Monthly Archives: January 2011

Notes: Indiana Braces for Big Winter Storm

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A huge winter storm is expected to dump up to two feet or more of snow over a wide swath of the Midwest this week before moving on to give the U.S. East Coast yet another unwanted helping of the white stuff. In Indiana, snow totals are expected to vary widely, with the greatest accumulations predicted for the northern part of the state.

Northwest Indiana and Chicago are expected to get hammered worst, with more than 20 inches of snow projected to fall. South Bend could receive up to 18 inches. In northeast Indiana, up to five inches may fall by tomorrow morning, with another six to 12 inches (or more) possible through Wednesday.

The Lafayette area is looking at two to four inches overnight and then up to five more inches Tuesday. Further south, Indianapolis shouldn’t see heavy accumulations of snow, but forecasts are calling for a thick coating of ice and high winds that could wreak havoc with utility services. An ice storm in central Indiana in 2005 left more than 100,000 residents without power for up to a week.

Likewise, further south, Terre Haute is expecting a layer of ice followed by up to 10 inches of snow. However, Evansville and far southern Indiana may escape with just a little freezing rain.

In other news:

A diversified employment based helped Jay County weather the recession better than many other counties in the state.

The General Assembly could vote as early as today on a proposed fix for the bankrupt Indiana unemployment system.

Notes: Daniels Mulls Presidential Run

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Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is close to making a call on whether or not to run for President.

“I think I have got to make up my mind fairly soon,” Daniels told The Times Editorial Board Thursday during a visit to Northwest Indiana.

“I don’t think that I’ve waited too long, but I believe I should come to some decision. There are a lot of people waiting and I owe them an answer.

“The country is facing survival-level problems.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Mike Pence said he won’t run for President but is widely expected to run for Governor of Indiana.

Blackford County’s third-largest employer, Key Plastics, is closing.

Working Well has received ISO 9001:2008 certification for its Crown Point facilities. The occupational health care provider’s Michigan City location was certified last year and its remaining three locations will be certified by the middle of 2011. Working well is the only ISO 9001:2008 certified occupational healthcare provider in the world.

Work began this week on a 20-year project to improve wastewater treatment in Terre Haute.

Life Sciences Marketing Firm to Grow in Indy

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VMS Inc., a biomarketing company and strategic partner to life sciences clients, announced today that it will increase its operations in Indianapolis, creating up to 102 new jobs by 2015.

VMS assists clients with strategic marketing, medical education, health care meeting management and patient adherence initiatives. The company plans to invest more than $1.5 million to expand into additional office space on the northeast side of the city.
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Working Well Earns Second ISO 9001:2008 Certification

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Above: (l. to r.) Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point President Dave Ruskowski and Working Well Regional Director Tim Ross accept a plaque from Rich Shelhamer, National Sales Manager of Perry Johnson Registrars commemorating Working Well’s achievement of ISO 9001:2008 certification at the Crown Point facility.

Working Well occupational healthcare’s facilities at Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point were honored for attaining ISO 9001:2008 certification during a presentation today at Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point.

Working Well is the only occupational healthcare provider in the world to have received ISO 9001:2008 certification.

Rich Shelhamer, National Sales Manager of Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc., an ISI 9001 auditing firm, presented a plaque commemorating the achievement to Working Well Regional Director Tim Ross and Franciscan St. Anthony Health – Crown Point President Dave Ruskowski.

The presentation was part of the Innovators Café, an ongoing series of luncheons designed to allow business and educational leaders to share strategies for innovation. The events are produced by the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana.

ISO 9001:2008 certification is part of the ISO 9000 family of quality certification procedures managed by the International Organization for Standardization (Geneva, Switzerland). The gold standard of quality certifications, ISO 9000 standards are employed by more than one million companies in 172 countries, and in the U.S. over the last two decades, have become routine across a broad swath of manufacturing industries.

Ross says that the certification provides a foundation for best practices that will ensure the highest quality healthcare, improved outcomes and reduced errors for all patients, which will in turn increase patient safety and satisfaction.

Working Well’s Michigan City location received ISO 9001:2008 certification last June. Its remaining three locations in Hammond, Munster and Valparaiso should all be certified by the end of the second quarter of this year.

Orthopedic Manufacturer to Build New Facility in Fort Wayne

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Greatbatch Medical, a surgical orthopedic product and medical instrument manufacturer, announced today it will build a new facility in Fort Wayne, creating up to 76 jobs by 2014.

Greatbatch Medical currently has an operation in neighboring Whitley County which it will relocate to an 80,000 square-foot facility in Allen County. The company plans to start construction on the new building this spring and will invest more than $17 million in the project.
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Notes: Veep Pledges Electric Vehicle Support

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Vice President Joe Biden promised continued federal support for electric vehicles during a visit to Hancock County yesterday.

Biden said the Obama administration proposes to:

  • Change the current $7,500 tax credit for electric-vehicle purchases to a rebate.

