Author: Radius Indiana

ElectriCom Expands Headquarters, Adds 22 Jobs in Paoli

Posted on by Radius Indiana

Radius Indiana’s Regional Impact Fund and Indiana Economic Development Corporation Incentivize Expansion

Paoli, Ind. (Aug. 13, 2020) — ElectriCom celebrated its expanded headquarters and growing workforce with a ribbon cutting today at its office facility located on Hospital Road in Paoli.  The project was supported by a Radius Indiana Regional Impact Fund grant of $88,739 and state IEDC incentives totaling $350,000.

ElectriCom provides utility construction services to power and communication clients in addition to gas distribution, right of way clearing and storm team response.  Founded in 1960, the company has additional offices in South Carolina, Florida and Texas. With nearly 800 employees, including 300 in Indiana with 126 in Orange County and nearly 80 from Paoli, ElectriCom is the second largest employer in the area. 

ElectriCom is rapidly growing and its new office space will accommodate 22 additional employees by 2022 in accounting, contract administration, human resources, IT and executive leadership. The company’s $800,000 investment includes multiple improvements at the now 13,230-square-foot headquarters, including a new executive office wing, new accounting and contract offices with 16 new workstations and a kitchen for employees as well as a 17,000-square-foot expanded parking area and upgraded site infrastructure.

“After 60 years of growing and being headquartered in Paoli, we are very pleased that the local and state officials and economic development organizations assisted to make staying in Paoli the most economical option from a business perspective.  Our desire was always to stay headquartered in Paoli, but we looked at other options such as Louisville, Kentucky and possibly one of our other offices across the country.  The incentives made the business decision match our heart-felt desire to stay in Paoli,” said Kevin Mason, president of ElectriCom.

The ElectriCom utility construction services also help to promote economic development through its work, which helped it secure the grant from Radius Indiana’s Regional Impact Fund. “ElectriCom provides critical infrastructure to new and established sites across our region and beyond that helps secure business development and create new jobs,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “We are pleased that the Regional Impact Fund could help with this important investment to grow a local company.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered ElectriCom up to $280,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. The IEDC also offered up to $70,000 in conditional tax credits from the Hoosier Business Investment (HBI) tax credit program based on the company’s planned capital investment in Indiana. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once Hoosiers are hired.

“Thanks to homegrown Hoosier companies like ElectriCom, Indiana continues to build on its reputation as one of the best states in the nation to do business,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger. “We’re grateful for ElectriCom’s continued investment in Orange County, and we remain confident that the state’s skilled workforce will contribute to the company’s growth and success for many years to come.”

Locally, the Orange County Economic Development Partnership and Town of Paoli have supported the expansion.

“As one of the largest employers in Orange County, ElectriCom is an example of a company that understands and values the community where they are headquartered. They have been great community partners both through the services they provide and through civic community involvement. We are proud to have been a part of this success story and look forward to continuing working with ElectriCom and value them as an asset to our community,” said Zach Brown, executive director of OCEDP.

“I am thrilled that ElectriCom decided to retain and expand their business in Paoli, and the fact that they are creating more jobs is greatly appreciated,” added Brian Shipman, president of the Paoli Town Council.

From left to right: Bob Breeden, Executive VP; Kevin Mason, President; Russ Breeden III, CFO; Craig Moore, Senior VP

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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.

About the Regional Impact Fund: The Regional Impact Fund is a sub-organization of Radius Indiana with the purpose of making investments in public and private organizations that advance regional economic development strategies. The Regional Impact Fund is a deal-closing fund that makes such investments in the form of grants, loans, equity investments, or other such vehicles deemed to be in the best interests of Southern Indiana. The Regional Impact Fund gives high priority to projects that include job creation, site development and expansion.

 

About ElectriCom: ElectriCom was founded in 1960 in Paoli, Indiana, by Phil Brown to provide construction services to Power and Communications clients. Since our inception, we have added divisions for Gas Distribution and Right-of-Way Clearing and have provisioned our resources and people to respond quickly in Storm Team situations. Its mission is to build utility infrastructure to improve the quality of life in communities.

