Articles

Jennings County group hires PR firm

The Jennings County Economic Development Commission recently hired Indianapolis-based Brand Acceleration Inc. as its agency
of record to handle advertising, public relations and brand management.

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New rail route connects Hendricks to West Coast: Line should bolster county’s distribution industry

A new rail route launched last month between Los Angeles and CSX’s Avon rail yard could give a further boost to Hendricks County’s booming warehousing-and-distribution industry. The county already hosts some 29 million square feet of warehouse space. However, it lacked a direct connection to the teeming Port of Long Beach in Los Angeles, a major gateway for U.S./ Asian trade. Anyone in the Hendricks County area wishing to send or receive goods from that port by rail had to…

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M&I Plaza seeks rebound under different ownership: Struggling downtown tower is about 70-percent vacant

Struggling M&I Plaza once again can become a prominent office tower, real estate experts contend, but only if the next owner atones for its predecessor’s mistakes. Local real estate developer Paul Kite Co. had emerged as a top contender to buy the struggling downtown property from Maryland-based CapitalSource Inc., which assumed ownership of the 28-story building in June after foreclosing on a $5 million mezzanine loan. Paul Kite didn’t respond to an e-mail request for comment. But sources say Kite’s…

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As politics finds new mediums, local firms are along for the ride

In this year’s election cycle, the policy watchword is "change." But amid the partisan debate, another type of
change is revolutionizing the way candidates track voters and spread messages. Communication tools like
text messaging, social networking and YouTube are increasingly integral to successful politics.

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SPORTS: Tony Dungy is much more than a football coach

Of this, that and the other: It was my pleasure to co-moderate (with IBJ’s Anthony Schoettle) last week’s IBJ “Power Breakfast” featuring Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy. This was the third year I’d shared the stage with Dungy, the Super Bowl-winning coach who most of us know by now is also a best-selling author, a man of deep faith, and a committed social activist, the latter best exemplified by his involvement with his mentoring program, All-Pro Dads. A Westin Hotel…

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No perfect fit for Main Street: Small-business owners fall on both sides of political line

Joe the Plumber has been getting plenty of attention in recent weeks, but what about Kimberly the Merchant or John the Manufacturer? For all the talk about whether this year’s presidential candidates favor Wall Street or Main Street, there’s little discussion of the fact that neither Democrat Barack Obama nor Republican John McCain may be perfect for all small-business owners. Indianapolis manufacturing firm owner John Raine is backing McCain because of his stance on taxes and labor unions. Local shop…

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NOTIONS: Lessons learned from the candidates’ communications

Have I told you about my e-mail from Sarah Palin? Did you know that Obama campaign manager David Plouffe briefs me on campaign strategy? I’ve let slip, haven’t I, that Bill Clinton invited me to his place to munch on potato chips and watch Hillary’s televised debate? I receive streaming video from Gov. Mitch Daniels letting me look in on campaign stops statewide. His opponent, Jill Long Thompson, connects via Facebook. And at 3 a.m. one Saturday, Barack Obama texted…

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Commentary: We’re all in danger of motion sickness

(Author’s note: I submitted this column Oct. 14, with full knowledge that the world may have come to an end by the time it is published.) It’s swing time. Candidates for office, state and federal, are swinging and slinging mud at one another. In a last-ditch effort to scare voters, Sarah Palin accused Barack Obama of hanging out with Bill Ayers, co-founder of the Weathermen, a militant group of the 1970s. In reality, by the time Ayers met Obama, his…

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Commentary: White deserves praise and support

Chris Katterjohn has the week off. In his absence, this column, which appeared on Oct. 2, 2006, is being reprinted. It’s been a little more than a year since Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Eugene White took over the job of battling the flames at IPS. We should all be grateful he did. He is a special man. “It was like going into a burning house,” White told a group of business leaders at a recent breakfast. “I don’t know too…

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Mild bump expected in benefits: Despite modest rise in premiums, employers look to pass on costs

Several industry surveys predict health insurance expenses will rise at a slower pace in 2009 than in previous years. Many employers, however, are passing the added burden on to workers. Raising deductibles, copayments or out-of-pocket spending limits are the most common ways companies plan to reduce their increases. The trend of passing more of the responsibility to employees has escalated the past five years, giving rise to cheaper alternatives such as consumer-directed health plans. “The tie that binds is that…

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Sport Graphics diversifies with WFYI project: Former print shop looking to expand downtown

When WFYI-TV Channel 20 officials were looking for a company to help with their rebranding, they didn’t turn to an ad agency. Instead, they hired locally based Sport Graphics, a company known more as a print shop and sign maker with a sports focus. These days, though, Sport Graphics is becoming better known for its creative work and relying less on putting ink on paper to bring in business. “Printing is a commodity, and there are people-regardless of relationships-who will…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: We may be in a recession, but don’t expect calamity

It will be some months before we know for sure, but I would wager today that the United States is in a recession. Our unemployment rate is at right about the 50-year average, productivity is up, and living standards never have been higher. Even so, the economy likely has been pushed into recession because uncertainty about credit will dramatically slow hiring and production the next few months. Demand for goods also will be affected. This is financial-market mayhem spreading to…

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SPORTS: Crean and Hoosiers are a story like no other

Last week, I attended a press conference that pumped the upcoming Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase at Lucas Oil Stadium Dec. 6. The Showcase will feature Indiana University versus Gonzaga University in one game, the University of Notre Dame against Ohio State University in the other. Name wise, it’s a stellar lineup befitting the occasion: the first basketball games to take place in LOS. It’s safe to predict they will be the first of many. At the very least, an…

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