Articles

Property reassessment could be painful process

Indiana’s property tax woes are already a headache for Marion County homeowners. Now the cure is becoming a migraine for area
businesses, local elected officials and regional economic developers, too.

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Pampering is part of Columbia Club’s turnaround plan

The son and grandson of hotel managers, Maarten van Wijk became general manager of the historic-but-ailing 2,000-member Columbia
Club in May. His first priority is to polish the venerable private club’s tarnished quality standards to a lustrous sheen.

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Synagogue project a sign of times: Northward migration of Jews brings temple to county

Some folks consider Congregation Shaarey Tefilla’s move to Carmel historic. After all, its new synagogue at 116th Street and Towne Road will be Hamilton County’s first. To others, it’s simply the latest development in the local Jewish community’s century of northward migration. For Rabbi Arnold Bienstock and his members, it’s a homecoming. “There’s a lot of support here,” he said. “People need that if they’ve just moved to an area.” Carmel welcomed Bienstock with open arms 15 years ago, when…

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Aging IT system contributes to property-assessment woes

Indiana deliberately chose not to invest the tens of millions necessary for technology that could provide an accurate property-tax
forecast. Instead, the state relied on an aging patchwork of property tax software that allows officials only to guess whether
assessed valuations of homes and businesses are correct.

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We Have Your Web Site: Despite tougher cyber squatting laws domain names ar e still being held for ransom

Despite tougher cyber squatting laws domain names ar e still being held for ransom Cybersquatters are lurking on the Internet your , ready guard usiness brand the instant forts are on the rise. to swipe your b gitimate ef ” said slips. And ery their much ille a nuisance to everyone, -based “It’ s v an associate at Indianapolis Mary Jane Frisby, Thornburg LLP who specializes law firm in Barnes domain & name disputes. ” And there .” is this…

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New Chamber forum lets startups have a shot

The Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce is developing a new weapon for local startups-Slingshot, a business-networking
forum that will give budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to swing sales meetings directly with high-ranking corporate executives.

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UPDATE: D’Amico calls work force biggest challenge

Former Ivy Tech Community College executive Carol D’Amico this afternoon confirmed she’s been named president and CEO of Central Indiana Corporate Partnership’s new advanced manufacturing and logistics initiative. D’Amico will attempt to organize Indiana manufacturers and logistics firms and align them with the state’s colleges and universities. It’s the same strategy that CICP’s BioCrossroads initiative […]

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D’Amico to head manufacturing initiative

Former Ivy Tech Community College executive vice president Carol D’Amico has been named president and CEO of Central Indiana Corporate Partnership’s new advanced manufacturing and logistics initiative. Sources this morning confirmed that CICP will announce D’Amico’s hire at a 4 p.m. news conference tomorrow on Rolls-Royce Corp.’s local manufacturing floor. In March, Ivy Tech looked […]

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Tax hike may finally settle police pension problem: Measure could end 30-year battle over public safety

The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council is considering a proposal from Mayor Bart Peterson to raise at least $85 million annually for public safety through an increase in local income taxes. Since Democrats control the Council 15 to 14, the measure is expected to pass by the end of July and take effect Oct. 1. The tax hike would finally settle a 30-year battle that constantly pitted public safety’s immediate needs against its longterm pension obligations. Much of the revenue generated…

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Horse track owners vie for control

Indiana’s two horse tracks could change hands as investors race to come up with the $250 million required to add thousands
of slot machines. The steep cost of a state license combined with the potential of a lucrative payoff has stakeholders in
Shelbyville-based Indiana Downs and Anderson-based Hoosier Park jockeying for position.

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Powerway acquires rival software maker

Indianapolis-based manufacturing supply chain software maker Powerway Inc. said today that it has bought Cohesia Corp., a Cincinnati firm that makes software for Web-based manufacturing quality control, primarily for the aerospace industry. Terms were not disclosed. Powerway’s primary business is providing software for automakers, particularly the North American Big Three. Powerway plans to retain Cohesia’s […]

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UPDATE: Getrag to hire 1,400 at new Tipton plant

German transmission maker Getrag Corporate Group and Chrysler Group said today the transmission plant they are building in a joint venture near Tipton will employ 1,400 when it comes online in 2009. That’s 200 more positions than had been discussed for months by local officials. Some of the positions will be filled by idled Chrysler […]

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Local startup generates ripe software sales prospects: LeadJen quadruples revenue in less than two years

Salespeople dread dead-end leads. They’re eager to pitch to CEOs, so they’re livid when the prospecting process leads to meetings with janitors. “You can’t make a bad sales rep good just by giving him good leads,” said Bill Johnson, CEO of Indianapolis-based startup LeadJen. “But you can tell quickly if your message is [reaching] the people you want to hear it.” Johnson knows the dilemma well. He has two decades of experience selling software and is best known locally as…

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Bank exec forms electric-vehicle biz

Banker Steve Tolen is attempting to resuscitate the electric car. Tolen believes conditions are ripe for an upstart automaker
to launch a safe battery-powered vehicle capable of rapid acceleration, highway speeds and over 100 miles of distance between
charges.

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IU life sciences startup attracts former Lilly exec: INphoton attempts to commercialize high-tech cellular imaging techniques

It doesn’t have a headquarters or any full-time employees yet. But local life sciences startup INphoton LLC has attracted something equally important: an experienced manager. This month, INphoton hired Steven Plump, Eli Lilly and Co.’s former chief marketing officer, as its CEO. Plump, who retired from Lilly in 2006 after a 30-year career there, hopes to commercialize the high-tech research imaging techniques that INphoton’s founders discovered in Indiana University laboratories. In the process, INphoton could cut pharmaceutical companies’ cost of…

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Dramatic tax hikes predicted for homeowners

A former head of the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance says some Marion County homeowners soon could see property-tax
increases of as much as 50 percent–far higher than government officials estimated. In part, that’s because of Indiana’s decision
five years ago to abolish the inventory tax.

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Service drives education software maker: Angel Learning quickly weathers PR setback

When The Indianapolis Star reported on its front page in mid-May that Indianapolis Public Schools had accidentally exposed thousands of private student records online, it was a potentially enormous public relations setback for locally based education software maker Angel Learning. Angel Learning had provided the software, and CEO Christopher Clapp said he immediately asked staffers to send explanation emails to all 300 of his customers. They then followed up with phone calls. He wanted to assuage clients’ worries right away….

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Orphan Lilly antibiotic spurs $86.3 million IPO plan: Targanta Therapeutics aims to commercialize drug

A biotech company that’s attempting to commercialize an antibiotic developed by Eli Lilly and Co. has filed for an $86.3 million initial public offering. Targanta Therapeutics Corp. two years ago bought the rights to Lilly’s skin infection treatment, oritavancin. The company briefly had its headquarters in Indianapolis before moving it to Cambridge, Mass., last year. Lilly will see a big payoff if Targanta succeeds. The company’s IPO filing says it must pay the Indianapolis pharma giant $10 million when oritavancin…

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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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