State Focus: Indiana – A State Of Action

By Business Facilities Editorial Staff
From the September/October 2014 issue

Indiana isn’t leading the nation in manufacturing job growth by accident. Its people have the resources and the will to create long-term solutions for business, and are deliberately building a precision economy that is balanced, efficient and powerful.

This is the reason Indiana is the only location in the U.S. with manufacturing plants from Honda, Toyota and Subaru inside a single state. It’s also the reason that, after a 100-year presence in the United States, Indiana is the largest manufacturing site for Rolls-Royce civil aero engines outside the United Kingdom.

Indiana brings together the vision and the know-how to combine one of the world’s most productive steel regions with the state’s geographic positioning, which is near the logistical center of the United States. That combination delivers the innovations of the 21st century to a new global marketplace, all at the speed of business. How are they doing it? It’s simple. Indiana has spent years balancing the budget, eliminating red tape and is today one of only a handful of U.S. states with an AAA credit rating and an actual budget surplus. They’re investing in the infrastructure to keep the state moving forward and maintaining their economic stability to keep business costs low, for a future that businesses can bank on. Indiana is lowering business taxes this year, next year and every year after that for the next seven years. Its the number one state for regulatory freedom, and is defining a new standard of opportunity for businesses to reach their full potential.

But it’s more than just Indiana’s rankings, tax rates and balance sheet. It’s the ability to connect and deliver results in a global marketplace. The competition isn’t just Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan anymore. It’s Wuxi, Kuala Lumpur, Saigon, Guangzhou, Singapore, Krakow, Riga, Tallinn, Buenos Aries and Seoul. Today, over 35 countries have a presence in Indiana, in every corner of the state, and it’s contributing billions of foreign direct investment dollars to the economy.

ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel company, in a joint venture with Nippon Steel, the world’s second-largest steel company, is currently producing over 3 million tons of steel each year from their Indiana operations. In addition, GE Aviation, the world’s largest jet engine manufacturer is building the next generation of LEAP engines that will power a new class of aircraft into the 21st century, and in partnership with Purdue University, they’re setting a new standard for bringing space-age technology to the American workforce. Italian motorsports innovator, Dallara, built the first American installation of their futuristic race simulator in Indiana, and because of an unprecedented collaborative effort involving university professors, students, race teams and racing manufacturers, its the first state to offer a university degree in motorsport engineering. Indiana has gained a level of trust and commitment with international companies because it has more than just good ambassadors. It has the resources and the will to create long-term solutions for business, which is contributing to the state’s phenomenal success in manufacturing job growth.

That growth is driving Indiana’s ability to invest inward and take an already great business environment and make it even better. It’s the reason that right now Indiana is delivering the only new interstate project in the country as part of its pre-funded $10 billion major moves program. The State also is collaborating with national partners from the public and private sectors for a $2.3 billion Ohio River bridge partnership between Indiana and Kentucky, which is one of the largest transportation projects in the nation.

The State is building a bridge between resources, with Indiana’s second-largest Fed-Ex air hub in the world, and the world’s largest UPS air hub in Louisville. It also is adding direct air, highway, rail and waterborne access to the region and creating one of the best connections between top-tier manufacturers and directly linked delivery networks you’ll find anywhere on the planet.

The bottom line is Indiana is building economic strength and momentum, and it’s propelling the State on a trajectory toward growth and prosperity. Indiana is serious about bringing together the people, the resources and the freedom for businesses to succeed on their own terms, and it’s being done right here, right now, in a state that works.

PERRY COUNTY: WORLD-CLASS SERVICES, SMALL-TOWN APPEAL

Offering a blend of world-class manufacturing and quality logistics with the rural appeal of small town living and amenities, Perry County, IN has proven to be the location of choice for advance manufacturing and logistics operations.

In the past 15 years the county has reinvented its manufacturing base from that of a first rate wood furniture manufacturing center (Tell City Chair company et. al.) to a world-class grey and ductile iron center. With an emphasis on the transportation industry, Waupaca Foundry began operations at its Plant 5 in 1997 and has since become a leader in its industry.

Waupaca Foundry is the largest of six manufacturing facilities located around the city of Tell City in southern Perry County. While those facilities primarily serve the transportation industry, there are a variety of products they produce. Tell City Boat Works’ constructs river barges and tug boats while ATTC Manufacturing produces automobile brake assemblies. The complexity runs the gamut from large hand welds to the automated, fine production art of heat exchanger assemblies. The skills of the employees are exceptional and varied.

While advanced manufacturing processes have taken hold, Perry County’s past is still alive in the furniture and wood products industry with well-known names and many small, home grown craftsmen involved in the production of such. The Cannelton Sewer Pipe Company continues to produce world-class clay pipe. ORG Chem Group (formerly Consolidated Recycling) continues to clean fluids and anti-freezes for re-use in their original and similar usage.

Each of these companies relies on the excellent logistics connectivity available in the county. The City of Tell City hosts the Perry County Port Authority (PCPA) which operates the Hoosier Southern Railroad connecting the Tell City River Port to the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The Tell City River Port provides logistics services via barge, rail and truck movement of goods providing critical services to local industry. Industries in surrounding areas also are served by the Tell City River Port, the Hoosier Southern Railroad and the trucking industry, each of which ship products nationally and internationally. Tell City River Port is a boutique port that can make the smallest of moves to the largest. The stevedore (a Foertsch Group Company) is well prepared and highly familiar with the river allowing for an ease of handling unique and challenging transloading operations.

The metropolises of Louisville, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana are each within an hour’s drive of Perry County. Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Nashville and St. Louis are each within a three-hour drive. A drive of just seven hours gets you to destinations including Chicago, Pittsburgh, Atlanta or Memphis. The proximity to these cities enhances the ease of logistics for area businesses.

In addition, the proximity to these areas ensures area residents have a wealth of entertainment and recreational options well within their reach. Or many residents simply enjoy the outdoor recreational opportunities afforded in the county by the Hoosier National Forest or the Ohio River which bounds the county’s southern border as well as portions of its western and eastern borders.

Logistics, communications, grey and ductile cast iron center, transportation products manufacturing, and quality of life while living in Perry County, Indiana provides for world-class opportunities for an array of companies and their employees. Businesses interested in learning more about the ease of logistics and production in Perry County are encouraged to visit pickperry.com.