County 20: Delaware

A shiny new red locomotive stretches from one end of the former Westinghouse/ABB plant to the other as a crowd gathers around it. This impressive sight was not staged for anyone’s entertainment, but rather it was the centerpiece of a celebration marking economic achievement.



Lt. Governor Skillman speaks at the locomotive unveiling
ceremony for Progress Rail in Muncie



Last week I spoke to an excited audience as Progress Rail unveiled the first two locomotives built at their new Muncie facility. Governor Mitch announced last year that Progress Rail chose Indiana over other states, and we’re glad to see much-needed jobs come to fruition in East Central Indiana.

Progress Rail, a subsidiary of Caterpillar, had plenty of options to expand around the country, but they chose to grow here in Indiana. The state was a proud partner in this investment, but we also collaborated with local business and community leaders to make this possible in Muncie. 

We’re pleased to see Progress Rail growing and competing in Indiana’s world-class manufacturing industry. Manufacturing has always been one of Indiana’s strengths, and we like high paying jobs that accompany advanced manufacturing operations. We treat every sector as an economic development tool for the entire state. That strategy has proven effective as we’ve secured commitments for more than 17, 550 jobs and more than $2.3 billion in investments so far in 2011.

Nothing makes us happier than businesses that find a home in Indiana, grow in Indiana, and stay in Indiana. We look forward to many more locomotives chugging out of Muncie for years to come.

County 19: Warren

In the Information Age that we live in now, it’s pretty easy for us to take information technology for granted. You’re reading this post on a blog or in an email, and it’s almost second nature.

But for some of the most rural parts of our state, that connectivity has been a long time coming. That’s why I visited St. Vincent’s Hospital in Williamsport to celebrate their inclusion in the Indiana Telehealth Network (ITN).



Lt. Governor Skillman talks with a St. Vincent's
Williamsport doctor about the Indiana
Telehealth Nework.



ITN will connect 60 rural hospitals and health centers in Indiana with fiber broadband. St. Vincent’s Williamsport is a small hospital with only about 10 beds. Connecting them with fiber will allow advances such as real-time video conferencing with specialists. Rather than traveling to another city or state, patients could get a diagnosis right from Williamsport.

Running broadband to the hospital also allows much of Warren County to be connected as well.

I’ve seen throughout this Crossroads Tour that every community has its own challenges. Some 95 percent of Indiana has high-speed internet coverage, so many Hoosiers might be surprised to learn that not all areas are connected. That’s why agencies I oversee – like the Office of Community and Rural Affairs – have a variety of programs to fit each community’s needs.



County 18: Hamilton

A key component of a community’s economic recovery is a thriving downtown. The downtown is the heart of a community – a place where people spend time and money. Throughout Indiana there are thousands of great downtowns that each offers a unique experience. Recently I recognized 18 individuals, business, and communities for excellence in main streets.



Lt. Governor Skillman visits with Hoosiers at the
annual Indiana Main Street awards



The Indiana Main Street Awards were presented during the two day Indiana Main Street conference. The Main Street conference hosted local representatives throughout Indiana, and provided further assistance in helping develop a thriving downtown. This year’s awards luncheon was held at Alice’s restaurant in Arcadia. The small town in northern Hamilton County is one of 105 Main Street Communities across the state.

For nearly 30 years, the Indiana Main Street program has worked with local communities to restore and revitalize downtowns. The program’s strength lies in how it brings together local business leaders, government officials, and citizens to help bring positive change. 

This program has brought billions of dollars of investment; thousands of new jobs; and countless rehabilitation, construction, and housing projects to communities. So next time you enjoy your local downtown, take pride in the legacy your Main Street program is creating for your community.  

County 17: Cass

Hoosiers never cease to inspire me, and 25 teenage boys who earned their GED while behind bars, provided not only inspiration but hope. The teens earned their degrees through Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility’s Vantage Pointe Learning Center, and I had the pleasure of speaking during their graduation ceremony last week (read what I had to say to them here).

You couldn’t help but feel the emotion in the room. There were tears and smiles from parents, grandparents, and several correctional staff members who all came to show their support for the graduates.

Despite their difficult circumstances, these young men decided to aim higher. Two of the boys passed with honors, scoring at least 620 points on the exam. One even returned for the ceremony even though he had been released – a clear indication that this young man appreciated the staff at the Logansport facility. 

Each got the individual attention they needed to succeed from the dedicated team of staff. The staff knew these young men could achieve much more, and just needed the right amount of support and encouragement. The correctional staff has the right philosophy, and truly understands that their work impacts the future of our state.

County 16: Henry

Lt. Governor Skillman Announces:
Lift Truck Manufacturer to Grow Production in Henry County

NEW CASTLE, Ind. (Oct. 17, 2011) - Lt. Governor Becky Skillman joined executives from Crown Equipment Corporation, a manufacturer of materials handling equipment, today to announce that the company will expand its operations here, creating up to 150 new jobs by 2013.

The company, which makes a variety of lift trucks and hand pallet trucks for manufacturers and retailers, will invest more than $15 million to purchase and renovate the 982,000 square-foot former Metaldyne building and purchase new machinery to increase capacity in support of current operations.



Lt. Governor Skillman announces a job expansion
for Crown Equipment in New Castle



"Crown is a large, nationally-recognized company with many options to expand," said Skillman. "These new jobs could have landed somewhere else, but Indiana's low cost of doing business and Crown's continuing commitment to our state is once again creating opportunities for east central Indiana workers."

