NOVEMBER UPDATE 2009  Volume 3  |  Issue 11 NEW BUSINESS COUNTY Onward Manufacturing Huntington more info            EXPANSIONS COUNTY CrossRoads RV LaGrange more info Kraft Noble more info Living Essentials                     Wabash more info Superior Essex Allen                   more info BUSINESS NEWS Area Industry Site Standards Exceed State's The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership has established a new certified industrial site status for all of its 10 counties, and several of those working to bring industrial jobs to the area say its an even closer fit to what industry is looking for than Indiana's Shovel-Ready sites program. Both programs have the same key components; however, the Regional Partnership's program also includes such items as soil borings, options for land purchase by public entities to speed the process. It also allows more sites per county than the state's which limits the number of sites per county to two. Region III-A Economic Development District & Regional Planning Commission executive director Dave Koenig said the two programs are very similar and everything within the Partnership's certification is in line with the shovel-ready certification awarded by the Indiana Economic Development Corp.  The first round of certified sites with northeast Indiana's certification status is expected to be announced in early December. Read more Hoosier Manufacturing Needs Tech-Savvy Kids Kathleen Randolph, president and CEO of WorkOne Northeast Indiana, explained in a recent article published in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette why Hoosier manufacturing needs tech-savvy kids and how Conexus Indiana is working to connect the manufacturing industry with its future employees. "Conexus is working with education and training providers to create programs that will prepare students for today's manufacturing and logistics careers. A critical part of this effort is securing commitments from corporate partners that graduates from these "industry-approved" programs will be at the front of the line for open positions. This preferred hiring status among great local companies will be a powerful incentive to encourage students to enroll." Read more Company has Cleaner Way to Make Diesel Fuel An 11-month-old company founded by a Fort Wayne financial-services and investment planner and a Valparaiso businessman could have its first renewable diesel-fuel production facility up and running in Fort Wayne by late November or early December. Global Energy Resource Co. will use a process patented by a South Dakota man to produce diesel fuel from corn and soybeans at a cost that is below that of diesel produced from petroleum. The facility is the first of three the company expects to have online within just three to four months, with another northeast Indiana plant planned to open in Huntington.   Read more Local Business Develops Printing Technique That is Green & Saves Green A local printing company has developed a new technique for printing that is much greener than the current technology, saving perhaps up to two-thirds on its energy bill. The LED curing system using an LED that produces UV light, but there's no mercury in the bulb and it uses less electricity, lasting 14,000 hours and can be recycled after its use.   Read more  Northeast Indiana Success International Organization Recognizes Fort Wayne's Downtown Plan, Results The City of Fort Wayne was one of eight communities and the only Indiana city to earn an Award of Distinction from the International Downtown Association.  The award commended the City's Downtown Blueprint process and subsequent plans that lead to Harrison Square and Parkview Field, particularly honoring the many and varied partnerships and collaborations that ultimately created the inviting and welcoming public space.   Read more Indiana's Business Tax Climate Improving Indiana's growing national reputation as a great state to do business has received another boost. The state moved up two places in the Tax Foundation's 2010 Business Tax Climate Index for business tax climate. Indiana is 12th overall, up from 14th in 2009, and remains the top state in the Midwest for business tax competitiveness. The Tax Foundation study is the latest in a series of national accolades the state has scored in economic development. In March, Chief Executive magazine found the Hoosier state to be the best place to do business in the Midwest and among the top 11 states nationwide for business, according to feedback from more than 500 business persons and published in its annual "Best & Worst States" survey.  Read more    View Full Tax Foundation Study eXcellon Technologies Receives Letter of Commendation eXcellon Technologies, Inc., recently received a letter of commendation from the United States Department of Defense, a rare acknowledgement for defense subcontractors. The letter was sent to eXcellon based on the company's work with ITT Communications Systems' Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) and served to recognized eXcellon for its exceptional expediency in the production and delivery of the installation cabling needed to create the Vehicular Remote Control Unit (VRCUs) for the SINCGARS. Read more Move Over Green Bay, Fort Wayne is "Title Town" Just in time to help kick-off the 58th hockey season of the Fort Wayne Komets, Fort Wayne has been declared "Title Town." Fort Wayne's newest and most exciting reputation comes in the spirit of the Fort Wayne Komets' back-to-back Turner Cup Championship titles, the city's 2009 All-America City Award and the minor league baseball Tin Caps' Midwest League Championship title.  