FEBRUARY 8-14, 2010
This week, see what lofty goal Scale Computing's CEO has set for the upstart tech firm and find out how a new city program is trying to help ex-offenders land jobs. Also, columnist Ed Feigenbaum takes a look at what's on tap for the second half of the legislative session, and Lou Harry takes readers on an A&E road trip to Cincinnati and Muncie.
Front PageBack to Top
Steak n Shake changing its name, moving HQ to Texas
Indianapolis is on the verge of losing one of its most prominent public companies. The Steak n Shake Co. is planning to
change its name to Biglari Holdings Inc. and move its headquarters to San Antonio. The Steak n Shake restaurant chain would retain a presence in Indianapolis.
Environmental causes keep ex-bank chief McKinney busy
Most know him as a retired captain of industry—of banking, as chairman of First Indiana Corp., and law, as co-founder
of Bose McKinney & Evans. Few know that Robert H. McKinney started out planning to become a national park guide.
Scale Computing succeeds quickly after co-founder moves it to Indiana
Not even a year has passed since Scale Computing launched its first product, yet CEO Jeff Ready forecasts 2010 revenue
with the confidence of a meteorologist giving the three-day outlook.
Top StoriesBack to Top
Demand for smart-phone applications spawns opportunities
Smart-phone fever is heating up the climate for innovation in the local tech community, as firms new and old try to cash
in on the demand for applications that can be used on the iPhone, BlackBerry and other gadgets from the likes of Palm and
Google.
City program gives firms incentive to hire ex-offenders
A pilot project is providing jobs for 70 ex-convicts, with their $10-an-hour wages covered
by Uncle Sam for six months. City officials hope they can then transition into other jobs or receive recommendations that
help them to find other work.
WellPoint: More employers involved in provider talks
Employer activism is on the rise when it comes to keeping hospitals honest in their negotiations with health insurers.
Executives at Indianapolis-based WellPoint say more employers are airing their displeasure when hospital
systems ask for double-digit reimbursement increases.
Brizzi contributor Epperly no stranger to controversy
Harrison Epperly has made a fortune in his business career, but he’s also sparked controversy.
Read MoreVideo firm Bennett Innovations reaches 25 years
The seven-person production house led by Bruce White counts IUPUI and Rolls-Royce North America among its clients.
Read MoreKey business issues clear mid-session hurdle
The first half of a short session will close Wednesday, meaning bills must have passed out of either the House or Senate to
stay alive. Legislation regarding unemployment taxes and township-government reform easily met that deadline.
FocusBack to Top
Law firm adds historic home to campus
Plews Shadley Racher & Braun has finished a careful restoration of the Eden-Talbott House, continuing a strategy of shunning
glass and steel.
COPPER: Misunderstandings put Indiana school funding in a bind
State government overreacted in its attempts to reign in construction costs, and should seek middle ground
Read MoreCovered bridge project draws special attention
A plethora of experts like
Dan Collom are restoring the Moscow bridge, built in 1886 and destroyed by a tornado in 2008.
OpinionBack to Top
EDITORIAL: Let’s call the Super Bowl the Super Bowl
The National Football League has trademarked “Super Bowl”—along
with “Super Sunday” and “NFL”—and is notorious for the lengths it will go to in order to protect
its brands.
MAURER: ‘Avatar’ is a great movie I’ve seen before
Did you ever see one of my favorite old cowboy movies, “Broken Arrow”? If you missed it the first time,
it has been reissued under a new title—“Avatar.”
MARCUS: Governor’s ship of a state losing sailors?
A State of the State address is supposed to make us feel better about who we are, where we are and where we are going.
Read MoreHOLIFIELD: Build consensus before building facilities
Only a handful
of public building projects have earned permission from voters, leading local officials to delay or consider abandoning much-needed
projects.
FEIGENBAUM: Legislature’s second half will have its share of drama
Perhaps it was serendipity that the midpoint of the 2009 legislative session fell just ahead of the Indianapolis Colts’
Super Bowl appearance.
HICKS: Economic uncertainty is crushing job growth
Businesses take risks. Risk tolerance is
the hallmark of a successful businessman and entrepreneur. But those same businesses dread uncertainty.
SKARBECK: Biglari’s ambitious, but he’s no Buffett
While Sardar Biglari’s effort to duplicate Warren Buffett is clear, some of the Steak n Shake chief’s moves have been superficial.
Read MoreBillboard decision was defiant
[In the Jan. 4 issue], IBJ covered the State Fair board’s decision to permit a digital billboard at the
Fairgrounds on Fall Creek Parkway. One of the opening lines, “Take that, Indianapolis” in the article was apt.
You don’t have to travel to find nature
I have learned that the exploration of natural
areas can take place year-round, not just while on vacation.
In BriefBack to Top
Celadon sees trouble ahead for trucking fleets
The Indianapolis trucking firm is not among the weaklings and, if anything, will benefit from additional fleet
failures to the
extent it diminishes industry capacity.
New president of Harrison College takes over for father
Jason Konesco, 38, came to what was then called Indiana Business College in 1999 after working for Brightpoint
Inc.
Health care venture capital swoons in Indy, holds steady statewide
The uncertainty of health care reform and a bad economy curtailed venture capital flow in 2009.
Read MoreLittle Red Door sees increases in donations, cost of services
Many not-for-profits struggled to raise money in 2009, but a local agency that helps cancer patients said it actually saw
an increase in donations.
Sigma Micro becomes Fifth Gear LLC
The name change reflects the completion of the company’s integration with Missouri-based Stark
Brothers Fulfillment, which Sigma Holdings acquired in 2007.
IPL sues engineering consultant over Eagle Valley discharge
Indianapolis Power and Light Co. is suing its engineering consultant over an industrial accident that spilled 30 million
gallons of polluted water into White River.
PROXY CORNER: Hillenbrand Inc.
Hillenbrand Inc. manufactures and supplies burial caskets, cremation products and related services to licensed funeral homes.
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