DECEMBER 29, 2017 – JANUARY 4, 2018
Central Indiana lost some of its most prominent locally based companies in 2017, including Marsh and HHGregg, while Salesforce put its name on the state’s tallest building and tech giant Infosys announced it would bring 2,000 jobs to Indianapolis. Those stories made IBJ’s year-in-review issue, which is combined with our annual Book of Lists.
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2017’s top stories include Salesforce Tower, retail meltdown, failed Anthem deal
Central Indiana lost some of its most prominent locally based companies in 2017, including Marsh and HHGregg, while Salesforce put its name on the state’s tallest building and tech giant Infosys announced it would bring 2,000 jobs to Indianapolis. Those stories made IBJ’s year-in-review issue, which is combined with our annual Book of Lists.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Retailers report record number of closings in ’17
Two locally based companies, HHGregg Inc. and Marsh Supermarkets Inc., contributed to the count in a big way, shuttering more than 280 locations between them.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Anthem gives up deal after judge says no
Anthem’s goal in pursuing Cigna had been to build scale and get more leverage with hospitals and other providers in an industry undergoing huge change under the Affordable Care Act.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: India-based Infosys plans 2,000 jobs in Indy
Tech-consulting firm Infosys Ltd. said in May that it would open an $8.7 million tech and innovation hub in the Indianapolis area.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Hogsett chooses criminal justice site
The former Citizens Energy coke plant on the southeast side will house a 2,600- to 3,000-bed jail; an assessment and intervention center focusing on mental health and substance abuse treatment needs; and acute health care and mental health units.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Marsh closes stores after 86-year run
Ultimately, two Ohio-based grocery chains, Kroger Co. and Fresh Encounter, agreed to buy 26 of Marsh’s 44 remaining stores for a total of $24 million.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: HHGregg ends 63-year run
Founders H.H. and Fansy Gregg opened the first store at 4930 N. Keystone Ave. in 1955, and family members helped build the chain to more than 200 locations in the decades that followed.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Tower officially renamed Salesforce
Salesforce put its name and logo on the former Chase Tower in April, after announcing a year before that it would add 800 workers in the city by 2021.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: State earmarks $250M for startups
Creating and funding the Next Level Fund was part of Holcomb’s larger legislative agenda.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: City pulls plug on 21c hotel
Two years after the project was announced, the city still had no commitment from 21c that it would move forward anytime soon.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: No happy new year for Colts GM
After several seasons of tumult, Grigson was fired by Colts owner Jim Irsay and later replaced by Chris Ballard.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Troubled Celadon hires new CEO
In May, Celadon disclosed that its auditor, BKD LLP, had raised questions about a complicated joint-venture arrangement involving the sale of leased equipment.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Angie’s List becomes part of ANGI
Colorado-based ANGI Homeservices Inc. debuted on Oct. 2, completing New York-based IAC’s $505 million acquisition of Angie’s List, which it then merged with its HomeAdvisor brand into the new publicly traded company. The Angie’s List brand survived the merger (as did the HomeAdvisor brand), although the Indianapolis operation suffered deep cuts. From January through the […]
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2017 TOP STORIES: Jonathan Byrd’s exits Grand Park
The city of Westfield evicted the company from the Grand Park Events Center in January after the caterer missed several rent payments—ending its 10-year agreement after less than seven months.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Indy area bids for Amazon HQ2
The giant online retailer kicked off the bidding war in September, when it announced it was searching for a home outside its Seattle base.
