Articles

‘Of course I’m going to use it’

The lawyer who accidentally sent an e-mail to a New York Times reporter about settlement talks underway with Eli Lilly and Co. asked that the reporter not use information from the e-mail in a story. However, the reporter, Alex Berenson, quickly dispelled any notion of keeping it under wraps. “And I said, you know, are […]

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House sales, prices drop in January

Pended house sales in the nine-county Indianapolis area fell 12.2 percent in January from the same month last year, according to figures released today. The region saw 1,962 pended sales, compared to 2,235 in January 2007, said F.C. Tucker Co., which based the news on figures gathered by the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Pended sales are […]

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Slowing orders hit another trailer maker

Vanguard National Trailer Corp. has reduced its operations from two shifts to one, but did not cut workers, joining other truck-trailer makers that are responding to a slowdown in the market, reports The Herald Journal of Monticello. Vanguard National is a unit of China International Marine Containers Co. Ltd. and has its operations in the […]

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MetLife closing north-side office

New York insurer MetLife Inc. is closing its call center at 9001 Wesleyan Road and shifting the employees to working from home, the company said today. Approximately 89 workers take calls for auto and home claims. The office is located near Interstate 465 and North Michigan Road.

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Powerway CEO elevated to chairman

Powerway Inc., an Indianapolis-based developer of manufacturing quality control software, today gave CEO H. Dave Chambliss the additional title of chairman. Prior to his association with Powerway, Chambliss was chief operating officer for Georgia-based Visiprise Inc., which specializes in integrated manufacturing operations solutions. While at Visiprise, he led operations through the company’s acquisition of HMS […]

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Illegal immigrant bill hearing tomorrow

A hearing about legislation that would penalize businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants begins at 9 a.m. tomorrow before the House Committee on Public Policy in the House chamber at the Statehouse. The bill, authored by Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, has passed the Senate, and makes it a misdemeanor for transporting, shielding from detection, concealing […]

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Steak n Shake critic officially launches fight

A Texas-based investor group today officially launched its campaign seeking two seats on the board of The Steak n Shake Co. The San Antonio-based Lion Fund filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking the election of the fund’s Sardar Biglari and Philip Cooley at the company’s annual meeting next month. The hedge fund, […]

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Bonds may portend year-end recovery

Trends in five-year Treasury bonds suggest the economy will be recovering from its slump within nine months, according to Bloomberg. The five-year Treasury and its relationship to other Treasuries was an indicator of recovery from recessions in 1990 and 2001. In recent days, the five-year Treasury has fallen to its lowest level since 2001 compared […]

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Opposition to Terre Haute land swap growing

More than 2,500 people have signed petitions opposing a proposed land swap that would make room for more retailing in Terre Haute. Responding to rising retail competition from Plainfield and Evansville, Terre Haute developers Gibson Development and Thompson Thrift want to swap 72 acres they own plus pay $9.2 million in return for the county […]

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Former Lilly CEO Tobias elected airport chairman

The Indianapolis International Airport board today voted unanimously to make former Eli Lilly and Co. CEO Randall Tobias its new president. Tobias was appointed to the board by Republican Mayor Greg Ballard. Tobias resigned from a State Department job last year after being linked to a call-girl ring. The eight-member airport board is evenly split […]

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Adam’s Mark acquisition closes

San Francisco-based The Chartres Lodging Group LLC announced today that it has completed its purchase of the 406-room Indianapolis Adam’s Mark Hotel. The group now plans to spend $18 million over the next 18 months to rebrand and renovate the property near Indianapolis International Airport. The company didn’t disclose the new brand the hotel would […]

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Brightpoint profit rises, growth anticipated

Fourth-quarter profit increased sharply for Brightpoint Inc. The Plainfield cell phone distributor reported late yesterday that earnings of $14.9 million were up more than 53 percent from a year earlier as it benefited from its acquisition of Denmark-based Dangaard Telecom. Profit from continuing operations of $14.1 million improved from the $10 million in the year-ago […]

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Kite Realty posts gains in funds from operations

Kite Realty Group Trust posted fourth-quarter funds from operations of $12.7 million, up from $11.8 million a year ago. For the year, Kite had $47.2 million in funds from operations, compared with $43.3 million in 2006. As of the end of the year, Kite had an ownership interest in 50 retail properties. Those properties totaled […]

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Adesa buys Pennsylvania car auction

Carmel-based auto auction company Adesa Inc. said yesterday it has acquired a used-vehicle auction in York, Penn., for an undisclosed price. Pennsylvania Auto Dealers’ Exchange, one of the nation’s largest and oldest independent auctions, will be renamed Adesa. The 140-acre site north of Washington, D.C., has 11 automated auction lanes and an 8,000-square-foot facility for […]

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Truck trailer makers continue layoffs

The slowing economy has prompted two manufacturers of semi-truck trailers to lay off workers. Wabash National Corp. in Lafayette has temporarily laid off 150 of its 3,265 workers due to receiving fewer orders over the holidays, according to the Journal & Courier of Lafayette. Great Dane Trailers is laying off 54 workers at its Terre […]

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Prime earning group to shrink, report says

The number of Hoosiers in their top earning years will shrink as the baby-boom generation retires, a new study shows. By 2025, the state will have 2.6 million people between the ages of 25 and 54, according to the study by the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University. That’s a 1.7-percent decline from 2005. […]

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Cabela’s cost Greenwood $130,000

Greenwood‘s attempt to land a Cabela’s outdoor store cost $130,000 in attorney and consulting fees, according to the Daily Journal of Franklin. Those fees include $68,000 to the Indianapolis law firm of Ice Miller, which drafted bonds offered to the Nebraska-based retailer, and $28,000 to O.W. Krohn & Associates, an accounting and consulting firm in […]

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Ethanol production could harm water quality

A Purdue University agricultural economist is worried that the push to raise more corn to feed the expanding number of ethanol plants will harm soil and water quality. Otto Doering said during a recent conference that farmers lured by higher corn prices will feel compelled to bring highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of […]

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AT&T to add 150 jobs in Evansville

AT&T plans to hire 150 workers at its Evansville call center this year, reports the Evansville Business Journal. The new jobs will pay an average of $11.60 an hour. About 600 people now are employed at the call center, which opened last year.

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Schellinger calls for restored bargaining

Jim Schellinger, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to unseat Gov. Mitch Daniels in his attempt at a second term, told a group of retired United Auto Workers members yesterday that in his first hour as governor he would reinstate the ability of unions to bargain collectively. Speaking in Marion, Schellinger also said he would […]

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