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Manufacturing & Technology
Regional 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...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Diversifying economy requires new mind-set
April 17, 2006
Patrick BarkeyThe microwave oven has been a staple in most American kitchens for so long that there is now a generation of young adults
who've never lived without them. And for that same generation, the doughy, limp texture of foods like pizza quick-cooked in
a microwave, in contrast to the crisped, browned texture produced over a longer time by conventional heat, is associated with
the food, not the technology. If you've grown up eating from a microwave, that's the way food's...
MoreREADY TO EXPLODE: State's new fireworks law has retailers predicting their sales will skyrocket
April 3, 2006
Matthew KishREADY TO State's new fireworks law has retailers predicting their sales will skyrocket Indiana's fireworks industry officials
say their business is about to explode faster than a gas-soaked cherry bomb, thanks to a new law that makes it legal to ignite
bottle rockets and Roman candles in back yards. And best of all for retailers, the law makes it almost impossible for new
competition to get a piece of the action. "I'm going to sell more stuff," said Elizabeth Howard,...
MoreIDEM pollution fines fall: Violators assessed lowest amount since '99, but Daniels administration speeds up process
March 27, 2006
Chris O\'malleyUnder Republican control for the first time in 16 years, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in 2005 handed
out $2.03 million in fines for pollution violations, the lowest annual assessment since at least 1999. The 2005 penalties
were down nearly $600,000 from a year earlier, when the department was under the administration of Gov. Joe Kernan. But IDEM
records show Gov. Mitch Daniels' team had comparatively little patience for unresolved cases, in which the commission and
alleged violators couldn't...
MoreSchneider Corp. has designs on big growth in Lawrence: Long-time engineering firm gets boost from state as it plans to make
$4.4 million investment, add 140 workers
March 27, 2006
Scott OlsonThe voluminous building the Schneider Corp. occupies on the former Fort Benjamin Harrison property was built as a barracks
for enlisted men and later converted to a dormitory. So it's fitting that the locally based engineering firm has a vision
to create a university-type setting on its nearly fouracre campus where employees can receive training without stepping foot
off the property. "We've worked on a strategic plan for the last couple of years, and Schneider University is part of that...
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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.