Radius Indiana Announces Winners of Royalty-Free IP Pitch Competition

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Aug. 3, 2020) — Radius Indiana, in coordination with Elevate Ventures, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division (NSWC Crane), and the Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC), is proud to announce the winners for its “Royalty-free IP” Pitch Competition that was held virtually on Thursday, July 30.  Winning entries will share in cash prizes totaling $5,000.

Winners:

  •     First Place | Sarpedon ($3,000 prize)
  •     Second Place | ValgoTech ($1,500 prize)
  •     Third Place | Pierce Aerospace ($500 prize)

Sarpedon, made up of team members Don Alvarez and Will Glaser, won the pitch competition with their idea involving the use of Crane technology for preventing tampering to integrated circuits – an existing project into which they were able to incorporate the Crane technology.

ValgoTech, consisting of eight team members headed by Dr. David Olawale, focused on Crane technology in a battery charger and power reduction system to improve and accelerate battery recharging for drones.

Pierce Aerospace, a team of six led by Aaron Pierce, used Crane technology to develop drone tracking to help with the identification of drones.

Each participant/team was given 10 minutes to present his or her product/service. Slideshow presentations were presented to the judges and a question and answer session was included for each team. Teams were judged on a variety of criteria that ranged from identifying markets, to the sales approach presented, to the explanation of major milestones.

“Entering the Pitch Competition was like jumping to warp speed – learning about NSWC Crane’s patent portfolio, identifying the critical tech we needed, and securing a license , all in just a couple days,” said Alvarez. “The key to innovation is paying attention when you learn something new. I’m paying attention. Thank you NSWC Crane and Radius for shifting our thinking from the (Silicon) Valley to learning about what’s happening in a completely different area of the country.”

Radius Indiana created the concept for the royalty-free IP pitch competition after learning of NSWC Crane’s Rapid Response Licensing Program, which launched this spring in response to COVID-19. The Technology Transfer (T2) Program at NSWC Crane, Indiana’s only federal research lab, opened its portfolio of 300+ patented technologies to entrepreneurs to help rapidly transition federal research and development into the commercial sector and to help stimulate the economy. Nonexclusive licenses are available to any interested business, start-up, or entrepreneur for a set period of time without royalties or fees. Radius worked with Elevate Ventures and NSWC Crane to identify 10 technologies from the patent portfolio with high potential for a commercial market and a substantial degree of development.

The competition offered unprecedented, royalty-free access for those who seek to commercialize patented technologies and concepts developed at NSWC Crane. Radius and Crane leaders hope that businesses and entrepreneurs will use these technologies to support new jobs and economic growth.

The judges for the event were Eric Steele from Elevate Ventures, Joyce Polling from Ivy Tech and Matt Craig from Radius Indiana. Each judge came into the competition with previous pitch competition or NSWC Crane background.

“The competition highlighted three fantastic ideas which leverage Crane IP to build scalable business models,” said Landon Young, director of university initiatives and entrepreneur-in-residence with Elevate Ventures. “The event is a great example of leveraging the intellectual property in Indiana to accelerate our existing businesses and attract additional innovation-driven businesses to our state.”

Radius hopes to host more pitch competitions in the future. This competition comes after the first-ever regional pitch competition that Radius held in the fall of 2019.

“We felt that the powerful intellectual property portfolio emerging from NSWC Crane is under-appreciated by the commercial sector, and we wanted to call attention to it,” said Radius CEO and President Jeff Quyle. “We believe this type of event can help promote Crane’s IP and bring it to public light. An added and tremendous benefit of the pitch competition was the chance to pull together the resources of so many of the organizations that are working on bringing prosperity to southern Indiana. The professionals from the SBDC, Elevate Ventures, and NSWC all worked together in a very collaborative manner and helped each other maximize this first-time event.”

To view NSWC Crane’s entire IP portfolio, please visit www.techlinkcenter.org.

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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.

About NSWC Crane: NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today’s Warfighter.

