HOT NEWS in Southwest Indiana, the Evansville Region
WARRICK INDUSTRIAL PARKS ENJOY GROWTH SPURT
Warrick County’s industrial parks are seeing growth spurred by widening of SR 62 and the beginning of work on I-69. The SR 62 Industrial Park, just west of Boonville, will soon be home to both Prime Foods and Troyer Foods. Officials believe the "shovel ready" North Warrick Industrial Park will soon start to see the same type of growth.
NORTH WARRICK INDUSTRIAL PARK EARNS "SHOVEL READY" CERTIFICATION
The North Warrick Industrial Park in Elberfeld has earned the title of 'shovel ready' paving the way for businesses to quickly locate new operations on property ready for development.
The Warrick County site joins other 'shovel ready' sites identified by the state since 2006 that have undergone extensive title work, proof of ownership, legal and environmental review and qualify for expedited permitting with state regulatory agencies.
Certified sites have been eligible for matching grants to assist with eligible costs associated with applying for the shovel ready program.
BERRY PLASTICS TO ADD $27.9 MILLION IN EQUIPMENT
Berry plans to add equipment used to build food containers. It wants to hire 27 more workers by the time the project is finished and 60 or more within five years of the completion. They would make between $16.96 an hour and $26.50 an hour.
In 2007, about 1,200 employees worked at the Berry Plastics headquarters. Brent Beeler, the chief operating officer of the company, said the abatements Berry has received over the years have been essential to its growth in Evansville.
“With the other operations we have across North America, we have other options... outside Evansville,” he said.
Throughout the world, the company employs over 14,000 workers in about 70 factories.
2008 REGIONAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT
Business and government leaders from Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky will convene in Evansville on November 20 and 21, 2008 to study the new economic model of future growth. The 2008 Regional Economic Summit will feature nationally-recognized business experts and economists who will discuss the current economic climate and realities facing a 26-county region, as well as outline the steps necessary for prosperity, wealth creation, and economic vitality in the 21st Century. For details, visit http://www.regionaleconomicsummit.com/
HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT BEING CONSIDERED FOR NEWBURGH LOCK & DAM
An Idaho-based company is exploring the idea of building a hydroelectric power generating facility using the Newburgh Lock and Dam.
The company, Symbiotics LLC, of Rigby, Idaho, is in the process of applying to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a preliminary permit that would allow it to officially study the project for up to three years.
VECTREN FLY ASH TO BE TURNED INTO CONCRETE
Fly ash produced at two power plants in Southwest Indiana will soon go into making concrete.
Vectren Corp. has agreed to provide Geocycle US with as much as 200,000 tons of the ash - a byproduct of burning coal - each year. The agreement will take effect in 2009 and last for the next decade.
The fly ash will come from Vectren's two power plants in Southwest Indiana: The A.B. Brown plant, in Posey County, and the F.B. Culley plant, near Newburgh.
MEAD JOHNSON UTILIZES LANDFILL METHANE
Decomposing waste in Laubscher Meadows Landfill generates enough methane gas to equal about 70,000 barrels of crude oil or 15,000 tons of coal each year.
Mead Johnson Nutritionals plans to use this gas from the landfill to replace most of the current natural gas consumption at its Evansville manufacturing facility.
"Today, we are taking another big step toward helping improve air quality in the Evansville area," said Mead Johnson President Steve Golsby on Tuesday.
He said the natural gas usage that will be eliminated by the project represents a shift from the use of fossil fuels to energy that comes from a renewable source. He said the company anticipates the landfill on North St. Joseph Avenue will provide enough gas to power the facility for at least 15 to 20 years.
RED SPOT SOLD TO JAPANESE FIRM
Fujichem Inc., is in the process of buying Red Spot Paint & Varnish Co. Inc., one of Evansville’s oldest manufacturers for $63.2 million. Red Spot will mark its 105th anniversary in December.
Fujichem is a subsidiary of Fujikura Kasei, which produces and sells derivative products of acrylic resins, similarly to Red Spot.
Both Red Spot and Fujikura, a Japanese company with which it has done business for 36 years, are global leaders in advanced coatings for plastics, and supply the automotive industry, including Toyota, and other industries.
Halling said the Red Spot name and the company’s Evansville headquarters, which include manufacturing, research, sales and administrative facilities, will be retained. He said all 345 Red Spot employees also will be retained.