The company currently has more than 580 employees throughout its seven locations in Indiana. It plans to begin hiring additional manufacturing, maintenance and service personnel this fall to coincide with facility improvements and expanded manufacturing capacity.

"The New Castle facility gives Crown the needed floor space to support our expanding product line. In addition, the location is centrally located to our other facilities, which affords us some logistics benefits. We have had great success with our other operations in Indiana and we look forward to continuing that success," said Jim Dicke III, president of Crown.

Founded in 1945, the company originally manufactured temperature controls for coal burning furnaces. Entering the materials handling industry in 1957, Crown is now among the world's largest manufacturers of lift trucks. Crown operates 11 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Crown Equipment Corporation up to $1.2 million in performance-based tax credits based on the company's job creation plans. The city of New Caste will consider additional property tax abatement at the request of the Henry County Development Center Inc.

"The city of New Castle is very appreciative of Crown's decision to select New Castle as a location for their new manufacturing facility," said Mayor Jim Small. "Crown is well known for their quality and innovation and is a great match for our community's highly skilled manufacturing workforce."

Crown's announced expansion is the latest in a series of manufacturing announcements in Central Indiana. Just last week, LEP Special Fasteners, a manufacturer of specialty steel fasteners, announced plans to relocate parts of its operations from Illinois to Frankfort, creating up to 160 new jobs by 2015. Also, Böttcher America Corporation, a manufacturer of printing and industrial materials, recently announced plans to expand its operations in Tipton, creating up to 35 new jobs by 2014.

County 15: Martin

The Corner Café, located off the main street of Loogootee, is quickly becoming a favorite restaurant among locals. Premium coffee drinks, homemade soups and fresh baked goods are attracting Hoosiers to the Corner Café. And that’s good news for not only the café, but entire city of Loogootee.

The Corner Café is a family-operated business that opened its doors after it found space in a newly renovated building located in the heart of Loogootee. Loogootee is one of eight communities in Indiana that is taking part in the state’s Real Estate Capital Access Program (RECAP).  I recently met with local officials at the Corner Café to see their RECAP progress.

 

The new facades look wonderful, especially in conjunction with another project. When an old theater collapsed, Loogootee used CDBG funds to clear the site and replace it with a small park and parking lot.

Launched in 2007, RECAP offers the eight communities access to funding for façade renovation to encourage the redevelopment of downtown main streets in rural areas. We have seen how a relatively limited amount of renovation dollars encourages private investment. We have seen community pride swell after main street renovations. People want to spend more time on their main street.

Our public and private partners in Loogootee are excelling in RECAP. One of the best stories came from a local business owner who was skeptical about the program. But after she saw the positive impact it had on her city, she decided to join the program for the second phase. This is the type of community support that will lead to even greater community and economic development in Loogootee.

County 14: Clinton

Lt. Governor Skillman announces with LEP Special Fasteners' executives their plans to create 160 new jobs by 2015 in Frankfort. LEP Special Fasteners, a manufacturer of specialty fasteners, plans to begin hiring next month as they move their operations from Illinois to Frankfort. To learn more click here.



County 13: Ohio

I traveled to Indiana’s smallest county – Ohio County – earlier this month as part of my Hoosier Crossroads Tour. Ohio County is home to one of our best Real Estate Capital Access Programs (RECAP), in picturesque Rising Sun.

But I want to take a moment to highlight an important part about how Ohio County government operates. On this tour, yes, I’ve been visiting projects the state has partnered in or funded, but I’ve also been meeting with local elected officials to talk about how government works.

I’ve learned a lot, and you’ll be hearing more about results of these conversations soon. In Ohio County, there’s a great example of what we are trying to do. Due to the county’s size (86 square miles and 6,100 residents), the only city and the county government work well together.

In Indiana, we have multiple layers of local government. For years, we’ve been talking about ways to streamline that government so it spends taxpayer money more efficiently.

In Ohio County, the collaboration is everywhere. Folks say “one size fits all” government is not good for our 92 counties. That may be true, but it’s amazing the similarities I see between the officially consolidated government of Marion County (Indianapolis) and Ohio County, where you sometimes can’t tell where county government stops and city government begins.

A lot of counties could learn a thing or two by seeing how far cooperation can take you.

County 12: Whitley

In Whitley County, I loved seeing the positive things happening thanks to their Real Estate Capital Access Program (RECAP). Three of my agencies – the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority along with the Offices of Tourism and Community and Rural Affairs – launched RECAP in 2007 as a way to encourage the redevelopment of downtown “Main Streets”.

You don’t need me to tell you that Main Streets are often the heart of Indiana communities and each one is as unique as your fingerprint. But over the years, many have suffered from age and apathy. I’ve noticed that deterioration affects the mood of a community and can often contribute to a depressed downtown.

Local leaders often lack the funds necessary to fix these issues, and that’s why we created RECAP. Columbia City’s share of RECAP 2.0 – the second round of the program – was $100,000. Columbia City maximized that contribution by moving it into a Revolving Loan Fund for business loans, and also leveraging an additional $100,000 from their Tax Increment Financing District funds.

I toured the Van Buren building in Whitley County, which will soon house a restaurant, a banquet center, and office space. Those types of improvements to long-abandoned or underutilized buildings can really make a difference for downtowns.