marion
County. In formal negotiations, the company dangled promises of 653 jobs and a capital investment of $18.5 million. State
records don't reveal what incentives Indiana offered...
MoreDanica deal just one of many for MainGate: Firm looks to relocate as profits soar 828 percent
June 5, 2006
Anthony SchoettleWith a deep history in motorsports, it would be understandable if officials for Indianapolis-based MainGate were focused solely
on their recently signed exclusive licensing deal with racing diva Danica Patrick. After all, Patrick's merchandise outsold
all other Indy Racing League drivers combined last year, and since MainGate has taken over making, distributing and selling
her merchandise this year, sales have tripled, company officials said. But with the company busting at the seams and a wave
of new business from various...
MorePlant left with hazy future: Ex-Visteon factory employs 2,000-for now
May 29, 2006
Anthony SchoettleA struggling auto plant on Indianapolis' east side has quietly shed 300 workers in the past year, reducing employment to 2,000,
and analysts say it remains vulnerable to closing. If the steering-components plant on English Avenue meets that fate, employment
losses would exceed the 1,500 jobs Indiana hopes to win by persuading Honda Motor Co. to build a $400 million plant in the
southeastern part of the state. Before last fall, the east-side plant was part of Visteon Corp., a...
MoreVIEWPOINT: To be a logistics leader, state needs a plan
May 29, 2006
Bob PalmerIndiana is poised to become the country's logistics center. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion on that topic. Now
is the time for business, government and education to come together and make it happen. SupplyNet 2006-the recent statewide
conference that brought together not only transportation, distribution and logistics industries, but also representatives
from manufacturing, retail, information technology, government and academia-detailed the broader picture of supplychain management.
As a cutting-edge business strategy, supply-chain management integrates internal and external logistics...
MoreSMALL BUSINESS PROFILE: EXPRESSIONS SOFA STUDIO: Following her heart CPA-turned-retailer trying out a new way to sell furniture
May 29, 2006
Della PachecoSMALL BUSINESS PROFILE EXPRESSIONS SOFA STUDIO Following her heart CPA-turned-retailer trying out a new way to sell furniture
When Jennifer O'Connor graduated from the University of Dayton in 1990 with an accounting degree, the Fort Wayne native began
navigating the fast track toward partnership at a public accounting firm. But O'Connor's plans to marry and have children
didn't mesh with her 70-hour work weeks, so she quit her position with Ernst & Young and settled into decorating the Meridian-Kessler
home...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: Beware cost increases you can't see
May 22, 2006
Morton MarcusThere I was at the grocery store engaged in economic research. I found a plasticwrapped pack of 24 half-liter bottles of "spring
water" from a famous soft drink company was $4.99, or $1.57 per gallon. The store brand for "spring water," packaged in the
same fashion, was $3.88, or $1.22 per gallon. A 24-pack of regular or diet 12-ounce soft drinks from the same famous company
was selling for $6.49, or $2.97 per gallon. That's just about the price of...
MoreTower erector rises from ruin: Once bankrupt, water tank firm grows into industry giant, acquires competitor
May 22, 2006
Anthony SchoettleFrom the ashes of bankruptcy in 1986, an Avon-based firm has ascended to the top of an industry that might seem old-fashioned:
building and maintaining water towers. But the owners of Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors Inc. say new demand for their product,
driven by factors as diverse as aesthetics and alternative fuels, promises to boost the firm's $80 million in annual sales
as Phoenix grows from within and through acquisitions. Phoenix this month acquired Sebree, Ky.-based Pittsburgh Tank and Tower...
MoreDaniels seeks to copy key-clusters strategy: Industry initiatives would mimic BioCrossroads plan
May 15, 2006
Peter SchnitzlerIf imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, BioCrossroads has been vindicated. Gov. Mitch Daniels hopes to see a series
of similar industry initiatives sprout around key clusters in Indiana's economy. He envisions parallel initiatives for manufacturing,
transportation and logistics and a series of other crucial business sectors. "We'd love some company," said BioCrossroads
CEO David Johnson. As outlined in Daniels' "Accelerating Growth" economic development plan released last month, the initiatives
would be based on proven Indiana strengths and identifiable...
MoreRefiner enjoys oil boom: Calumet Specialty Products sees stock price take off
May 8, 2006
Chris O\'malleyIndianapolis is headquarters for Little Oil-Calumet Specialty Products Partners LP. Few locally have heard of the west-side
refining and petroleum products company, let alone of its Jan. 25 initial public stock offering that raised $144 million.
Calumet is controlled by an equally obscure group of families that still own the bulk of company shares. Yet shares of little
Calumet-sales last year of $1.3 billion-are up 40 percent since the January IPO intended to fuel acquisitions. The appreciation
is partly due...
MoreReebok should fit into Adidas' global plan: Indianapolis facility finds an ally in NBA after 11-year apparel deal
May 8, 2006
Anthony SchoettleAdidas-Salomon AG's $3.8 billion acquisition of Reebok International is having ripple effects from Boston to Beijing. Those
waves are likely to wash right through Reebok's design and manufacturing plant on Indianapolis' east side, which employs nearly
1,000. Reebok's headquarters will remain in Canton, Mass., and Adidas will maintain its state-side headquarters in Portland,
Ore., but officials for the German sporting goods giant have revealed little else about their plans for Reebok facilities.
