Radius Chairman of the Board Becky Skillman was featured on Indiana Chamber’s EchoChamber podcast earlier this week. She discussed her work with Radius, her hometown of Bedford, Crane, and other topics.
To listen to the podcast, visit https://www.indianachamber.com/news-resources/multimedia/echochamber-podcast/.
BEDFORD, Ind. (June 1, 2018) — Radius Indiana visited Chicago to meet with Consul General of Japan Naoki Ito as part of its efforts to increase opportunities for foreign investment in the region.
The two-day trip included dinner with Consul General Ito at his residence near the city, followed by a tour of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Office the next day. This visit marks the third economic outreach visit to Chicago over the past year, but is the first one dedicated to forging the relationship with Japan.
“This trip was a great opportunity to continue the conversation that started when the Consul General visited French Lick back in March for the Radius-Japan Dialogue,” said Radius President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “We want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Consul General and JETRO for their hospitality and interest in our region. We know that our region can support more foreign investment and we are working to find the right opportunity for our communities, workforce and potential investors.”
Along with Radius staff, six members from the Radius region and the President of Vincennes University joined the effort to tout the assets and benefits of what the local economic landscape has to offer. Local mayors, county commissioners, and members of economic development councils were among those who made the trip, with several members of the group meeting the Consul General for the first time.
“The trip was awesome. I think our region has a lot of potential to do business with Japan,” said John Wilkes, Mayor of Linton. “Having dinner with Consul-General Ito was both enjoyable and very informative. I look forward to building better business relations with Japan in the future.”
###
ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.
BEDFORD, Ind. (May 24, 2018) – Radius Indiana released an update today to its Radius Manufacturing Index (RMI). The index shows that the manufacturing sector continues to see growth in several components across the region.
RMI was developed by Radius Indiana and gives the organization an analytic tool that monitors several facets to gauge the strength of the manufacturing industry in the region in southern Indiana.
The RMI shows how the region is performing in comparison to the state of Indiana. Radius’s overall index increased from 60.15 to 60.2 between quarter four of 2017 and quarter one of 2018, while the state increased from 54.87 to 55.46 between the same quarters. While overall the index increased, the number of manufacturing jobs dropped slightly, which may suggest that workforce in the Radius region is becoming more skilled and productive, requiring fewer workers to complete the same amount of work.
For the region, yearly wages increased by $869 bringing the average manufacturing wage to $46,283, and manufacturing GDP as a percent of total GDP also has increased by 0.71.
“As the economy continues to grow, the increased wage numbers is a great sign that our organizations are feeling confident in the market,” said Shance Sizemore, CEO at the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce and Lawrence County Economic Growth Council. “This kind of increase benefits a lot of aspects of our local economy and it’s important that we have access to this kind of information.”
The location quotient for manufacturing, which measures how concentrated a business sector is in a region or state compared to that sector’s national average, decreased between the two quarters from 2.21 to 2.05. This decline may reflect that the regional economy is becoming more diversified, and other sectors are becoming stronger. Both healthcare and tourism showed increased location quotients for the quarter.
“The RMI has helped Radius understand exactly how manufacturing is affecting the region and allows us to make sure that we are staying competitive with the rest of the state,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius. “We are able to learn things about manufacturing that otherwise we wouldn’t know, and we work with that information to keep things growing within the sector.”
The Radius Manufacturing Index uses statistics from publicly available sources to provide an estimate of the state of health of the manufacturing sector in the region. The Index is a backward looking tool that reflects conditions approximately six months in the past, based on the dates for some of the statistics used.
###
ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.
By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community
There has long been a military presence in the southwestern area of Indiana, which consists of Naval Support Activity Crane, (NSA Crane), the nation’s third-largest naval base. Since 1941, Crane has heeded the call of the United States of America by serving our nation’s Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.
Over that time Crane has evolved from its early beginnings focused on the production of munitions and flares, to a regional hub of advanced technology focused on some of our nation’s most pressing technology needs.
Recently, Radius had the opportunity to assess the annual economic impact of Crane for 2017. Its impact is nothing short of incredible, if evidenced only by the $406.4 million Crane pays to its civilian and contractor employees.
That nearly half a billion is injected into our region, with the economic multiplier effect of that certainly exceeding $1 billion. That $406.4 million is paid to a 5500-strong workforce who own homes, rent apartments, buy cars, shop and dine, along with their families.
Monroe County is loaded with 1359 Crane workers, accounting for $107.3 million in direct impact. An additional 412 jobs are created to support those employees, totaling 1,771 jobs with a $283 million economic impact.