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2017 TOP STORIES: IndyGo issues bids, picks Red Line firms
IndyGo selected Indianapolis-based F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. Inc. and Goshen-based Rieth-Riley Construction Co. Inc., which has an office in Indianapolis, as the apparent low bidders.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Carmel’s debt grows as bond rating falls
In September, the Carmel City Council approved two bond packages, which totaled $96 million, to fund street, path and infrastructure improvements, land acquisition and a high-end hotel at City Center.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: IU gives Crean the boot
IU did not qualify for the 2017 NCAA tournament and was bounced from the first round of the NIT.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Airport announces nonstop flight to Paris
The year-round Delta Air Lines flights, to be offered at least three times a week, will begin May 24.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Republic emerges from bankruptcy
Republic trimmed its fleet to 170 aircraft, with another 18 planes set for delivery by year’s end. It trimmed its daily schedule to 900 flights.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Ikea opens in Fishers
It is the company’s first store in Indiana and 45th in the United States.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: UnitedHealth buys American Health Network
The sale of the 300-doctor practice to suburban Minneapolis-based UnitedHealth Group marked the end of a 19-year run as a proud, independent player.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Purdue buys Kaplan to expand online offerings
Purdue officials—who are calling the school NewU for the moment—said they hope the initiative will address the need for post-secondary education for working adults and others unsuited to traditional campus-based education.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Law makes residential solar less attractive
Environmentalists criticized the legislation, known as Senate Bill 309, saying it would remove incentives for those who might want to invest in solar energy.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Legislature passes gas tax hike
Indiana drivers are also now paying a higher fee at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles on their vehicle registrations.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Cummins plans all-electric powertrains for 2019
It’s a bold step for the Columbus, Indiana-based engine-maker, which has been known for its diesel engines since its founding in 1919.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Fuel owners plan Greenwood ice-plex
Jim and Sean Hallett have an option to buy a parcel near the interchange in Johnson County and hope to break ground on an ice-plex next spring with an opening set for August 2019.
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2017 TOP STORIES: One coding school closes, another planned
The Iron Yard closed all its coding schools across the country, including one in Indianapolis, but Kenzie Academy opened this fall downtown.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Nickel Plate to become partial walking, biking trail
The railroad hasn’t had an operator since the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority, the quasi-government agency that oversees the railroad for the owners, terminated its agreement with the Indiana Transportation Museum in March 2016.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Sisters of Savings sell Hare Chevrolet
Asbury Automotive Group Inc. agreed to buy Hare Chevrolet in Noblesville as well as its sister companies—an Isuzu dealership, collision center and a truck center.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: Allegiant plans $40M base
Low-cost airline Allegiant Travel Co. announced in August that it planned to open a $40 million aircraft base here, setting the stage for growth in this market. The Las Vegas-based airline has planned to hire 66 people to support the two-aircraft base, which is expected to go into operation in February 2018. The new jobs […]
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: College football championship headed to Indy
The 2022 title game and related activities are expected to draw 100,000 visitors and have a $150 million economic impact on the region, Visit Indy officials said.
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2017 TOP STORIES: Lilly ponders Elanco future
Eli Lilly and Co. announced this fall it was reviewing whether to sell or spin off the division, which employs 6,500 people, including 800 at its Greenfield headquarters.
Read More2017 TOP STORIES: IBJ’s Forty Under 40 turns 25
IBJ celebrated the milestone with a weekly series highlighting each class, including updated information about previous honorees.
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2017 NEWSMAKER: Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones, who had been president of United Steel Workers Local 1999 since 1996 and vice president for 11 years before that, retired last summer at age 65.
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2017 NEWSMAKER: David Ricks
It’s been a whirlwind of activity at the Eli Lilly and Co. under David Ricks, who has acknowledged he is impatient and has “a high motor.”
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2017 NEWSMAKER: Andrew Luck
The 2012 No. 1 overall draft pick had surgery on his right shoulder in January and was expected to be ready for the start of the season in September, but he never played a down.
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2017 NEWSMAKER: Lewis Ferebee
Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Lewis Ferebee has led the district during a time of intense change this year and continued to make sometimes controversial moves that encouraged school choice. Among the changes: IPS closed some high schools; revamped programs at others; switched to a common enrollment system that will merge IPS and charter enrollment processes; […]
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