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Land drove Marsh sale: Sun Capital has backup in real estate if grocery biz fails

When Marsh Supermarkets Inc. put itself on the block in November, the company’s stock dove. When it cut future executive compensation $28 million a month later, the stock continued falling. When it terminated 25 executives and closed two groceries and six convenience stores, shares slipped yet again. Nothing, it seemed, could stop the downward spiral. Then a footnote appeared in the Fishersbased company’s fiscal third-quarter financial report Feb. 21. It said an appraisal showed the company’s real estate was worth…

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Emmis fights radio doubt: CEO Smulyan defends his struggling industry as stock price continues to slide

Emmis Communications Corp.’s stock has fallen 80 percent in six years. Revenue from its radio stations is falling short of Wall Street expectations. And its bid for Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals is running third in a three-horse race. But Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan is as optimistic as he’s been in months. “I’m upbeat because I think this industry is ready to turn the corner, and Emmis is turning the corner,” Smulyan told Wall Street analysts after his company released…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Mysteries abound in Indiana

There is so much I do not understand about Indiana. After living here for 35 years, after visiting every county and traveling almost every mile of state highway, after making friends with thousands of Hoosiers, I am in the dark on so many issues. Here are three examples: Example 1: What do Mitch Daniels, Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, and Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana have in common? They are all governors who have massive approval deficits. According to Survey USA (and…

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Cleveland tech firm going west: Parker Hannifin falls short of employment promises, plans to leave Intech Park

A Cleveland-based technology giant plans to move its Intech Park operation next month, leaving behind some attractive office space and a broken promise to create jobs. Parker Hannifin Corp. will consolidate its Indianapolis location into a California site, spokesman Jim Cartwright said. It should empty its 30,700-square-foot offices in the park’s Intech 10 building by the end of June. The move will have no impact on Parker Hannifin’s Tell City production facility, which employs about 100 people who make industrial…

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Foundry forges growth by displaying creativity: After struggling for clients, upstart ad firm hits stride

Mark LeClerc, Matt Ganser and Jeff Morris started Foundry advertising agency in October 2004, with a five-figure bank loan and the promise of a lucrative account from an international mailorder retailer. But when their Lands’ End deal fell far short of expectations, the trio was forced into cold-call mode. Because of non-compete clauses with their former employers, Foundry suddenly found itself with no active clients. “One of the first lessons we learned is that not everything promised to you comes…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Protecting company data not always worth the effort

Like monkeys in cages, data seems to want to be free, and will connive ways to break out of restraints. Many times it takes advantage of human carelessness, as it did in Iraq recently. Two reporters were wandering through one of the Iraqi bazaars that have sprung up outside U.S. bases, and which feature items discarded by Americans, such as old boots and broken tools. The reporters saw a number of what the media has been calling “computer drives.” These…

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Gamer cashes in on hobby: Arcade cabinets combine old titles, new technology

Rick Barretto started filling his basement with arcade games soon after graduating from Indiana University. An avid gamer since his youth, he loved to play, but to get the games he wanted, he had to buy fullsized arcade cabinets-12 of them. His basement was only so big, and his wife’s tolerance only so high. “My wife was saying, ‘There’s got to be a better way,'” said Barretto, 39. So he put his college computer-science classes to work and spent more…

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Ivy Tech to focus more on results, not just growth: Student success and broader ties with employers among goals of community college system’s five-year plan

After growing its enrollment 75 percent the last decade, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana is shifting its focus to student retention. A top administrator also wants to expand the number of training courses offered at businesses, as a way to supplement the system’s $253 million annual budget. Some who’ve studied the state’s educational system have recommended that Ivy Tech spend more to hire additional full-time faculty to strengthen its effectiveness. The school’s five-year student retention plan calls for doubling…

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Real estate experts examine the market: Indianapolis in good shape overall, panelists say, but job growth, incentive issues, among concerns

On April 14, as part of its Power Breakfast Series, the Indianapolis Business Journal gathered a panel of commercial real estate and construction experts to discuss industry conditions in the local market. In a discussion moderated by IBJ Editor Tom Harton, panelists took on a wide range of issues, including tax incentives and the status of downtown’s residential and retail markets. Power Breakfast guests were Mike Curless, executive vice president and principal with Lauth Property Group; Mike Wells, president of…

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FAMILY BUSINESS: Indiana Square damage offers lesson in disaster planning

The incident drove home the importance of disaster planning. When the storm struck at 10 p.m. that Sunday, who was prepared for the emergency? Employees were told not to come in the next morning, but how would they do their jobs? What files could be retrieved? Would computer systems work on Monday and later that week? What would happen to incoming and outgoing telephone and e-mail messages? The questions and potential problems were endless. Each owner of a family business…