With 1,073 workers located in Lawrence County, there is an impact of $79.5 million, a further benefit of 274 jobs, which help produce a complete effect of 1347 jobs and $199 million in economic activity.
Crane’s economic impact goes beyond its civilian and contractor payroll. While we didn’t have all the local supplies and various public works contracts available for analysis, it is notable that over 6,100 contracts at one command exceeded $1.1 billion in awards. When you add it all up, Crane generated over $2.1 billion in impact, for just one year.
We hope that the workforce will continue to grow in the coming years. Today Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane’s civilian workforce stands 3,255 strong, larger than at any point in the past three decades. With over 900 employees becoming eligible for retirement in the next five years, we believe there will be many new opportunities for the community. Our region needs to ensure there is a workforce available to replace those retiring in the coming years.
This helps put in perspective why anytime Crane has faced potential threats of closure through the Base Realignment and Closure Commission the community has rallied and fought to ensure Crane’s survival. Ultimately, Crane has been able to avoid an economically catastrophic closure because of the quality and importance of the work it does. Much of the credit goes to the men and women who work together to ensure Crane fulfills its vital missions.
BEDFORD, Ind. (April 26, 2018)- Radius Indiana has re-engineered its office functions with the addition of three new team members to its staff in March and April: January Roush, Blaine Parker and Anthony Christian.
Roush is stepping into the position of Radius Business Office Manager with 13 years of experience working in local government. With Radius, Roush will be responsible for day-to-day oversight of the facilities and office management, as well as the management and monitoring of the organization’s budget and financial reports. Roush will also support and maintain two economic development assistance programs administered by Radius, the Regional Impact Fund, and the Intermediary Relending Program. In addition, Roush will be available to the constituents in the Radius region to provide information about Radius programs and activities.
In her last position, January Roush served as the auditor of Martin County, where she was responsible for maintaining all financial and personnel records for Martin County Government, along with serving as secretary to the Board of Commissioners and Council. Roush’s background allows her to comprehend the needs of local governments in the region, as well as to provide excellent customer service and monitor the day-to-day operations at Radius.
“Radius has gained a wonderful employee in January Roush,” said Martin County Commissioner Dan Gregory. “She will be greatly missed as our Auditor, but we are all very happy that she is with Radius where she can continue to help move our county, and our region, forward.”
Blaine Parker joins the Radius team as the Director of Tourism and Quality of Place. She will head the current Radius region’s tourism project, which is aimed at developing a strategy to make Southern Indiana a recreation destination. Parker will collaborate with stakeholders to enhance the region’s image, perception, and success and create a consensus among key stakeholders for a future strategy that will optimize the economic opportunity for tourism in Southern Indiana. Parker will also assist with initiatives that help communities become more desirable places to live and work for current and potential residents.
Previously, Parker spent three years as the Membership and Communications Director for the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce, where she collaborated with local officials, business leaders, and members to enhance the community. She also served as Interim President for six months from 2015 to 2016, administering day-to-day operations and managing her personnel staff.
Taking the position of Director of Data Analysis and Development is Anthony Christian, where he will work to develop relevant and useful data about the economic conditions and development opportunities in the region. Christian will also be available as a resource for those communities in the Radius region seeking advice and information related to entrepreneurship.
Previously, Christian was worked for the City of Bloomington in its Community and Family Resources Department where he worked with the council on community accessibility and local
businesses to increase access for disabled persons and assess viability. Christian, who holds an MBA from the IU School of Environmental and Public Affairs, brings his experience creating an economic development policy and analyzing effectiveness of current policy into his new role at Radius.
“I am looking forward to the new ideas and insights that will be provided by our new team members. Radius is always looking to learn about new opportunities, and I foresee the additions to the staff to provide just that,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “We have many new initiatives planned this year, and I know our new staff will only add to the success we’ve already seen in 2018.”
###
ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.
By: Jeff Quyle, President and CEO
Earlier this year, the 11 countries who continued to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership announced plans to move on without the United States. Those countries’ government and business leaders concluded that increased trade among their nations would promote positive economic growth among the nations that border the Pacific Ocean.
That part of the globe is one of the fastest growing regions on the planet and a major source of new business investment into communities in the United States. It is also a group of nations that buy a great deal of valuable goods from companies in the United States, including many here in Indiana.
According to the latest data, more than 8,000 Indiana firms exported nearly $47 billion of goods and services to customers around the world—making Indiana the 15th largest exporting state in the nation. Asian countries account for two out of our four largest export markets, and Japan sits alone as the top foreign investor in Indiana.