ESG Lands Naval Contract
Evansville based Vectren Corp subsidiary, Energy Systems Group (ESG), has landed a contract with the world's largest naval station. The company will provide lighting, water and mechanical system upgrades for Naval Station Norfolk. The contract is worth nearly $5.7 million. ESG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vectren Corp. (NYSE: VVC).
TAG Grants Awarded to Area Companies
More than $5 million in Training Acceleration Grants have been awarded by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to Indiana companies or consortia. The program offers matching grants to companies and organizations seeking to expand the skills of existing workers through training. The following Southwest Indiana Companies have been awarded these matching grants; Alcoa (Newburgh, $199,921.00), Anchor Industries (Evansville, $112,100.00),
Enviroplas (Evansville, $24,004.00) and J.E. Shekell (Evansville, $91,555.00).
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Old National Bancorp (NYSE: ONB) Added to the Standard & Poors SmallCap 600 Index
According to Standard & Poor's, the S&P SmallCap 600 is designed to be an efficient portfolio of
companies that meet specific inclusioncriteria to ensure that they are investable and financially viable and is fast becoming the preferred small cap index in the United States.
Old National Bancorp of Evansville is the largest financial services holding company headquartered in Indiana and, with $7.8 billion in assets, ranks among the top 100 banking companies in the United States.
AT&T GROWING IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has announced that AT&T Indiana will bring an additional 150 new jobs to Evansville in 2008. The AT&T center is located on Vogel Road. The center's workforce will reach 750 employees in 2008.
We applaud Gov. Daniels, Mayor Weinzapfel and all of the state and local officials for creating an ideal environment for job expansion," said George Fleetwood, president, AT&T Indiana. "House Bill 1279 (telecom reform) is the best bill of its kind in the country, and it continues to help us deliver more jobs, investment and innovation."
"We continue to be very impressed with the level of talent and expertise that we have been able to bring in from the local workforce," said Ray Klages, vice president, Business Customer Services for AT&T's wireless business-to-business organization. "The addition of these new jobs is a direct result of our success to date and the belief that our new hires will deliver the kind of exceptional service our customers expect and deserve."
WORK PREPARATION GRANT RECEIVED BY EVANSVILLE SCHOOLS
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development is awarding more than $1.8 million in grants to help better prepare Hoosiers for work. The dollars will be used to help improve student preparation for high-wage, high-demand jobs projected for the state.
Evansville/Vanderburgh School Corporation/Central High School and Evansville/Vanderburgh School Corporation/North High School have each been awarded $15,000.
IVY TECH GIBSON COUNTY LOCATION CHOSEN
Ivy Tech has chosen a location for the Gibson County expansion it announced last month. The new center will be in a 12,000-square-foot building in the Gibson County Warehousing Inc. industrial park at 2431 S. Crabtree Drive in Princeton, Ind.
The new facility is slated to be open by July and will employ a full-time director and at least one part-time support staff. The facility will have the capacity to offer advanced manufacturing, computer application, health care and energy technology training, as well as continuing education, distance learning opportunities and a location for certification and employment testing.
WARRICK COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXEC HIRED
Warrick County Economic Development Exec Hired Larry Taylor, who recently retired as senior vice president of Accuride, has accepted the position as Warrick County Economic Development Director.
Taylor said he is passionate about the county and the community and is looking forward to promoting the county so more businesses will come to the area.
He stated that there has already been a lot of groundwork done by the county in the area.
"It's an ideal time for anyone stepping into this," Taylor said.
The first item on his agenda is developing a strategy for economic development.
I-69 ON SCHEDULE FOR 2008
The Indiana Department of Transportation (DOT) remains on schedule to break ground on the 13-mile-long first section from Evansville to Oakland City, Ind., in late summer or early fall 2008, said DOT spokesman Andy Dietrick. Before that, officials anticipate the Federal Highway Administration will issue its "Record of Decision," which is expected any day. It essentially will be the final regulatory hurdle to allowing federal funds to be used on the project.
VECTREN TO UTILIZE THE WIND
Evansville based Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana (Vectren) received approval last week from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to add 30 megawatts (MW) of wind energy from an Indiana wind farm to its generation portfolio. The addition is expected to provide enough energy to power around 8,000 homes annually.
RON KEEPING NAMED WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRMAN
Ron Keeping will succeed Andrew Goebel as the chairman of The Grow Southwest Indiana Workforce Board on Jan. 1, 2008. Keeping is now the treasurer of that board and is also the director of economic development and market research at Vectren Corp.
