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A contract approved by a majority of 270 union members at the TRW Commercial Steering Systems plant in Lafayette on Saturday stipulates no raises in its first three years, followed by 1-percent and 1.25-percent raises in the two remaining years. United Auto Workers Local 531 President Ron Dubree Jr. called the contract “concessionary,” according to […]
Members of the Northwest Indiana Forum, an economic development group, have held several closed-door meetings with members of the General Assembly to try to stir interest in proceeding with the project, according to the Post-Tribune of Merrillville. Gov. Mitch Daniels said late last month public opposition ran so high that he would drop the idea […]
Temporary staffing agencies used to be like big-box discount stores: Customers could find anything and everything under one roof. As temp workers have become an increasingly important part of corporate business models, however, a more boutique approach is taking hold. Take Carmel-based LGC Associates, which specializes in providing temporary staffing for the food service and hospitality industries-and has started providing workers to fill the accounting, financial and administrative needs of its clients. LGC was launched in May 2003 by Carmel…
For the first time in a while, I am going to use both hands when I write the column. If you visit this space even occasionally, you know I call my spots and I don’t hedge my opinion. I was practically all alone in late February when I wrote as forcefully as I could to buy in the sell-off, which was almost the exact bottom, and readers have been amply rewarded. But today I am going to talk about interest…
Indianapolis hasn’t attempted to systematically catalog all its infrastructure needs since 1991. Back then, the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce collected a list of the most pressing local projects and presented it to Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. The price tag at that time: $1.1 billion. A lot has changed in the 16 years since the Chamber released its Getting Indianapolis Fit for Tomorrow report. Some problems it identified, such as the health risk of combined sewer overflows, have been partly addressed….
The names Caribbean Cove and Paradise Bay inspire thoughts of tropical destinations where sunbathers slather lotion like Hoosiers butter their corn on the cob. In reality, these types of “resorts” are spouting up throughout the Midwest, including Indiana, and require no protection from harmful ultraviolet rays whatsoever. They’re indoor water parks, a trend hoteliers are embracing to cater to families seeking a weekend getaway-and to boost occupancy during the off-season. The Indianapolis area features just one such water park so…
I’m memorizing the faces of Larry Page and Sergey Brin. I might have to call them both “Your Imperial Majesties” one day. They’re the founders of the globe-rattling company Google, and it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that they may eventually become the lords of all information. But they’re nice guys, so they let the rest of us have a look at that information, too. It’s mighty handy for those of us lusting for profits. Google started life as…
Legislators are weighing a measure that would offer taxpayer-funded rebates to production companies willing to make movie
magic in Indiana–giving a boost to an industry that’s been asking for help since 2004.
Scofield Editorial, known locally as an innovator in video and post-production work, is burnishing that reputation by becoming one of the first firms in the Midwest to combine three-dimensional video modeling with traditional editing touches such as animation, sound effects, and other audio and video. Three-dimensional modeling was introduced by engineering firms about a decade ago, and has also been used by some video game manufacturers. But only recently have advertising agencies combined 3-D with traditional video editing touches. “There…
After the passing of the restaurant’s general manager, “Mama” stepped into the grief-filled void, providing leadership while consoling the staff. During a charity silent auction, Camerone auctioned off herself as an inhome chef for an evening. She ended up generating the most proceeds, enough to make a dream come true for a child during the Make-a-Wish Telethon. Pamela Evans, customer service agent, American Airlines Evans is a customer service agent for American Airlines and her territory often can be among…
It is no secret that I share the same last name with David Benner, the director of media relations for the Indiana Pacers. We also share a mother (who still likes me best), a father, a brother, a sister, a “Bob & Tom Show” parody and-long, long ago-a bedroom in our farmhouse down in Center Grove. It’s funny how it all works out. David followed me into the newspaper business at The Indianapolis Star, which he joined as a copy…
CHRIS KATTERJOHN Commentary An old friend moves on It’s difficult to say goodbye to an old friend. Glenda Russell, publisher of IBJ sister publications Indiana Lawyer and Court and Commercial Record and head of our Senior Expos of Indiana division, is leaving our company for a new opportunity. Glenda and I have worked together 22 years. We go way back, all the way to 1985 when IBJ Corp. purchased the newspaper she was working for, at that time known as…
What began as an innovative way to market Indianapolis over the Internet has gained enough of a following to grab the attention of a local cable television provider. The Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association started streaming video on its Web site last year and since has recorded nearly 50 episodes that promote the city’s attractions. The “Doing Indy” campaign is geared toward the younger set and features newmedia technology to spread the message. The video streaming, or video podcasting, uses…
What was supposed to be a breakthrough year for the Champ Car racing series is looking like a season of more pain than gain even before the first green flag has dropped. A little more than a week before the season opener April 8 in Las Vegas, the openwheel race series had no confirmed car count, fewer sponsors than usual, and a lack of continuity in race schedule and television broadcasts that jeopardizes its fan base. The series bought four…
The first version of the $25.6 billion state budget, passed by the Democratic majority in the Indiana House of Representatives
Feb. 22, didn’t include any money for the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, which provides financial assistance
to promising high-tech startups.
April 2 will start a busy-and important-week in the life of the Indiana General Assembly. House and Senate c o m m i t t e e s w i l l effectively wrap up their respective work, hearing the bills they choose to after the legislation moved across the Rotunda from their opposite chambers. The following week, you can look forward to a few days of floor votes on amendments and final passage in each chamber, and then legislators…
Shares of Sallie Mae, one of Hamilton County’s biggest employers, have fallen more than 25 percent over the past year as investors fret that Congress will overhaul the student-loan industry, halving interest rates and bringing the company’s boom times to an end. Momentum for an industry overhaul has been building since Democrats gained control of Congress in November. Concerns peaked in February when President Bush submitted a budget proposal that included cuts in industry subsidies. Changes under consideration could whack…
Last week, I was walking on the Statehouse grounds and I saw some folks with large green pins on their lapels. “What do those stand for?” I asked. “Small businesses need Electronic Gaming Devices” one wearer told me. “That’s for bars,” I commented. The reply I got was not friendly. In the newspapers and on TV during the same week, there were features about horse breeders “needing” more state subsidies from slot machines at racetracks to “keep the industry alive.”…
A client wanted to meet for lunch at Nordstrom. I was cutting through the cosmetics department when I spotted the TV. Presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth were on CNN. The sound was off, but their body language, facial expres sions and the headings at the bottom of the screen told the story: Her breast cancer has recurred. It’s in the bone. It’s treatable but incurable. They’re optimistic. And by her and his choice, the campaign goes on….
So much for the legal fireworks. C l a s s – a c t i o n attorneys blasted members of the Marsh family last summer, charging in a federal lawsuit that they ran Marsh Supermarkets “as their private fiefdom despite its public ownership.” The suit-which accused the executives and directors who then ran the Fishersbased grocer of self-dealing and breach of fiduciary duty-has petered out. After a federal judge in late February rejected the attorneys’ request that the…
