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Borshoff is latest communications company to diversify: Firm known for public relations seeks creative growth

An Indianapolis-based firm long known for public relations and crisis communications work is now trying to make its mark as a full-service advertising agency. Borshoff, formerly Borshoff Johnson Matthews, last month hired Art Haynie, a veteran Los Angeles-based creative director, to bolster the effort. “Public relations has been our handle for a long time,” said company founder Myra Borshoff Cook. “Now, we have to get the word out that we’re just as strong in other areas. To grow we feel…

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Energy and farmland values

You probably arenâ??t begrudging farmers and others for the record farmland prices theyâ??re enjoying.

But those prices wouldnâ??t be so high if the ethanol plants popping up across Indiana and elsewhere in the
Midwest werenâ??t using so much corn.

Now weâ??re…

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Indiana avoids budget shortfall list

A new report by a Washington, D.C., think tank shows 25 states expect budget shortfalls in their 2009 fiscal
years. Illinois and Kentucky are on the list issued by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, but Indiana
isnâ??tâ??at least…

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University foundations and tuition

College and university foundations have been raking in the dollars in the past few years due to big investment
returns. Millions of dollars have flowed in.

As IBJ reporter Tracy Donhardt wrote in this weekendâ??s paper, critics say more of…

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SURF THIS: At this networking site, ‘Smaller’ is the new better

Several years ago, I had a conversation with a friend about “The Tipping Point,” a now-famous book by economist Malcolm Gladwell. During this conversation, my friend casually mentioned that he thought it would be beneficial (though I think he may have actually said, “Wouldn’t it be cool…”) to get together with other people in the community to discuss the ideas put forth in this book and a variety of other “businessrelated” titles. I admit, I agreed that it would, indeed,…

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Many of state’s new jobs are at call centers

The state’s economic development leaders have been touting 2007 as a banner year that brought commitments for more than 22,000
new jobs, including positions in manufacturing, logistics and life sciences. But almost 20 percent of the announced jobs would
be in call centers–jobs that typically pay near or below the state’s $35,000 average annual wage.

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Oppose Daniels, oppose change?

A new statewide poll shows a high correlation between registered voters who intend to vote for Democratic
presidential candidate Barack Obama and incumbent Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Obama and Daniels are almost polar opposites philosophically, so what gives? Mostly…

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Right time for REITs?: Some predict beaten-down sector is ready for another winning streak

For seven years, real estate investment trusts delivered returns that clobbered the overall stock market. Then, last year, the winning streak came to an end. Between January 2007 and January 2008, REITs as a whole lost 24 percent of their value. An index of the companies took a bigger hit than most every other sector. Among local REITs, Duke Realty Corp. was the hardest hit, with its stock price falling 44 percent, from about $41 to $23, during the one-year…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Study exposes unfortunate work-force realities

For more than a half-century, we have built complex statistical models to attempt to explain why regions enjoy different levels of prosperity. Virtually every conceivable variable-from ethno-linguistic similarity indexes to existing natural resources to government structures-have been tried, with the models proving enormously successful. One critical insight in this extensive body of research is that human capital-the quality of a labor force-yields the strongest explanation for differences in prosperity. When we apply these models to the United States, the importance…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Primaries and prudence demand attention

Today-not tomorrow or next week, but now-is the moment to get involved in improving your life and the lives of your family and neighbors. Don’t delay. All you need do is both of two simple things. First, find out who is running in the primary election on May 6 for the Indiana House of Representatives and Senate from your district. Yes, the national news media have told us that our Indiana primary may be meaningless. They are referring to the…

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Business journalists and recession

Forbes Publisher Rich Karlgaard thinks business journalists are stirring up recession talk.

In a column this week with a takeout headlined â??Business press incompetence and fear,â?? Karlgaard advises against
believing everything one reads.

Hereâ??s what he writes:

â??Want to know the truth about…

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Contrasting United Way, Wheeler

Businesses and their employees opened pockets last year to enable United Way of Central Indiana to hit a
record $39 million in contributions.

The not-for-profit attributed the good news to hustle by campaign co-chairmen who offered money from their…

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Do you feel poorer?

Inflation is speeding up and wage growth is slowing down, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said this
morning.

Blame rising oil prices for the inflation and the slowing economy for the sluggish wage growth, says the
Economic Policy Institute, a…

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Affordable housing…again

Indianapolis is now the most affordable large market in which to buy a house 10 quarters running.

Thatâ??s according to an index the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo put out this afternoon.
In the past quarter, 46.6 percent…

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Fear grips donors to charity

Wheeler Mission Ministries broke the unsettling news yesterday that it is laying off 13 staff and shifting
its ministries for youth and families to another charity in order to minimize an anticipated operating deficit.

Why? Donors are worried about…

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Is film tax break a bad idea?

Gov. Mitch Daniels had sharp words for legislators after they finished overriding his veto of tax breaks
for the film industry.

â??Itâ??s truly an irresponsible decision, and I canâ??t imagine what they were thinking,â?? he fired off in a statement
yesterday.

Are…

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Kentucky as gambling competitor

The developing story in Kentucky about its new governorâ??s attempt to legalize casinos isnâ??t getting a lot
of play in Indianapolis, but the fallout could be huge if he succeeds.

Steve Beshear wants a dozen casinos to try to stop gamblers…

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Commentary: A story we all should heed

Last month, Brightpoint Inc. Chairman and CEO Bob Laikin was honored with Indiana University’s Distinguished Entrepreneurs-In-Residence Award. If the selection committee was looking for an executive with pluck, it chose well. The IU Kelley School of Business hosts the Distinguished Entrepreneurs-In-Residence program to inspire students and help them learn about the challenges of starting or expanding an emerging business. Laikin’s tumultuous and exciting journey left the students as dizzy as a day-long ride on the Kings Island Beast. Laikin founded…

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Uphill battle ahead: State poses tough test for new enviro leader

By the time Jesse Kharbanda earned a Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford, the University of Chicago student already knew he wanted to advocate environmental policies in the developing world, someday. Eight years later, some might say Kharbanda has landed in the developing world, all right-Indiana, insofar as it’s considered the backwater of environmental stewardship. One might recall the state’s 49thplace ranking in a 2007 review of “greenest” states by Forbes magazine. Only West Virginia-a national leader in illiteracy-scored worse….

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Commentary: Indiana needs social entrepreneurship

In the Middle Ages, the French coined a new word that today we would identify as “undertake.” Around 1828, this old French word, “entreprendre” was absorbed into the English language and after some use and m o d i fi c a t i o n s became a word we recognize and vener ate in our society today … entrepreneur. As a nation founded and populated by men and women who risked life and fortune to reach our shores,…

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