Adidas officials have said they project saving $212...
MoreBloomington's Cook tightens women's health focus: New business unit plans summer product rollout
May 8, 2006
Tom MurphyPrivately held Cook Inc. has added a seventh business unit in a bid to strengthen its presence in the growing market for gender-specific
health care products, a move that could bring jobs to southern Indiana. The Bloomington-based medicaldevice maker will unveil
its Women's Health unit May 8 in Spencer. The unit actually started operating last September, initially taking on a combination
of products pulled from the company's urological unit, also in Spencer. But Women's Health leader Christina Anné said it...
MoreBioCrossroads seeks help teaching math and science: Education center to bolster students' careers
May 1, 2006
Indiana life sciences initiative BioCrossroads wants to improve the science and math skills of Indiana's elementary and high
school students. To figure out how, it's asking the public for ideas. BioCrossroads released a "request for interest in participation"
in the creation of a new K-12 Indiana Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education Resource Center. Patterned after
the North Carolina Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Center, BioCrossroads' STEM is meant to be a Web-based, largely
virtual organization. It would coordinate math...
MoreIEDC hopes to establish regional venture capital funds: Counties may balk at spending tax money elsewhere
May 1, 2006
Peter SchnitzlerIt is the kind of business stimulus program that few oppose on paper, but to get the idea off the drawing board, IEDC must
convince counties to relinquish their parochialism and ingrained spending habits. That's likely to be tricky. "One of the
things we're trying hard to do as a state is to break down county borders where you have infighting, wasted resources and
missed opportunities," said IEDC Executive Vice President and General Counsel Nathan Feltman. "We want to make...
MoreStadium off diversity mark: Some minority, female contractors say they're being left out
May 1, 2006
Scott OlsonBlack businessman Lorenzo Gibson is optimistic that AFI Manufacturing Group will still get a chance to participate in the
construction of the $950 million Lucas Oil Stadium and Indiana Convention Center expansion. But like Indianapolis Colts reserve
quarterback Jim Sorgi, the owner of the Kokomobased metal fabricator has spent most of his time observing from the sidelines.
"To watch a project of this magnitude go right by us is very disappointing," Gibson said. "It's very disheartening because
you have companies...
MoreNASCAR a big deal for IRST: Role as security products provider could be worth $100M
April 24, 2006
Anthony SchoettleIngersoll Rand Security Technologies has been named NASCAR's first official provider of security products, a deal that could
mean substantial growth for the company's Carmel headquarters and an Indianapolis manufacturing plant, which together already
employ 900. IRST is a division of Bermuda-based behemoth Ingersoll-Rand Co., which is better known for agricultural, construction
and transportation equipment sold under names such as Bobcat and Thermo King. The link with the racing circuit is expected
to drive home the point that Ingersoll-Rand is...
MoreGamer cashes in on hobby: Arcade cabinets combine old titles, new technology
April 24, 2006
Jessica WolfeRick Barretto started filling his basement with arcade games soon after graduating from Indiana University. An avid gamer
since his youth, he loved to play, but to get the games he wanted, he had to buy fullsized arcade cabinets-12 of them. His
basement was only so big, and his wife's tolerance only so high. "My wife was saying, 'There's got to be a better way,'" said
Barretto, 39. So he put his college computer-science classes to work and spent more...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Measuring jobs: How to get handle on how we're doing
April 24, 2006
Patrick BarkeyGetting a good read on the Indiana economy is harder than you might think. That's partly because there really is no such thing
as the Indiana economy. State borders are, after all, purely legal contrivances that flows of dollars, workers and goods don't
worry much about. We're a collection of regions, in actuality, some centered within our state's borders and some not. But
it is the public sector that does the scorekeeping on the economy, and it is public officials...
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These higher rates Co. e about only because physicians are now hospital employees. otherwise physicians couldn't charge these rates and share the windfall with the hospital. Community/rural hospitals probably not buying physicians practices and thus weren't getting the windfall anyway.
The incentive for poor people to get themselves off public assistance and "no longer be poor" is even with help...they're STILL POOR! Being poor, even with some assistance, isn't all that pleasant. (I speak from experience) It's a stubborn myth that poor people, who are on public assistance, are sitting in the lap of luxury. You should try living on just those "freebies" that you mentioned and see how meager they actually are. By the way, I didn't mean you had to buy/own a puppy...just pet one. :)
As near as I can tell the minority has ZERO constitutional obligation to offer a quorum to the majority. A requirement for quorum was inserted into the constitution so that tyrannical majorities could not simply shove through odious and objectionable legislation (which is exactly what they did.) By allowing a tyrannical majority to charge fines against the minority for exercising their constitutional prerogative to deny quorum the court as made a mockery of constitutional governance in the state of Indiana.
The voters elected the Reps to make a vote not walk out on the vote. They had to the right to exercise their opinion and vote "no" to the bill. Let me ask you this if you walked out of your job for 5 straight weeks would you get paid? Would you even have a job to go back to? If any elected official walks out on the people they should be arrested for stealing tax dollars from the public. They were elected to do a job and not leave when the job gets stuff.
I have been to several of their locations in Pennsylvania and always go in for 1 item and leave with a basket full of things. I'm very happy they decided on Indiana, now if only they would put the other store in eastside.