About Elevate Ventures: Elevate Ventures is a private venture development organization that nurtures and develops emerging and existing high-growth businesses into high-performing, Indiana-based companies. Elevate Ventures accomplishes this by providing access to capital, rigorous business analysis and robust advisory services that connect companies with the right mix of resources businesses need to succeed long term. To learn more about Elevate Ventures, visit elevateventures.com.

About Indiana Small Business Development Center: The Indiana SBDC creates a positive and measurable impact on the formation, growth, and sustainability of Indiana’s small businesses by providing entrepreneurs expert guidance and a comprehensive network of resources.

Discover Southern Indiana Unveils New Ice Cream Trail

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (July 30, 2020) — Discover Southern Indiana introduces a brand new Ice Cream Trail that takes tourists on a sweet, 250-mile adventure through eight counties in southern Indiana. The trail consists of 14 locally-owned ice cream shops and encourages visitors to experience something new at each location.

At each stop, visitors receive a stamp on an official Ice Cream Trail “passport.” Those who complete the trail and fill up their passport will receive a free t-shirt commemorating their experience. Interested participants can visit any of the Trail’s stops to pick up a passport, or download one from the Discover Southern Indiana website. A map of the locations is also available to help plan your route.

Discover Southern Indiana, launched earlier this year by Radius Indiana, is the first region-wide tourism drive of its kind and gives an identity to the opportunities, attractions and events for tourists visiting Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Martin, Lawrence, Orange and Washington counties.

“The goal of Discover Southern Indiana is to promote tourism in our eight-county region,” said Radius Indiana Director of Tourism and Quality of Place Blaine Parker. “The Ice Cream Trail just launched in mid-July and is already outperforming our initial expectations. It’s proving that people want to get out and explore, and have fun doing so.”

The Ice Cream Trail allows visitors to see and experience charming rural communities that are all located within a compact portion of southern Indiana, allowing for an easy, ‘one-tank’ trip that doesn’t require families to travel long distances.

The trail includes stops at:

  • Jiffy Treet | Linton, Greene County
  • Yoho General Store | Solsberry, Greene County
  • Let It Snow Creamery | Odon, Daviess County
  • Bo Mac’s Drive-In | Shoals, Martin County
  • Zax Creamery | Jasper, Dubois County
  • Windmill Chill | Holland, Dubois County
  • The Happy Hive | Marengo, Crawford County
  • Stephenson’s General Store | Leavenworth, Crawford County
  • French Licks | French Lick, Orange County
  • Superburger | Paoli, Orange County
  • Dairy Bell | Mitchell, Lawrence County
  • Jiffy Treet | Bedford, Lawrence County
  • Little Twirl Dairy Bar | Livonia, Washington County
  • Six Scoops | Salem, Washington County

To download a passport and start the trail today, visit http://discoversouthernindiana.com/icecreamtrail/.

 

Entrepreneurs Take on Crane IP in New Pitch Competition

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By Matt Craig, Radius Indiana Director of Crane Community Support

 

With most every sector of our economy feeling the effects of the pandemic, organizations in our region have come together to offer a new opportunity that will help spur innovation and business growth. This month, Radius Indiana, in coordination with Elevate Ventures, the Indiana Small Business Development Center and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, will host a virtual pitch competition for entrepreneurs, inventors and start-ups focused on patented technologies and intellectual property (IP) developed at Crane–the best news–it is royalty free.

Radius Indiana created the concept for “Royalty-Free IP” pitch competition after learning of NSWC Crane’s Rapid Response Licensing Program, which launched this spring in response to COVID-19. The Technology Transfer (T2) Program at NSWC Crane opened its portfolio of 300+ patented technologies to entrepreneurs to help rapidly transition federal research and development into the commercial sector and to help stimulate the economy.

Engineers and scientists at NSWC Crane continually create technical solutions to solve problems faced by the men and women protecting our nation, but many of these also can apply to the commercial needs of the public sector. The Royalty-Free IP pitch competition provides a venue to develop a practical application of a technology to create a new commercial product, or launch a new business that can grow here in our region.

