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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Long spoiled by low rates, nation now faces increase

It wasn’t long ago that writing an economic analysis column meant-surprise-that you analyzed the ups and downs of the economy. And if you came of age in the 1960s and ’70s, there were plenty of ups and downs to keep track of. Volatility in just about everything was higher then, with strikes, inflation and more frequent recessions the order of the day. And even though that environment has changed remarkably since the mid-’80s, the habit of peering at the data…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: After 5 years, it’s time to think about changing SOX

Almost five years ago, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or SOX, was passed in haste, largely in response to the large-scale securities frauds and market dislocations surrounding Worldcom, Enron and other large accounting scandals involving public firms. It imposed new federalized standards for internal controls, corporate governance, accounting independence and review, whistle-blowing and legal review. It represented the most important change to the federal securities laws since the passage of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities and Exchange Act of…

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STARTUP THE SLEEPY HOLLOW STORE LLC: Irvington book store starting small

STARTUP THE SLEEPY HOLLOW STORE LLC Irvington book store starting small Type of business: books, music, art supplies and gifts Location: 5535 E. Washington St. Phone: 354-8000 E-mail: roeizap@sbcglobal.net Web site: www.sleepyhollowstore.comor www.myspace.com/sleepyhollowstore Founded: April 2007 Owner: Bobbie and Joanna Zaphiriou Owners’ backgrounds: Bobbie Zaphiriou, 25, has worked in bookshops since she was 16. Sister-in-law Joanna Zaphiriou, 31, graduated from IUPUI with a degree in anthropology, and managed Hollywood Bar and Filmworks, where she learned about running a business. Why…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: What’s your favorite economic indicator?

If you like to hear news about the economy, the information age has been a boon. Leave your television set on one of the financial networks, and you’ll see tickers, graphs and animations whizzing by as talking heads digest and dissect every morsel of market and economic information. Tell your computer to alert you to any news about a company, a country or an industry and it will pop up with tidbits all day long. And for a few bucks,…

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BULLS & BEARS: Reflect if you must, but look ahead, too

Let’s peer back to a time a few years ago to see if there are any similarities to today. “Back then,” corporations were buying back their own stock as never before and pundits talked about the massive liquidity flowing into stocks. “Back then,” the U.S. market hit new all-time highs in the first half of the year, although professional investors were skeptical since the strongest global economy was in Asia. “Back then,” the economy was in the fifth year of…

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INVESTING: Rising interest rates not a reason to get defensive

Investors the world over are in an uproar about the increase in U.S. interest rates over the last month. Fundamental guys are screaming that the cost of capital is now prohibitive to further growth. Technical guys are screaming that 25- year support levels were broken and now the floodgates are open to much higher rates. Somewhere a voice of reason needs to be heard. You’ve come to the right place. The fact is that interest rates have been trending higher…

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As barriers drop, even small firms go global: Local company pushed its blood monitor worldwide

Here’s one way to send your company’s revenue through the roof: Push your product into 70 countries around the world. That’s easier said than done, of course. But it’s exactly the path Polymer Technology Systems Inc. took to help quadruple sales of its cholesterol-checking device in the last three years. How Indianapolis-based PTS pulled off the feat shows how even small companies in Middle America can become global enterprises in today’s economy. In fact, the possibility of worldwide expansion is…

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Philanthropy center busting assumptions: Institute’s research shows there’s still much to learn

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University plans to share more of its prolific research through two new courses to be tested this fall in Indianapolis, and launched here and elsewhere next spring. Both new courses, including one on the dynamics of women’s giving, could be a gold mine for perpetually prospecting not-for-profits-and for wealth advisers and wealth managers. “We’re hoping there could be some niches we can carve out in this area. There’s a great thirst for knowledge,” said…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Will state’s job growth always trail nation’s?

You usually have to swallow your pride when it comes time to forecast the growth of the Indiana economy. That’s because no matter what your heart says, your head tells you what the best forecast will be. That is the one that pulls up well short of growth in the rest of the country. There are a lot of talented people working hard around the state trying to change that. And if the full truth be told, most of our…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Focusing on factory jobs misses the big picture

There’s been something peculiar going on in the business media in Indiana over the last few weeks. We’ve been beating ourselves up because the state is losing manufacturing jobs. Headlines about the decline are popping up, and state and local development officials are facing the bright light of media scrutiny. The chatter on Internet “talk-back” forums serves up plenty of people to blame-the governor, the unions, the Chinese and even our neighbors who buy imported goods. But if I could…

