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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Sky-high gas prices are revving up the political rhetoric

From all the noise surrounding gasoline prices, you’d think nobody actually benefited from the high prices. But, of course, some folks do benefit. Let’s figure out who they might be. Obviously, consumers don’t benefit. The average car owner in the United States pays about $80 more per month with gas at $4 per gallon than he did back when it was $2.25. Not good news, of course, but hardly the end of the world. Folks who provide goods and services…

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INVESTING: Law of supply and demand wreaks havoc on oil prices

One of the first things a student in Economics 101 learns is the fundamental concept of supply and demand. Who can forget those familiar graphs that show the two crossing curves and the critical point where they intersect-the price of the particular good. Next, we learned the effect of shifts in supply and demand, which lead to either an increase or decrease in price. Visually, those graphs allowed us to see how an increase in demand, without a commensurate increase…

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Selling a sabbatical: Few companies let workers take lengthy vacations, but some make exceptions

If you were to approach your boss about taking a prolonged leave of absence-say, for seven weeks-would he or she respond with understanding, or amusement? One particular boss, Matt Haab, founder of the south-side financial planning firm Veros Partners, was faced with that very decision. He chose to let wealth management adviser Charles Miller take his family on a lengthy trip to Honduras earlier this year. Miller, 46, joined Veros in 2004 and had been to the Central American country…

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Analyzing Speedwayâ??s success

If you were at the track over the weekend or in the past few weeks, you made your way through Speedway,
an island of stability in a county where some other older communities, like Beech Grove, are slipping into
decay.

Speedway…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: How an economist pays tribute on Memorial Day

Memorial Day held great significance for me when a youngster growing up in the 1960s. Like many families, mine had paid a dear price over the preceding century, and memories of those contributions lingered over even those of us too young to really understand. World War I veterans were still spry, and the World War II veterans were in the fullness of their years. To your future columnist, they were all old men. Still, Memorial Day had meaning beyond the…

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Castalia planning green neighborhood: Carmel-based custom homebuilder lining up financing for Mooresville community with 144 eco-friendly homes

In terms of eco-friendliness, few homes in central Indiana boast much more than a high-efficiency furnace or low-flush toilet. But a Carmel-based custom-home builder is so certain the region is ready to embrace the green movement that he is willing to risk investing in a residential community designed to achieve national environmental recognition. Frank Redavide, president of Castalia Homes LLC, is finalizing financing for the project and plans to start construction within 60 days. The 144-lot development, called Villages of…

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Move over ‘Super 70’-this one is really big: Department of Transportation hoping for summer launch of study to add truck lanes to 800 miles of I-70

Imagine driving the car down an interstate highway devoid of tractor trailers. It could dramatically improve traffic flow and safety, but it would sever supply chains and bring manufacturing to a halt-to say nothing of the state’s logistics industry. But how about putting those trucks in their own lanes, separated from cars and light trucks? What seemed merely a fanciful concept for Interstate 70 when highway planners tossed it out about a year ago is gaining momentum. The Indiana Department…

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Construction behemoth Skanska sees potential in Indy: U.S. division of Swedish-based company sets sights on health care, education, pharmaceutical building sectors

New Jersey-based Skanska USA Building Inc., a division of the $23 billion Swedish construction powerhouse Skanska AB, arrived in Indianapolis in April. Named last year as the top green contractor in the nation by Engineering News-Record magazine, Skanska USA is recognized in particular for its projects in the health care, higher education and pharmaceutical sectors. Its largest project, however, is the $998 million Meadowlands football stadium under construction in New Jersey. Locally, Terry Parrott, 50, is in charge of operations….

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Retail survivor: resale: Consignment, thrift shops doing well despite nation’s economic slowdown

As gas prices approach $4 a gallon and economic growth grinds to a standstill, many retail shops are feeling the pain. Consumers who don’t have as much disposable income are cutting back on clothing and accessories purchases. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index dropped to its lowest level in 26 years last month, and several reports find that consumers will likely be spending their so-called economic stimulus payments on bills, not shopping sprees. But one retail category already is…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Industry needs new methods to make it in new economy

It’s happening: Premium gasoline is breaking the $4 barrier that diesel fuel passed several months ago. While there are other serious issues in this “sour economy,” fuel prices are the most obvious sign of the future we face. We can view the problem in several different ways: This is just temporary. Our problems were caused by a bunch of crooks, greedy oil companies and the war in Iraq. Things will get back to normal if we cut back a little…