Radius Indiana worked with NSWC Crane to identify 10 technologies from the patent portfolio with the greatest opportunity for commercialization and product development. Individuals or teams are invited to develop an innovative proposal for one of the selected intellectual properties and the top entries will share in cash prizes totaling $5,000. Subjects range from drone tracking, to battery charger and power reduction systems, to tunable detection systems and hyperspectral imaging. 

Participants will receive virtual coaching sessions and training at no cost from competition partners, Elevate Ventures, a private venture development organization that develops emerging and existing high-growth businesses into high-performing, Indiana-based companies and the Indiana Small Business Development Center, which offers entrepreneurs expert guidance and a comprehensive network of resources.

Radius Indiana encourages you to take advantage of this free opportunity to showcase the talent and bright ideas waiting to be discovered right here in southern Indiana. The deadline for registration to participate is July 13, and the pitch competition will be held via a virtual format on July 30. Visit www.radiusindiana.com to register. 

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.

 

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Radius Indiana Hosts Royalty-Free Pitch Competition Ten Crane technologies available for entrepreneurs, inventors and start-ups.

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (July 8, 2020) – Radius Indiana, in coordination with Elevate Ventures, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division, and the Indiana Small Business Development Center, will host the region’s first “Royalty-free IP Pitch Competition” July 30. Winning entries will share in cash prizes totaling $5,000.

The competition offers unprecedented, royalty-free access for those who seek to commercialize patented technologies and concepts developed at NSWC Crane–Indiana’s only federal research laboratory. Radius Indiana and Crane leaders hope that businesses and entrepreneurs will use these technologies to support new jobs and economic growth.

Individuals or teams are invited to develop an innovative proposal for one of 10 intellectual properties (IP) selected for the competition. Subjects range from drone tracking, to battery charger and power reduction systems, to Tunable Detection Systems and Hyperspectral Imaging. Descriptions of the IP can be found on the Radius Indiana website.

“The engineers and scientists at NSWC create these solutions to solve problems encountered by the men and women protecting our nation, but many of these also can apply to the needs of everyday life for people anywhere,” said Jeff Quyle, Radius president and CEO. “We hope that our pitch competitors will produce ‘win/win’ results: a practical application of the technology to make life better, and a new business that can grow here among our communities.” 

There is no cost to register and entrants will receive a template to create a slide presentation for the competition. In addition, virtual coaching sessions will be offered July 14, 15, and 16 to pick up pointers on delivering the best pitch, and individual coaching sessions will be available for each participant through the resources of Elevate Ventures and the Indiana Small Business Development Center.

“Programs like the Crane IP pitch competition provide a chance for founders, students, and faculty to innovate around strong intellectual property to create new innovation-driven technology companies in Indiana,” said Landon Young, director of university initiatives and entrepreneur-in-residence at Elevate Ventures. “We are excited to be a part of this event and are eager to see the proposals the applicants come up with.”

The deadline for registration to participate is July 13, 2020. The pitch competition will be held virtually on July 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time.

To register, visit www.radiusindiana.com.

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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.

About NSWC Crane: NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today’s Warfighter.

About Elevate Ventures: Elevate Ventures is a private venture development organization that nurtures and develops emerging and existing high-growth businesses into high-performing, Indiana-based companies. Elevate Ventures accomplishes this by providing access to capital, rigorous business analysis and robust advisory services that connect companies with the right mix of resources businesses need to succeed long term. To learn more about Elevate Ventures, visit elevateventures.com.

About Indiana Small Business Development Center: The Indiana SBDC creates a positive and measurable impact on the formation, growth, and sustainability of Indiana’s small businesses by providing entrepreneurs expert guidance and a comprehensive network of resources.

 

NSA Crane Responds to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support, Radius Indiana

Naval Support Activity Crane has responded to local and national COVID-19-related needs in unprecedented ways by joining efforts to fight the virus, boost the economy, and assist community members in need. Radius Indiana is proud of NSA Crane’s efforts to support the needs of COVID-19 in our region.

The work at NSA Crane remains imperative for supporting service members around the globe, and mission-critical activities are continuing so that the base can continue to help maintain military readiness. The following efforts are just some of the ways the base is working to maintain operations and support our region.