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Surge in ethanol plants means transit adjustments: Study predicts increasing truck traffic, road issues

The road Indiana is traveling to help the nation reduce its dependence on foreign oil could be in for a bumpier ride than even the worst Hoosier highways. Indiana is at the epicenter of the renewable fuels movement and has provided economic incentives for the construction of a dozen new ethanol plants, four of which should be operating by the end of the year. Annually, the 380 million bushels of corn that will be used to make more than 1…

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Reaching the Pinnacle: Local women forge a path to the top in health care management

Local women forge a path to the top in health care management Health care is the second-fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy, employing more than 12 million workers, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Women make up nearly 80 percent of the health care work force, and increasingly they’re moving into the executive ranks. Locally, St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, Riley Hospital for Children and Noblesville’s Riverview Hospital all have women at the helm. And women hold top…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Despite the doomsayers, manufacturing still matters

From a manufacturing perspective, the United States in the 21st century is a curious place. In 1950s, science promised us the day when high-technology advances would perfrom a whole range of mundane work, thus releasing humanity to the pursuit of more noble intellectual and fulfilling activities. A half-century later, much of that promise-at least from the technology side-has been fulfilled. Yet, curiously, when the natural evolution of the free market affects U.S. manufacturing, all manner of handwringing and doom-saying emerge….

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: U.S. companies should evaluate Chinese tax changes

Over the past three decades or so, foreign investment has been fueling China’s economic growth. Companies from around the world have flocked to meet the needs of the largest population in the world: 1.3 billion citizens and counting. Shifts in China’s political climate have made this Asian country ripe for commerce, and foreign companies-especially in the United States-have rushed in. Many U.S. manufacturers have been lured to China by tax holidays and reduced tax rates on income generated from their…

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Autism’s rise challenges local agencies: Those with disorder face difficulties in locating meaningful employment

Experts haven’t pinpointed the exact reason, but they do know one thing-the rate at which children are being diagnosed with autism has been rising. About one child in 150 is diagnosed by the age of 8 with autism or a related autism spectrum disorder such as Asperger’s syndrome, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That rate is up about 10 times from the 1980s. Experts have a variety of theories to explain the…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Commuting boosts earnings for Hoosiers

I was delighted to receive a new disc from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis containing the latest annual data on economic conditions in every county in the nation. Now I have a more detailed picture of how our state functions and is changing. For example, the daily flows of commuters between counties within and outside Indiana are essential to our economic health. By commuting, Hoosier workers find better jobs and firms get the best workers. Commuting is easier when…

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Agriculture goes urban: New academy plans to show city students that there’s more to horticulture than farming

Indiana’s stature as one of the nation’s top producers of corn and soybeans is as enduring as the fertile farmland in which the crops are grown. But a new initiative plans to introduce urban high school students in Indianapolis to a bushel of opportunities within the agriculture industry that extends well beyond farming. The Hoosier Agribusiness and Science Academy is a partnership between state government and Ivy Tech Community College in which students from the Lawrence Early College High School…

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CHRIS KATTERJOHN Commentary: ‘Rip’ is just right for CICP

It’s been 15 months since Central Indiana Corporate Partnership CEO Mark Miles wrote in these pages that he felt like Rip Van Winkle when he returned to the city after being away for 15 years. Miles has done anything but sleep since he got back. Neither has the CICP board of directors. That group should be congratulated for making an outstanding choice of a new leader and for taking bold steps forward. This seems to have been a perfect match…

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BEHIND THE NEWS: Missing the market rally: state retailers slumping

It’s a great stock market for many companies, but Hoosier retailers like The Steak n Shake Co., Finish Line Inc. and Shoe Carnival Inc. are being left in the dust. You know a retailer’s having a tough time when it says it was hurt by stormy weather, high gas prices and housingrelated woes-all at once. Steak n Shake CEO Peter Dunn put it succinctly in a conference call with analysts this month: “As gas prices go up and as interest…

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Techpoint honors Indiana companies, educators: Judges narrow 80 nominees to 13 Mira winners

This year’s recipients of Techpoint’s Mira awards include some of the area’s best-known technology startups as well as lower-profile firms that have racked up big achievements. On May 18, the technology trade group was scheduled to acknowledge the accomplishments of Hoosier entrepreneurs in information technology, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and education with its eighth annual gala at the Indiana Roof Ballroom downtown. “It’s always good to recognize companies and give them a pat on the back, put them on the…

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