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Builders relying on medical projects: Amid general slowdown, health care sector busy

There’s no shortage of research pointing to the growth in the health care industry. For example, health care expenditures will account for nearly a quarter of the gross domestic product by 2020. Consumers are increasing the number of times they visit the doctor, and the increase is even greater for baby boomers. The number of medical procedures being performed on an outpatient basis rises yearly. And jobs in the industry will grow 20 percent by 2016. To meet those demands,…

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Ring maker remakes industry with big buyout: Herff Jones’ purchase of American Achievement to narrow roster of rivals to two; deal may be worth $700M

Herff Jones Inc.’s latest acquisition is a whopper that will remake the competitive dynamics of its niche industry-the sale of high school rings, yearbooks and other products that help mark educational milestones. The Indianapolis-based company this month agreed to buy American Achievement Group Holding Corp., a deal that would reduce the roster of Herff’s major competitors from three to two. Herff has $511 million in annual revenue, while American Achievement has $315 million. Terms were not disclosed, but Dow Jones’…

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Bowl reaction from elsewhere

Many a back was slapped in Indianapolis and among the Indy troops in Atlanta yesterday when the NFL team
owners opted for Indianapolis over Phoenix and Houston to host the 2012 Super Bowl.

Elsewhere, though, the reaction was mixed.

The Arizona Republic…

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Indianapolis, cold in winter?

Does Indianapolis experience winter? NFL owners meeting in Atlanta today could be forgiven for wondering, if
all they knew about Indianapolis was the information in the Super Bowl bid package.

The 30-plus pages in the executive summary have plenty…

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The next housing challenge

As the housing debacle continues to unwind, another big â?? really big â?? issue in housing is going largely
unnoticed.

Houses built in the 1950s are at risk of falling into the same decay experienced by many older neighborhoods,
some of…

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Dwindling unemployment trust nears crisis point: Fund that once held $1.6 billion may face insolvency

Indiana’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund is running out of money-fast. It opened this decade with $16.6 billion in assets. By the end of last year, it had dwindled to $302 million. And last month, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development said the balance was just $80 million. Though DWD in early May received $300 million in taxes collected from employers, the infusion is only a shortterm fix. By year’s end, the fund is expected to be short on cash again….

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Symphony Bank results keep hitting sour notes: CEO hopes to succeed by taking bank ‘to the people’

Symphony Bank’s palatial branch along East 96th Street-outfitted with a copper roof, towering domed ceiling and heated parking lot-was designed to telegraph wealth and stability. But instead, the $5 million Taj Mahal became the most prominent symbol of the bank’s excesses and one reason the startup has lost money every year since its founding in June 2005. The bank, which has no other branches, has torn through two management teams and piled up annual losses of $2 million or more…

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Steak n Shake hopes discounts whet appetites: Yet some fear promotions may hurt the brand

In an effort to reverse declining sales at its restaurants, The Steak n Shake Co. plans to roll out a number of new promotions and discounts this summer. During a conference call with analysts May 14, interim President Jeffrey Blade said the Indianapolis-based chain plans to introduce deals such as 99-cent children’s milkshakes and discounted burgers and sandwiches to lure customers back into its stores. The company also is testing $1 kids’ meals, a discounted milkshake “happy hour” from 2…

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EDITORIAL: Pricey fuel isn’t all bad: Pain at pump creates opportunity

Pricey fuel isn’t all bad Pain at pump creates opportunity The high cost of fuel hurts everyone, from commuters to business owners to not-for-profits whose volunteer drivers deliver meals to shut-ins. Our whole economy suffers. But there’s a silver lining to gas for $4 a gallon: opportunity. If the price of fuel isn’t coming down, and that seems to be the prevailing wisdom, the only thing to do is adapt. It’s in adapting that there’s opportunity to be found and…

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Land banking: Banks grab top sites for branches, often years before they build

Many of central Indiana’s banks are filling their own safe-deposit boxes, but they’re not stuffing them with jewelry, legal documents or blackmail material. They’re banking parcels of land. The sites often are in fast-growing suburbs or redevelopment areas that hold potential for new brickand-mortar bank branches, sometimes several years down the road. Competition can be fierce for the prime sites, and other financial institutions aren’t the only nemesis for banks: Walgreens and CVS also are fighting over the best ground,…

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