 

Keeping employees safe while preserving national security

NSA Crane employs thousands of Hoosiers, and due to the nature of their jobs, many employees are teleworking, and many are still required to come in to work at the installation. In order to protect these essential workers, officials at NSA Crane have taken a number of precautions. Many employees are now working staggered shifts, all individuals are required to wear face coverings, and if any employees test positive for the virus, they will be placed on a type of administrative leave that won’t negatively affect their employment. 

 

Supporting the Red Cross during a severe, statewide blood shortage

Team Crane completed a successful blood drive in March, with employees providing 232 units of blood while maintaining social distancing procedures. Crane employees who are teleworking commuted onsite just to donate blood during the drive. Public health concerns have caused many blood drives at schools and local businesses to close, making the donations from Crane employees critical to helping save patient lives across the county. 

 

Continuing to provide STEM programming to local students

The NSWC Crane Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Program has responded to community needs by putting their programming in a virtual format to continue to provide educational opportunities for students. The program usually provides hands-on learning opportunities through in-person field trips and events, but adapted the program so students can learn problem-solving skills remotely, without access to the lab. 

 

Offering patent licenses to encourage new technologies

Officials at NSWC Crane are offering the laboratory’s patent portfolio of technologies at a reduced cost to lessen the severity of the new coronavirus outbreak and shorten economic recovery. The Technology Transfer Office at NSWC Crane is authorized to negotiate royalty-free patent license agreements with businesses that would use any of its 300+ patented technologies. The lab’s leaders hope that businesses and entrepreneurs will use these technologies to protect American lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and support new jobs and economic growth. 

 

Building capacity at facilities in need

Navy Lt. Miranda L. Bassett, a construction manager for the NSA Crane Public Works Department, deployed to Chicago to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers convert spaces into alternate care facilities to provide additional capacity for possible COVID-19 surges, alleviating the strain on area hospitals. Bassett is among a select group of engineers, health care workers and emergency responders going into hot zones to help. 

 

Producing critical materials to support supply chains

Several of the Army’s depots, arsenals and ammunition plants, including Crane Army Ammunition Activity, are assisting in the response to COVID-19. Crane Army is repurposing raw materials to produce and distribute hand sanitizer. Within days, they designed and assembled a sanitizer manufacturing line drawing on their expertise in munitions production. The line has proven successful and is ready for full-rate production, allowing Crane Army to help protect workers while also supporting an overburdened supply system to get a critical product into the hands of the professionals that need it.

Artisan Electronics Receives Award from Radius Indiana’s Regional Impact Fund, Continues Growth at WestGate@Crane Technology Park

Posted on by Radius Indiana

ODON, Ind. (June 22, 2020) — A Radius Indiana Regional Impact Fund grant of $3,625 was recently allocated to Artisan Electronics Inc. for workforce training and to expand its internship program. 

Artisan Electronics Inc. is a defense contractor based at WestGate@Crane Technology Park in Odon, Indiana. The small business specializes in engineering, technical, cybersecurity and IT services for the Department of Defense and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division. 

“Artisan is attracting new talent to the region as they tackle some provocative technology issues for their clients,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “I’m glad to see a locally owned company like this growing and showing leadership in workforce and technology circles.”

Artisan Electronics, which was awarded second place by Best Places to Work in Indiana in 2019, plans to use part of the funding toward training programs which will result in adding 20 full-time employees to its current staff of 50 employees by 2023.  

“We are excited to offer more opportunities for exceptional people to build a rewarding career here in southern Indiana. The support of Radius, Daviess County Economic Development Foundation, and the IEDC has been phenomenal and we are looking forward to continuing to grow and add value to our DoD clients with their help,” said Greg Sapp, Vice President of Artisan Electronics.

Daviess County Economic Development Foundation will provide an additional $1,000 in matching funds to supplement the Regional Impact Fund grant.

“Artisan Electronics has established company culture and a brand that is recognized in the region, the state of Indiana and beyond,” said Bryant Niehoff, executive director of Daviess County Economic Development Corporation. “We are thrilled to be a part of Artisan’s continued growth in WestGate and proud that they call Daviess County home.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has also offered Artisan Electronics $325,000 in Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credits to promote the company’s expansion. 

Including Artisan Electronics, there are currently five projects underway at the WestGate@Crane Technology Park. Two larger national firms and three locally-owned firms are looking at sites in the tech park in all three of the WestGate counties (Daviess, Martin, and Greene). The projects would involve increased employment within the tech park, and some include the construction of new buildings as well as the installation of new equipment. The Regional Impact Fund is involved in two of the projects and may assist others if needed to help finalize the projects.

“It is very encouraging to see all of the positive activity taking place at WestGate,” said Niehoff. “As NSWC Crane continues to demonstrate leadership at the national level, the Tech Park is becoming more and more of a destination for those innovative companies such as Artisan that support Crane’s mission. The level of interest and ongoing projects that we continue to remain engaged in are validation of WestGate’s growth potential.”

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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.

About the Regional Impact Fund: The Regional Impact Fund is a sub-organization of Radius Indiana with the purpose of making investments in public and private organizations that advance regional economic development strategies. The Regional Impact Fund is a deal-closing fund that makes such investments in the form of grants, loans, equity investments, or other such vehicles deemed to be in the best interests of Southern Indiana. The Regional Impact Fund gives high priority to projects that include job creation, site development and expansion.

About Artisan Electronics: Artisan Electronics is a small business headquartered within the Westgate@Crane Technology Park. Since 1996, Artisan has been working with the Department of Defense and commercial clients to engineer results for complex issues. Its team translates client needs into comprehensive technical projects by bringing technical ability, dependability and applied creativity to engineering, information technology and electronics support projects. 

Duke Energy Foundation Grant Bolsters Regional Workforce Programs

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (June 8, 2020) — Radius Indiana received a $20,000 Duke Energy Foundation Grant, which will help support workforce development programs in the Radius region from new training opportunities to talent attraction.

Workforce/Talent Attraction and Retention is part of the strategic plan that Radius developed in 2018. Since that time, Radius has created several new workforce programs, many of which are a first for the region’s rural communities.

“With the financial assistance from the Duke Energy Foundation, Radius Indiana and our partners will be able to provide more programs for targeted populations, especially veterans, the construction trades and the justice-involved in the region, which are underserved and important to our workforce,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “We are grateful to work with Duke and thank them for the generous grant that will help us bring new opportunities to our region and continue to be a resource to those who live and work here.”

Duke Energy is a constant supporter of economic development organizations and works closely with the communities it serves to understand the needs of businesses and community organizations. In addition to workforce development grants, the Duke Energy Foundation supports multiple economic development initiatives often to the benefit of rural counties like those in the Radius region.

“This grant is about helping Radius fill the skill gaps in our region’s workforce,” said Kurt Phegley, Duke Energy community relations manager for southwest Indiana. “The needs span a spectrum from advanced manufacturing to cybersecurity to construction trades. A well-trained workforce makes us competitive when it comes to attracting and retaining industry.”

Radius hopes to build the region’s workforce in both established and emerging industry sectors that are important to the regional economy. 

Advanced manufacturing is the region’s largest industry sector and provides jobs to 23 percent of the regional workforce. Radius is working with Vincennes University to implement the Catapult workforce training program at the Jasper Campus, which will upskill workers for jobs in manufacturing. In addition, Radius is working with local community corrections departments to use Catapult to train the justice-involved population of inmates released from county jails.

Construction is a much needed service that is struggling to meet local demand, in part because of a shortage of workers trained in the trades. Radius is partnering with the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation on the “Build Yourself” Training Program, which is equivalent to the first year of traditional apprenticeship training. Radius is the first rural region to try the program, which is also applicable to help the justice-involved population as well as those job seekers who need training to secure a job within the industry.