“Ron is a proven regional leader in a number of areas,” Goebel said. “I am confident that Ron will, with the continued support of the board, takes us to the next level.”
The Grow Southwest Indiana Workforce Board represents Indiana’s Economic Growth Region 11, which includes Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties.
The Grow Southwest Indiana Workforce Board received a $5 million WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Region Economic Development) grant in 2007. The money will be used to help the organization start training programs in southwest Indiana.
WARRICK COUNTY SEARCH FOR NEW DIRECTOR COULD BE COMING TO AN END
On Nov. 30, the Warrick County Board of Commissioners, along with members of the county council and economic advisory boards, interviewed the top choice of the search committee for a new director for the Warrick County Economic Development Corporation. They predict a new director will be named after the first of the year.
Greg Wathen and the Coalition have been assisting Brandon Sheridan, assistant to the previous director, in keeping in contact with potential clients during the search for a director.
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SIGNATURE SCHOOL AWARDED GOLD
U.S. News & World Report collaborated with School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education and data research and analysis business that provides parents with education data on analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 18,000 public high schools to find the very best across the country. These top schools were placed into gold, silver, or bronze medal categories. Signature School Inc in Vanderburgh County, Evansville, IN was awarded Gold.
MEAD JOHNSON, IU TO ESTABLISH RESEARCH CENTER AT USI CAMPUS
Evansville-based Mead Johnson Nutritionals and Indiana University School of Medicine announce the development of a Center for Nutrition and Immunity that will focus on research related to infant nutrition and immune system development. The Center will be located at the Indiana University School of Medicine-Evansville located on the campus of the University of Southern Indiana.
Dirk Hondmann, Ph.D., Mead Johnson’s vice president for research and development, said that the collaboration with the IU School of Medicine supports the company’s vision to help give infants and children the best start in life.
“Mead Johnson’s focus has always been science-based nutrition, and the interaction between nutrition and immunity is the next great frontier,” said Hondmann. “Ultimately, it’s our goal that the research conducted at the Center for Nutrition and Immunity will lead to products with innovative nutritional benefits for infants and children around the world.
In addition, we’re very pleased to have the opportunity to invest together with Indiana School of Medicine in building a stronger life science infrastructure in Evansville.”
Mead Johnson Nutritionals is a world leader in nutrition, dedicated to helping provide infants and children with the best start in life. Mead Johnson Nutritionals is a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) is a global pharmaceutical and related health care products company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life.
BERRY PLASTICS DEDICATES DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Evansville based Berry Plastics dedicated its new 600,000 square foot warehouse distribution center in the new Air Commerce Park. Berry Plastics, which manufactures plastic packaging for dozens of products, recently announced that it would make Evansville its global headquarters and would create 250 new jobs.
“The expansion will give us the infrastructure Berry must have to move our products to our customers more efficiently. In addition, it will allow Berry to expand its manufacturing capabilities at its Oakley Street production facility” said Bob Smith, Berry’s director of warehousing and distribution.
The Air Commerce Park has limitless potential to be a great economic catalyst for the region. Berry Plastics’ recently announced expansion in Evansville is the third in two years from the plastic packaging giant.
BERRY PLASTICS TO BRING GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS AND 250 JOBS TO EVANSVILLE
Berry Plastics' third expansion in Evansville in two years will bring 250 new professional jobs to the city as well as a $20 million investment in a new global headquarters.
Gov. Mitch Daniels and Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel joined Berr executives on Tuesday to announce the company's plans to consolidate its global corporate headquarters here and bring the additional 250 employees.
"Headquarters locations, with high-paying jobs and community commitment they bring, are the best news an economy can get," Daniels said.
Berry already employs more than 1,200 at the Evansville operation. It has 55 manufacturing operations worldwide, including three in Indiana. Globally, Berry employs more than 12,600 workers, including more than 1,600 in Indiana, company officials said.
State and local officials pledged support for the expansion. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has offered Berry Plastics up to $4.7 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans.
The state will also provide Evansville a grant of up to $94,000 to assist with off-site infrastructure improvements needed for the project.
COALITION ASSISTS IN BRINGING TOYOTA BOSHOKU TO PRINCETON
A long standing effort by local and state economic developers to forge business relationships with executives of Japanese companies culminated in Monday's announcement of Toyota Boshoku America's new facility bringing 200 jobs to Princeton in Gibson County.
The Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana assists Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties in economic-development efforts; and had been working with Gibson County officials for some time to land the Toyota Boshoku seat-frame plant, for which a Kentucky community also competed.
Southwest Indiana is centrally located near the median center of US population and is a prime location for international companies to situate their suppliers. Local communities have worked hard using assets such as their workforce and availability of infrastructure - water, sewer and rail - to be competitive with other states trying to lure businesses.
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ALCOA FOUNDATION GRANT TO PROVIDE 'GREEN BUILDING AND SCHOLARSHIPS AT U OF E
The Alcoa Foundation is providing $142,500 to the University of Evansville to help construct a "green" building on campus and boost student aid. The gift, announced Monday, is the largest by The Alcoa Foundation through its Warrick Operations this year.
$42,500 will go toward the university's Friends for Educational Excellence program to help pay for student scholarships and financial aid, $100,000 will go toward helping make the new Ridgeway University Center a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified facility.
The project, along with the recently opened Schroeder Family School of Business Administration building, will make the University of Evansville the first institution of higher education in Southwestern Indiana to have LEED-certified "green" buildings on campus. The business administration building also is undergoing the process of becoming LEED certified.
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System is a trademark program of the US Green Building Council. It is considered a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance, environmentally friendly buildings.
USI ENGINEERING PROGRAM ACCREDITED
University of Southern Indiana President H. Ray Hoops announced the accreditation of the Engineering Program by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The Accreditation will be retroactive to October 2004. Engineering students at USI currently work toward a general engineering degree with an emphasis in civil, electrical or mechanical engineering. Dr. Hoops envisions an expansion of the engineering program to offer specialized degrees in those fields.
COALITION WEB SITE RECEIVES AWARD
The Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana recently received an award from the Economic Development Directory. The Award specifies "This website is certified to contain development information organized for the requirements of site selection consultants, real estate departments and business people."
Background of award: In recent years, many site selection consultants have asked that economic development agency websites provide more of the kind of information the site selection professionals need. This award indicates that this kind of information is presented on the Coalition site.
BERRY PLASTICS BEGINS $43 MILLION EXPANSION
Evansville-based Berry Plastics Corp. will invest $20 million in a new
distribution center that will create 49 new jobs throughout its southwestern
Indiana operations over the next three years and have the potential to add 200,000 additional square feet of space for light manufacturing or added distribution capabilities..
The 600,000 square foot center will be located on a leased site at the Evansville Airport. The company plans to add 49 jobs in the area over the next three years. The company is making a separate $23 million investment in its Evansville operations.
Berry Plastics currently employs 1,200 people in Evansville and more than 6,500 worldwide.
STATE PRAISES REGIONAL COOPERATION IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA
Nate Feltman, head of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., was in Evansville on recently to meet with representatives of the Coalition, as well as executives of Toyota and Whirlpool. State officials want local communities to band together into organizations such as the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana representing Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey and Gibson counties.
"We're very excited about what this four-county group is doing," Feltman said. "The four counties have a good understanding. Here, you have the right people in the four counties involved."
Regional agencies are assessing the strengths of their regions and using them to attract additional development. Feltman said the organization will likely expand to include more counties in the region.
PORTS OF INDIANA BREAK RECORDS
The Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon handled more than 4 million tons in 2006, its highest volume since 1998 and a 6% increase from 2005. There were major increases in cement (+31%), steel (+30%), minerals (+11%), coal (+7%) and grain (+4%).
The Ports of Indiana say 2006 was a record breaking year for handling cargo. Indiana ports handled $1.89 billion of cargo, a 23 percent increase over the previous year. The Ports of Indiana also surpassed $1 billion in cargo shipments for the third consecutive year.
As a state, Indiana ranks 14th in the nation for waterborne shipping by volume reaching international markets. The Ports of Indiana provide foreign-trade zones (FTZs) and development financing for companies throughout Indiana. In 2006, $20 billion of goods moved through Ports of Indiana FTZs, allowing Indiana companies to reduce, eliminate or postpone millions of dollars in U.S. duties.
EVANSVILLE RANKS #1 FOR RELOCATING FAMILIES
Modeled after the popular “Best Places to Live” studies, Worldwide ERC and Primacy have teamed with Sperling’s BestPlaces to rate cities based on those factors that determine the likelihood of a successful relocation. In Medium Markets (metro areas with populations between 250,000 – 500,000) Evansville is ranked #1 for 2007.