“You get a check for $7,500, just like the Cash for Clunkers program. You don’t have to wait until tax time,” he said, recalling the 2009 program that rewarded trade-ins for fuel-efficient vehicles.

  • Offer up to $10 million in “seed money” – a term Biden used often Wednesday – to each of as many as 30 communities across the nation that eases the sale of electric vehicles by providing such owner amenities as charging stations, preferred parking spots and designated traffic lanes.

“It’s not sufficient to create new jobs; we can create whole new industries where we lead the world, and folks, we’re on the way,” Biden told hundreds of Ener1 workers and local government officials.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has surpassed golfer Tiger Woods and NBA star LeBron James as the most powerful person in sports according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

One reason for the slow pace of hiring as the Great Recession eases is that companies became more efficient during the downturn.

Passenger traffic was up for the fifth straight month in December at the South Bend Airport.

JCPenny stores in northern Indiana have apparently escaped the company’s plans to close some stores.

Indianapolis Aerospace Company Expands

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Lt. Governor Becky Skillman joined executives from Aero Engine Controls, an aerospace engineering firm, today to announce the company’s plans to expand its operation, creating up to 159 new jobs by 2013.

Aero Engine Controls, a 50:50 joint venture established in 2009 between Rolls-Royce plc and Goodrich Corporation, designs engine control systems for the aerospace industry ranging from helicopters to large commercial and military aircraft. The company established its engineering services operation near the Indianapolis International Airport just 15 months ago and plans to make capital investments as it expands its existing capabilities and customer base.
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Indiana Leading Index Continues to Rise

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The Leading Index for Indiana (LII) finished 2010 with its fourth consecutive monthly gain.

December’s LII appears to show that the economic winds are finally blowing in the right direction.

After languishing in the 95-96 range for more than two years, the LII finally broke the 97 barrier in December with a value of 97.2, the highest since October 2008.

“This month’s rise is largely attributed to the increase in the Dow Jones Transportation Index, as well as unfilled orders for motor vehicles and parts,” said Timothy Slaper, director of economic analysis at the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
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Notre Dame Wins Green Competition

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Notre Dame came out on top in the Upper Midwest in this year’s Environmental Protection Agency 2010 Game Day Challenge college football competition. Overall, the Challenge diverted 130,000 pounds of waste material from landfills in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. This achievement prevented the release of 181 metric tons of carbon dioxide — equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 31 cars.

“Notre Dame won the Challenge in the Upper Midwest, diverting 37,600 pounds of waste for the Green Team,” said Bruce Sypniewski, Director of EPA Region 5’s Land and Chemical Division. “All 11 schools that participated in the Challenge are winners in EPA’s book for tackling waste at one of their home games.”

Universities in the Region 5 states that participated in the Challenge: Bowling Green State University, Central Michigan University, Illinois State University, Indiana University, Northwestern University, Ohio University, Purdue University, the Ohio State University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota and University of Notre Dame.

During the month of October, each school tracked the amount of recycled, composted, reused, donated and/or disposed of waste during one home football game. The competition was sponsored by EPA’s WasteWise program, a voluntary effort through which organizations eliminate costly municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes, benefitting their bottom line and the environment. Launched in 1994, the program has more than 2,700 members.

Nationally, 79 colleges and universities participated in the Game Day Challenge. The schools together diverted more than 500,000 pounds of waste from landfills, which prevented the release of 940 metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 179 cars.

More information on the Game Day Challenge can be found at www.epa.gov/gameday.

Notes: Indiana House Advances Unemployment Fix

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The Indiana House has advanced a proposal that would reduce jobless benefits and increase the unemployment tax on businesses.

An Indiana House committee split along party lines Tuesday to approve a bill that would cut jobless benefits for some people starting next year as the state tries to fill the $2 billion hole in its unemployment insurance system.

The Republican-led House Labor, Employment and Pensions Committee voted 8-5 to advance a bill that Democrats argued unfairly penalizes laid-off workers. The bill also reduces business tax increases approved in 2009 that are taking effect this year after being delayed by legislators last year.

Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration doesn’t think the tax increases can again be delayed if the state is going to meet its goal of repaying the federal government by 2020 the $2 billion that it borrowed for the unemployment fund, said Mark Everson, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development. However, the administration supports scaling back the increase.

Sony will add 150 jobs at its Terre Haute facility.

Busche Enterprise Division in Albion will hire a dozen new workers after landing a new contract with Nexteer Automotive.

The U.S. Postal Service is planning to close 2,000 rural post offices.

The City of Elkhart is considering a 22% cut in stormwater fees for local businesses.

ICI Logistics has apparently reversed course and will not build a $50 million warehouse and distribution center in Kingsbury.

The East Chicago City Council was unanimous in opposing a plan to turn the city’s casino revenues over to the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority.