Police car maker not giving up on Indiana plans
A company with plans for building high-tech police cars at an eastern Indiana factory has added a venture capitalist on board as it tries to raise millions of dollars to get off the ground.
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E&A buttered by $125M sale of Udi’s to Smart Balance
Indianapolis investment firm E&A Industries is cashing out of its majority stake in Udi’s Healthy Foods LLC by selling the Denver-based food company to margarine maker Smart Balance Inc. for $125 million.
Really Cool Foods plant on auction block
Really Cool Foods closed the 78,000-square-foot facility in November and is searching for a buyer to help repay creditors. One potential suitor is Sugar Creek Packing Co. of Ohio, which has offered $13 million, according to a bankruptcy filing.
SPECIAL REPORT: Stock-based pay builds wealth for Indiana execs
IBJ's annual review of proxy statements for Indiana public companies found senior executives' median compensation rose 14 percent in 2011. But that analysis uses the fair market value of stock and options awards on the date they were granted. If a company's stock price surges, executives can make out far better. (with searchable database)
Charter schools in pipeline to be heavy on technology
Three “blended learning” educational organizations have been approved to open 19 charter schools here that combine online technology and face-to-face instruction. The strategy allows schools to save money by employing fewer teachers, yet also can produce impressive student results.
ChaCha joins list of elite startups
Red Herring magazine’s annual list of top tech startups previously included the likes of Facebook, Google and Yahoo.
Taxing career path ultimately appeals to entrepreneur
Accounting, church jobs lead to software firm that helps tax accountants manage property tax disputes.
Struggling BlackBerry maker could be drag on BrightPoint
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd., which said it wouldn’t turn a profit this quarter, accounts for about 10 percent of BrightPoint’s distribution business.
Calumet plans to add 48 jobs at Indianapolis headquarters
The oil refiner, which currently has 75 full-time Indiana employees, has begun hiring management, accounting, sales, human resources and information technology workers.
Shares of Facebook stall after company’s record IPO
Facebook sold 421million shares to raise $16 billion, giving the company a $104 billion market value. After the debut, underwriters bought the stock to keep it from falling below the IPO price.
State’s chilly recycling climate means higher costs for container makers
Some manufacturers favor legislation that would encourage consumers to return their empties.
Biz boosters embrace One Click, but it’s no sure thing
Husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Randy and Angie Stocklin started Greenwood-based One Click Ventures out of their home with $20,000 in 2005. They now own a portfolio of niche retail websites, including SunglassWarehouse.com, HandbagHeaven.com and Scarves.net, which brought $5.3 million in revenue last year.
Herff Jones goes digital to invigorate yearbook sales
Local firm hired Carmel-based MediaSauce two years ago to help design, develop and market Stitch, a platform for schools to create an online version of their yearbook. The product, tested at 54 schools, is expected to roll out nationally in July.
Cummins hires ex-Indianapolis mayoral candidate
Melina Kennedy has joined the diesel engine maker’s corporate communications team and will be responsible for executive communications, research and speechwriting for CEO Tom Linebarger.
Subaru to add 100 jobs as part of $75 million expansion
Subaru already employs 3,600 at its Lafayette facility, with 600 workers added in the past three years. The expansion will ramp up production from nearly 171,000 cars a year to at least 180,000.
Klipsch helps parent firm double cash flow
Indianapolis-based speaker maker now owned by Voxx International posted year-end sales of $169.5 million, which appeared to be flat compared with prior periods.
Local automotive supplier in line for new city incentive
A shorter-than-usual abatement plan during which no property taxes are paid for three years is expected to help Van’s Electrical Systems invest $427,000 to purchase and rehab a vacant building on the city’s west side.
Indianapolis margarine plant planning $44 million upgrade
ConAgra Packaged Foods LLC is seeking city tax incentives as part of a $44 million plan to upgrade its plant on the northwest side of Indianapolis and retain 392 workers.
Alabama firm that irked suppliers promises to add 350 jobs
Advanced Metal Technologies of Indiana Inc., an auto and industrial parts maker owned by the Alabama-based Whitesell Group, said it will locate its operations in Jeffersonville and add 350 jobs by 2015.
Digital textbook firm Courseload raises millions
The Indianapolis-based digital textbook company Courseload completed a new round of fundraising in April that its CEO says gives the company the cash it needs to keep landing new university customers in what has become a fast-growing but hyper-competitive field.