The goal of any host city of a major sporting event is simple: Rake in as much cash as possible during the days the event
is in town and maximize future economic potential by boosting the city’s image among everyone who watches on television.
Execution is more difficult.
Most local venture funds are standing pat because the economy is weak and they’re no longer
in fund-raising mode. Having invested most of their funds, the firms have shifted to the nurturing, or “harvesting”
stage, to try to improve investment returns.
Native Hoosier Aaron Renn, who writes the popular Urbanophile blog, said Indianapolis stacks up well against its Midwestern
counterparts and can compete for jobs with national hot spots such as Portland, Ore.
Arkansas wire-maker Tokusen USA Inc. plans to establish a manufacturing plant in Scottsburg, state economic development officials
said Wednesday, touting the nearly 135 jobs expected over the next two years.
Texas-based Blue Bell Creameries will begin selling its ice cream in nine metropolitan Meijer stores beginning April 5. Distribution
will be assisted by the building of a 12,000-square-foot facility on the northwest side.
Former Indiana Economic Development Corp. project manager will focus on developing business relationships with European companies.
Businesses care about taxes to be sure, but the availability of a pool of well-trained workers is at the forefront of most business-location decisions.
The organization last year closed 11 business expansion or attraction deals, netting 2,950 new jobs in the process.
Executives of Novae Corp. announced plans for the company’s expansion in North Manchester, where it expects to employ perhaps
85 people by 2013.
Despite a 20 percent attendance increase at this year's men's Big Ten tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse, there are still cities looking to steal the event from Indianapolis.
The state’s unemployment rate in January remained unchanged from the seasonally adjusted figure of 9.7 percent Indiana reported
in December.
Startup logistics firm s2f worldwide LLC will invest $10.8 million to set up its headquarters and distribution center in Plainfield,
creating 250 jobs by 2013, state economic development officials said early Monday.
Agricultural biotech firm hired a site-selection consultant and considered other cities around the world for its $340 million
expansion.
The investment will greatly expand the company’s research and development capacity and is a major win for the Indiana
life sciences industry. Dow AgroSciences expects most of the positions to pay between $65,000 and $95,000 annually.
Economic development mission targets clean technology and motorsports business-development opportunities.
Experts
say Indianapolis is moving forward on recycling, that environmental research is discovering promising technologies, and that
manufacturers are finding new things to make. Local cognoscenti from the green community testify to these developments in
five included videos.
Michigan-based auto components maker Lear Operations Corp. plans to invest more than $2.2 million to expand and upgrade its
manufacturing facility in Hammond, adding more than 285 jobs this year.
Trail Side on Mass Ave would include 69 one-bedroom apartments and about 23,000 square feet of ground-level retail space.
Global consumer packaging manufacturer Rexam plans to expand its operations in Franklin, adding nearly
50 jobs by the end of
the year.
Executives of Gen Con, one of the city's largest conventions, visited Indianapolis last week to get their first glance
of the construction of the Indiana Convention Center expansion. Local tourism officials are using such tours to market the
larger space.