Ratings were based on traditional factors such as tax rates, average home cost, and home appreciation combined with cost of living and quality of life variables. Subtle indicators were also included such as in-depth climate analysis helps identify cities where mild summers, mild winters, and plentiful rainfall contribute to reasonable utility costs.
The final rankings represent the most sophisticated comparative research ever undertaken to determine how geography affects a family’s relocation success.
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THE MEDIAN CENTER OF US POPULATION EDGES CLOSER TO EVANSVILLE
That's great news for attracting new industries, including warehousing and distribution.
Latest U.S. Census Bureau figures place the median center of the nation's population just north of Interstate 64 and east of U.S. 41 in neighboring Gibson County, Ind. As the median center closes in on Evansville, it gives the area a very significant advantage in transportation costs.
A growing number of companies today are using transportation sensitive models that graphically pinpoint the shipping costs of locating in different areas, according to JIm Holderread active director of Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana. He said that Evansville is probably the lowest-cost area for national distribution.
EVANSVILLE SCHOOL AMONG NATION'S ELITE
Evansville’s Signature School ranked by Newsweek as one of the nation's 100 best schools. Signature School ranked 54th, according to an index based on the ratio of the number of Advanced Placement tests, divided by the number of graduating seniors.
EVANSVILLE RANKS HIGHLY FOR ENTREPRENUERS
Evansville was rated the 29th best small city in the country for entrepreneurs in a recent issue of Entrepreneur Magazine.The rankings placed Evansville ahead of most other small Indiana cities.
"I think that Evansville did quite well," said Jim Holderread, deputy director of Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana, Evansville's economic development agency. In the future, his agency may use the information to help attract entrepreneurs or growing companies to the Evansville area, he said.
Holderread said he was glad Evansville ranked ahead of many university cities in the small city category. The university cities it surpassed were, in addition to Bloomington, Lafayette and Muncie, Bryan-College Station, Texas, home of Texas A & M (48), Bloomington-Normal, Ill. (64), home of Illinois State University, and Champaign-Urbana (82), home of the University of Illinois.
The ratings were done by Entrepreneur and the National Policy Research Council. The index is designed to measure the best places to start and grow a company.
EVANSVILLE RANKS AMONG BEST METROS
The Evansville-Henderson metropolitan area was rated as one of the "Most Logistics-Friendly Metros" in the United States in a recent edition of Expansion Management magazine.
The Evansville-Henderson area was named a four-star city, placing it among the top 110 metropolitan areas examined in terms of logistics because of its transportation facilities. It is an easy area to move supplies and products into and out of, making it attractive to manufacturers, retailers, warehousers and distributors.
The magazine rated communities in 10 areas: the overall transportation and distribution industry climate; labor costs; work-force skill levels and availability; road and highway infrastructure and spending; road density, congestion and truck safety; road and bridge conditions; fuel taxes and fees; railroad access; water ports; air service; and interstate highway access.
MAP BROCHURE AVAILABLE IN JAPANESE
We have updated and improved our map brochure of Southwest Indiana, the Evansville Region. Copies may be obtained by calling our office. The brochure has been translated into Japanese and is available for viewing on this site by clicking here.
CENTER OF US POPULATION MOVES CLOSER TO EVANSVILLE
The 2000 Census data indicates the Median Center of U.S. Population has moved farther south and west to a point in Van Buren Township in Daviess County about 13 miles northeast of Washington, IN and approximately 70 miles north of Evansville. (The median center is located at the intersection of two median lines, a north-south line constructed so that half of the Nation's population lives east and half lives west of it, and an east-west line selected so that half of the Nation's population lives north and half lives south of it.)
If you are in a transportation sensitive business and want your products to get to your customers "just in time" and at a reasonable cost, consider a location in the Evansville region. For more information, contact us at 1-800-401-7683.
Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana Services
Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana, serves Southwest Indiana, the Evansville Region and is your one stop shop for plant/facility location projects. Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana Provides:
- assistance with plant location projects and feasibility studies
- information on buildings and sites
- regional economic, demographic, and workforce data
- single source for local and regional information
- coordination for meetings
- building/site tours
- liaison with economic development allies, developers, brokers, utilities, railroads and government officials.
Contact the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana for
additional information at 812-423-2020.
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