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SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE WTH: Firm mapping out its own success Owner shifts focus from old-school engineering to GIS

SMALL BUSINESS PROFILE WTH Firm mapping out its own success Owner shifts focus from old-school engineering to GIS Rex Jones wants to show off his company’s work, so the lights go down, a computer comes on and a map of Starke County appears on a screen. The map is a maze of green lines representing county and local roads, red for state/interstate highways, blue for water. Jones zooms in further, picking a random street in the rural county. Up pops…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: As construction costs rise, older buildings gain appeal

Construction costs continue to rise in the wake of hurricanes, tornadoes, the war in Iraq, the building boom in China and general inflation. The trickle-down effect often lands at the feet of small business owners. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index, prices for materials and construction components increased 0.3 percent in February, following a 1-percent hike in January and continuing a threeyear upswing. The average building cost index has increased about 45 percent since 1995,…

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CHRIS KATTERJOHN Commentary: Congress should resurrect immigration compromise

As I left work April 10, I noticed a steady stream of cars pulling off Washington Street into the IBJ Corp. parking lot. The cars were full of Hispanics who had come downtown for the Big March. The sidewalks, too, held a steady flow of Hispanics heading east toward what turned out to be one of the largest public political rallies in city history. Most of the people I saw looked young-in their teens, 20s or 30s-and seemed to be…

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Star meetings unusual, not necessarily ethical breach: Political candidates invited to informational meeting

An Indianapolis Star program for political candidates that mixes information about advertising and news policies is raising eyebrows among some area politicos and media specialists. As part of their Campaign Connections program, Star officials hold cocktail receptions for Republican and Democratic candidates to discuss advertising possibilities and to explain news processes, including candidate endorsements on the editorial page. Star officials said the program dates back to the 2002 election. Star Editor Dennis Ryerson said it is made clear that buying…

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NFL pulls plug on local TV crews: Team owners vote to oust videographers from games

Indianapolis TV stations say a new National Football League policy that bans them from the sidelines during games is a violation of their First Amendment rights and threatens a major source of income. A league-wide rule that was passed 32-0 by team owners March 28 allows only the licensed broadcast rights-holder to shoot sideline footage during games. The National Association of Broadcasters, Radio-Television News Directors Association and Society of Professional Journalists have petitioned to have the rule overturned. Though owners…

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IndyGo claims take their toll: Payout for injuries, damages hit 3-year high, a big financial hit for cash-strapped system

“If it had been a bigger bus, I’d have been dead,” said Williams, who was injured and his car totaled. IndyGo settled his case out of court for an undisclosed sum. Williams filed one of 20 tort claim notices with the Indianapolis Public Transportation Corp. last year. Those, and 10 lawsuits, seek a total of more than $2.6 million in damages. IndyGo attorneys estimate the company’s total potential liability is more like $784,350, according to records obtained by IBJ. The…

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Repairs to tower may take months: Tenants scramble for other arrangements

It was a symbol of his success. For the last three years, environmental attorney Robert Clark has relished the view from his corner office in One Indiana Square, high above the streets of Indianapolis. But on Sunday, April 2, tornadoforce winds left it in tatters. His family photos are gone. Likewise his case files and the many gifts he’d received over the years from friends or clients. “I understand there are no exterior walls,” he said. “My desk is still…

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Atlas draws Fresh interest: Upscale grocery chain with a store in Carmel considers local expansion

North Carolina-based The Fresh Market Inc. has confirmed it’s interested in the former Atlas Supermarket site at 54th Street and College Avenue. “We are looking at expanding in that area and we’re looking at a lot of sites,” said spokesman Eric Blaesing. “[The Atlas site] is one of them.” He added that nothing is definite and “for every 100 sites you look at, you end up with one of them.” N e i g h b o r s hope…

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Clarian chooses small firm for big advertising account: The Heavyweights gets nod over larger agencies

One of central Indiana’s largest advertising accounts has been awarded to a relatively small but growing agency. Clarian Health Partners this month signed what industry sources are calling a multiyear, multimillion-dollar deal with The Heavyweights, a firm headquartered in The Stutz Building downtown and best known for its creative work for clients such as Procter & Gamble and Roche Diagnostics. Officials for Clarian and The Heavyweights would not divulge the deal’s terms. The Heavyweights will provide creative direction and strategy…

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Experts: Businesses should prep for bird flu: Vast majority of U.S. companies have not budgeted for possible pandemic, despite warnings from health officials

The much-hyped Y2K computer bug came and went without so much as a whimper from a whirring hard drive. But unlike the threat of malfunctioning computers, health experts warn that the potential danger of an avian flu pandemic is far greater. In the event of a widespread outbreak in the United States, companies large and small need to be prepared in order to keep interruptions to a minimum, they say. “I am an evangelist for having a contingency plan,” said…

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