Currently, trade supports more than 800,000 jobs in Indiana, about one in four, and Indiana’s dependence on global trade continues to grow. Since 2009, Indiana goods exports—led by our world-class pharmaceutical, agriculture, and manufacturing industries—have spiked by 54 percent.
At the same time, more and more foreign firms are choosing to do business in Indiana. Since 2010, global businesses have invested here and grown their Hoosier-employment by more than 40 percent, reaching nearly 200,000 jobs, most of which are in the manufacturing sector. The average salary at a foreign company invested in Indiana is $80,000.
That is why Radius Indiana is heading to Japan for our first foreign trade mission this fall to highlight investment opportunities across the eight counties we represent. It is an exciting development made possible by global trade and the trade agreements that regulate it.
While complex, trade agreements serve a dual purpose—keeping our exports competitive and also making America an attractive destination for investment. Toyota’s Camry plant is the perfect example of this phenomenon—the carmaker built a factory in Indiana to manufacture cars for export around the globe.
However, America’s absence from the new standard for the Asia-pacific region risks disadvantaging our companies, goods, and workers by exposing products to higher tariffs than those produced elsewhere. Over time, increased costs could force companies to realign supply chains and reallocate resources to countries that qualify for the preferential treatment provided by these deals.
In short—jobs will move elsewhere to make products in places that can do so more efficiently, making Indiana and Hoosier-made products less competitive and undermining Radius’ efforts to attract investment and jobs.
If America is going to remain a competitive destination for global investment, we need to ensure that American-made products and know-how are on a level playing field.
To this end, the United States should continue to seek high-standard trade agreements that protect our workers and boast strong, enforceable rules. It’s good to see our leaders in Washington acknowledging this fact. In February, Senator Young joined with two dozen of his colleagues to urge President Trump to think about America’s involvement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. America should reevaluate the deal and consider reentering it—on our terms.
Developments from recent weeks have made it clear that if Indiana wants to continue to attract investment—and the associated jobs—America must remain engaged on international trade.
Radius Indiana is proud to be working proactively at seeking foreign direct investment for our communities. We believe that diversifying the investment and the economy here will make our communities stronger and more resilient through future economic cycles.
BEDFORD, Ind. (April 16, 2018)-Radius Indiana hosted its first Defense Industry Stakeholder Roundtable today at WestGate Academy for U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (R.I.) ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Radius brought together more than 50 community leaders for the Roundtable, which included multiple briefings on the regional efforts underway to support the missions and workforce at Naval Support Activity Crane. The nationally recognized innovation ecosystem that surrounds Crane brings together government, the nonprofit community, industry and academia, and contributes to the regional economy that has attracted significant private and public investment in the region.
The Roundtable featured remarks from both Senators as well as Tina Peterson of Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Ben Wrightsman of the Battery Innovation Center, Dr. Jason Salstrom of Purdue@WestGate, Tim Hendrix of Science Application International Corporation, Bill Brown of Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement, Stacy Yike of Applied Research Center and Jeff Quyle of Radius Indiana.
“Radius appreciates Sen. Donnelly’s continuing support for and attention to the unique entrepreneurial ecosystem that Crane and its many regional partners are cultivating in Southwest central Indiana. The collaboration among the scientists, businesses, and community leaders is developing opportunities for increasing success,” said Quyle.
Prior to the Roundtable the Senators toured NSA Crane and saw firsthand Crane’s cutting-edge work, including a microelectronics laboratory and exhibits featuring the crucial work being done in Crane’s unique expeditionary, strategic missions, and electronic warfare laboratories.
“It was my honor to host Senator Reed at Crane today so that he could see firsthand the cutting-edge work being done by Hoosiers and spend time with key local stakeholders. I’ve worked tirelessly to support Crane’s mission and efforts to expand – as well make sure it gets the recognition it deserves. As the nation faces difficult and complex global security challenges, Crane’s work is as critical as ever, and that’s why it was important to have one of the Senate’s defense leaders visit.”
###
ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.
BEDFORD, Ind. (April 5, 2018) – Radius Indiana concluded its second annual economic development course at French Lick Resort last week, wrapping up three days of education, networking and skills building for community leaders from across Southern Indiana.
The Radius Indiana Economic Development for Community Leadership Program is the only course of its kind to be offered in the area. Thirty people representing 14 Indiana counties gathered to hear from national and regional speakers teaching educational sessions on topics such as real estate development, business attraction, workforce, marketing, business finance and incentives, and entrepreneurship.