Read more Growing Indiana Headquarters Relocation Tax Credit When a business relocates its corporate headquarters (defined as the location of the principal office of the principal executives) to Indiana, it is entitled to a credit against its state tax liability equal to half of the costs incurred in relocating the headquarters. The credit equals 50% of a corporation's costs of relocating its headquarters to Indiana. An eligible corporation may use the credit to offset the corporation's Indiana personal and corporate adjusted gross income tax and financial institutions tax. A nine-year carry forward applies to any unused part of the credit. Find out more Thoughts from the CEO: ED 201 "On the surface, ED 201 was just another economic development forum hosted by the five northern counties of the region (Lagrange, Steuben, Noble, DeKalb and Whitley). The content was solid, comprised of the meat and potatoes development of sites, buildings and TIF districts. While the forum held in Kendallville may not have drawn excessive media coverage, in the midst of severe economic times these topics are timely for communities searching for meaningful answers to tough questions...." Read Blog ALLEN Superior Essex has announced they will begin operations in a new, state of the art manufacturing facility co-located with their primary mid-west distribution left. In addition to the $1.3 million the company will invest in the project, they will create up to 15 new jobs by 2010. more DEKALB The Alcoa factory in Auburn will begin producing energy-saving LED lights, company officials said Tuesday. The company predicts it can retain seven to 12 hourly jobs and four to six salaried jobs by adding the LED production, the Alcoa managers said. The hourly workers earn $12 to $13 per hour, and salaried employees earn about $50,000 per year, both with "quite excellent" benefits, they said. more LAGRANGE CenturyLink recently announced it will be expanding its fiber-optic facilities in LaGrange County to the Fawn River Crossing Industrial Park, located at the southwest corner of Indiana State Road 9 and the I-80/90 Indiana Toll Road. The company will extend its fiber-optic network, which currently ends at the intersection of Indiana State Road 9 and County Road 700N, to the entrance of the Fawn River Crossing Industrial Park. Service will then be available to customers inside of the Industrial Park, as well as the surrounding area as customer needs dictate. more  HUNTINGTON Governor Mitch Daniels joined executives from Onward Manufacturing Company to announce that the company will locate its first U.S. grill production left in Huntington, creating more than 300 new jobs by 2011. The company produces gas grills for retail sale and will invest several million dollars to upgrade an existing building that used to house a fireplace manufacturer. moreThe City of Huntington approved 10-year tax abatements for Transwheel Corporation as they plan a $2.5 million expansion creating 65 new jobs by 2011.  Additionally, the City of Huntington also approved 10-year tax abatements for Fogwell Manufacturing as they plan a $1 million project as they open a new facility in Huntington, creating 25 new jobs in the next 12 months. The Venture Works Program of Huntington County, in cooperation with the NE Indiana Innovation left and the Huntington County United Economic Development Corporation, hosted a Youth Entrepreneurial Symposium at Huntington University.  Approximately 150 high school students participated in the program designed to introduce students to the process of developing business plans and innovative business concepts. NOBLE Illinois-based Precision Tank & Equipment (PT&E), a supplier of tanks for the agricultural industry, has broken ground on a $2.4 million manufacturing operation in Noble County. The new facility will produce fiberglass and stainless steel tanks and create 14 jobs. more WELLS Michigan-based Metaldyne Corporation has completed the sale of most of its assets, including operations in Indiana. MD Investors Corporation will take control of Metaldyne's Sintered Products operations in North Vernon, driveline machining and assembly operation in Bluffton and balance shaft module operations in Fremont. more Buskirk Engineering, Inc. received a 10-year tax abatement from the Wells County Council on a $460,000 investment in manufacturing, R&D and IT equipment.  A manufacturer of Biomass Densification Systems, Buskirk Engineering has expanded into an existing 35,000 square foot facility on the east side of Ossian and has projected the hiring of 38 new employees with a $1.4 million payroll by 2012. WHITLEY A $1,000 gift certificate from South Whitley-based ShindigZ online party superstore was one of the prizes up for grabs on "Wheel of Fortune". The game show's production company contacted ShindigZ about participating, initiating the company's first appearance on the show.     With the help of the Community Research Institute (CRI) and input from our local economic development partners, you now have access to our sales sheets that contain data and information highlighting four of our six industries: Financial & Insurance Services, Food Processing, Medical Devices and Transportation and Logistics.  Dive into the facts and let Northeast Indiana work for you! Map Room | Regional Data Tables | Demographics |