IBJ Staff

Approximately 500 workers building an ethanol plant in Mount Vernon were pulled off the project yesterday, according to WFIE Channel 14 in Evansville. The plant was announced in 2006 by Aventine Renewable Energy LLC of Pekin, Ill., with intentions of bringing it online by 2010. Late last month, Aventine said in its third-quarter earnings report […]

Directors of the New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corp. voted yesterday to oust their president following allegations that he stalked his former wife. Bryan Coats was arrested on Oct. 7 on preliminary charges of burglary and stalking after allegedly breaking into the former wife’s home in Randolph County. Formal charges have not been filed. Police […]

An Indianapolis company that specializes in designing and building schools is planning a move to Anson near Whitestown as part of an expansion that will double the size of its work force, according to the Lebanon Reporter. Performance Services currently is headquartered at 8777 Purdue Road on the northwest side. The new, 25,000-square-foot headquarters is […]

Kokomo’s legislative delegation should do all it can in the next General Assembly to ensure the city is linked to the Indianapolis area by high-speed rail, Mayor Greg Goodnight told the Kokomo Tribune. High-speed rail could get a boost from President-elect Barack Obama, who has shown support for the Midwest Regional Rail System, an initiative […]

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. said today that its workers and retirees contributed $11.1 million to the 2008 fundraising campaign of United Way of Central Indiana and other United Way chapters. The contribution includes a matching gift from Lilly Foundation. Lilly said it exceeded its goal by $100,000. The overall donation amounts to nearly 23 […]

Sales of houses in the Indianapolis area dipped 12.3 percent, to 1,838, in October from the same month last year, the Indianapolis real estate brokerage F.C. Tucker Co. said yesterday. Year-to-date sales are down 11.3 percent, said Tucker, which based the figures on data gathered by the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Eight local counties […]

Indianapolis‘ house construction market won’t recover for at least another year, according to a forecast issued today by Metrostudy, a Houston research firm. The supply of vacant lots has soared to 54.5 months from an average of 20 to 24 months before the housing bust, Metrostudy said. In some submarkets outside Indianapolis where speculation was […]

FinishMaster Inc. turned a $4.8 million profit in the third quarter, nearly identical to its net income of a year earlier, due to three acquisitions. Sales increased 4.1 percent to $123 million, the Indianapolis-based automotive paint distributor said yesterday. Without the acquisitions, sales would have been flat. FinishMaster shares closed at $18.85 yesterday, down from […]

A decline in franchise sales prompted by the slowing economy and financial crisis dragged down profit for Noble Roman’s Inc. in the third quarter. The pizza and sub sandwich franchisor, which is headquartered in Indianapolis, reported late yesterday that net income fell to $304,809, less than half the level of a year earlier. Revenue plunged […]

Sliding sales coupled with costs incurred from a turnaround plan threw Steak n Shake Co. for a $9.2 million loss in its fiscal fourth quarter, the Indianapolis-based hamburger and milkshake company reported last night. It was the fourth quarterly loss in a row, and the 13th straight decline in same-store sales. The period ended Sept. […]

Struggling Irwin Financial Corp. reported today that it lost $54 million in the third quarter, down from $108 million in the second quarter, and said it is making progress turning itself around. The Columbus-based banking company is scaling back its far-flung operations and increasing its capital. Columbus neighbor Cummins Inc. last month committed to purchase […]

Evansville-based truck parts maker Accuride Corp. disclosed today that its stock has been suspended from trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Accuride’s market capitalization in the past month fell below the minimum average of $25 million. The company’s average had fallen to $9.2 million when Accuride warned of the potential delisting late last month. […]