“A fundamental part of economic development is helping communities grow strong; this course helps equip local leaders with the strategies and tools for intentional business growth and skills-driven workforce development,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle.
The course’s registrants included mayors, council members, county commissioners, chamber of commerce leaders, community foundation directors, economic development professionals and business owners.
“This course really covered the depth and breath of all things related to economic development,” said Loogootee Mayor Noel Harty. “These three days exemplified the importance of collaborative thinking in our communities.”
Two national site selectors, Geoffrey Troan of Sandridge Consulting and Jenny Massey of FairWinds Advisors gave feature presentations during the course. Other sessions and speakers included Introduction to Economic Development with Jim Plump, Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation; Real Estate/Site Development with Chelsey Manns, Manns Consulting; Business Retention and Expansion with Jason Hester, Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation; Abatement/TIF/Incentives with Matt Eckerle, Umbaugh and Associates; Strategic Planning with Wendy Dant Chesser, One Southern Indiana; and Entrepreneurship with Steve Bryant, Ivy Tech.
Corporate sponsors and tuition payments helped fund the program, including generous support from Hoosier Energy, Duke Energy, Smithville Fiber, Old National Bank, Krieg DeVault and Christopher B. Burke Engineering.
###
ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.
Indianapolis (March 22, 2018) — Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle was featured on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick last week to discuss the current tourism push Radius has undertaken with its new strategic plan.
BEDFORD, Ind. (March 19, 2018) — Radius Indiana hosted “A Radius-Japan Dialogue” March 19 at the French Lick Resort to introduce members from the Consulate-General of Japan and Japan External Trade Organization Chicago to the Radius region.
Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana, and Becky Skillman, chair of the Radius Board of Directors, along with nearly 60 guests including local economic development professionals, business leaders and local and state elected officials welcomed Consul-General Naoki Ito and JETRO Chief Executive Director Ralph Inforzato to the Radius region. The event is a first for the region and was designed for Radius stakeholders to learn more about the Indiana-Japan relationship as well as explore opportunities for collaboration.
Radius plans to take its first international economic development trip to Japan later this year and believes opening a dialogue for the region is key to building strong relationships for potential foreign investment in the region.
“We hope that this event is an important first step in building a long-lasting partnership for the Region with our friends in Japan. We are excited to show Mr. Ito and Mr. Inforzato all that our region has to offer and to demonstrate the tremendous interest and support for our community leaders in strengthening a relationship with Japan as we prepare for our visit this fall,” said Quyle. “Moreover, this is part of a much bigger initiative to diversify the economic makeup for Radius by increasing the amount of foreign direct investment opportunities for our communities.”
During the event, guests heard from Mr. Ito and Mr. Inforzato on best practices for interacting with Japanese firms, and insights on what Japanese investors are looking for when searching for a location to expand. For many in attendance, this was the first occasion for Radius member’s to hear directly from the Consulate-General of Japan and JETRO, which are often on the front lines in facilitating new contacts with Japan for economic development opportunities.
“The Radius-Japan Dialogue is a singular event, allowing us to speak about Japan’s investment and trade directly to the region’s leadership,” said Inforzato.
Indiana has the largest amount of Japanese investment per capita in the U.S. and is the only state that is home to three Japanese automotive assembly plants. While the Radius region has not experienced the same level of Japanese
investment as some other areas of the state, the activity in the area is beginning to take an upturn.
On March 20, Mr. Ito and Mr. Inforzato will attend the ribbon cutting of M & C Tech in Washington. M & C Tech invested $4.6 million into a 40,000 square foot building and added 35 new jobs with more come to the Radius region. This is the first investment by a Japanese company in the Radius region, and comes on the heels of the construction of I-69.
“In Japan, a spotlight shines on Indiana. Over 290 Japanese business facilities provide 65,000 jobs for people across the state. They know that Indiana employees are highly skilled with a strong work ethic,” said Consul-General Ito. “The new joint venture, M & C Tech Indiana Corporation, is the first Japanese company in the Radius Indiana area. We appreciate the people of Washington for welcoming it so warmly, and we believe that it should contribute to the local economy. We are reaching out to do more two-way direct investment and trade.”
After presentations, a question-and-answer segment was held to give audience members a chance to have their personal questions heard by experts on foreign investment. Radius Indiana concluded the evening with a reception and dinner in honor of Consul-General Ito and Mr. Inforzato.
“We want to thank both the Consulate-General of Japan and JETRO for taking time to come visit our region, and look forward to building a strong foundation that we can build upon for future endeavors between our organizations,” said Quyle.
###
ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.
j.quyle@radiusindiana.com
812-277-9778