Cybersecurity is an emerging anchor industry for the region, due in part to the workforce needs of Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, where nearly 600 people are employed in cybersecurity and is also a growing need within many industries in the private sector. Radius is working with Eleven Fifty Academy (EFA), a non-profit bootcamp training program to establish Cybersecurity courses at WestGate Academy. Radius is also partnering with Ivy Tech to install a cybersecurity lab in Bedford. Through a national digital campaign, Radius is working to recruit veterans who could take advantage of the cybersecurity training programs and also fill myriad positions within the defense industry in the region.

For more information about any of the workforce training opportunities visit: radiusindiana.com.

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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.

Radius Indiana Strengthens Manufacturing Workforce Efforts; Chris May joins the Radius team May 18

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (May 19, 2020) — Radius Indiana welcomes Chris May as the director of Manufacturing and Workforce Services. The newly created position supports the organization’s increased efforts in workforce retention and attraction, which is a key focus of its 2019 strategic plan.

May is set to begin at Radius May 18 and brings more than 25 years of experience in the manufacturing sector. He will help administer programs that promote collaboration among existing manufacturers and affiliate businesses as well as work to build workforce capacity for potential new employers looking to establish operations in the region. May also will work with local economic development leaders to develop a regional business expansion and retention program.

Duties for the position include facilitating a regional wage and benefit survey to capture regionally accurate information about labor costs; working with Vincennes University, Jasper, to establish and support a Catapult training program to upskill workers for the manufacturing workforce; coordinating with the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation to establish the “Build Yourself” training program to help increase the available workforce in the construction trades; working with the local community corrections departments to develop opportunities for the justice-involved population to participate in workforce training programs.

“Radius Indiana is looking forward to Chris becoming part of the team,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “He brings his long employment history in the manufacturing sector and an understanding of the dynamics and forces at work facing the industry. And, as a lifelong resident of Lawrence County, Chris has an inherent understanding of our region’s challenges as well as its potential. Last year, Radius made a renewed commitment to workforce retention and attraction and there are now many promising programs already underway or nearly ready to launch. Along with the work being done by our strong regional partners who share our commitment to workforce development, we are enthusiastic about building a pipeline of skilled workers.”

May has spent more than two decades working in and around the manufacturing industry. His experience includes management, engineer and design positions with Ford Motor Company, Cook, General Motors, OTIS Elevator and Whitney Tool Company. May also served as a three-term Lawrence County Commissioner and is in his second term as State Representative for House District 65. He has served on several boards including the Lawrence County Solid Waste Management District, Dunn Memorial Hospital, Lawrence County Economic Growth Council, and Lawrence County Redevelopment Commission. May is a graduate of Vincennes University with a degree in Industrial Design Technology.

“I am excited to join Radius, the team there has already done so much to help the region and I hope to work toward even more success,” said May. “I am passionate about manufacturing and realize its significant impact on the regional economy. I know that we have a lot of talent in the eight counties and by increasing collaboration, we can reach our full potential. I am committed to finding new partnerships and building up the programs already seeing momentum like the Catapult program for upskilling at Vincennes University, Jasper Campus.”

Chris May, Radius Indiana Director of Manufacturing and Workforce Services

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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.

Radius Indiana Facilitates Duke Energy Grants for Small Business Relief

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (May 18, 2020) – Radius Indiana received $20,000 in Duke Energy Foundation grants this week, which are designated for small business assistance in four of the economic development group’s eight counties.The award is part of $200,000 in Duke Energy Foundation grants given to Indiana economic development organizations across the state offering crisis relief to small businesses.

Recipients include Crawford, Greene, Martin and Orange, which will each receive $5,000. Each county’s local economic development organization will then determine which local small businesses will receive assistance through an application process and needs assessment.

“We are grateful for companies like Duke Energy that are helping small businesses during this very uncertain time,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “Part of our mission here at Radius is to support businesses in our region; and right now we are especially concerned about the wellbeing of our established, small businesses, and we will continue to look for ways to help ensure that they can sustain operations.”

Two additional Radius counties, Lawrence and Washington, have also been selected as direct recipients of Duke Energy grants. The local economic development organizations in those counties were also awarded $5,000, and will identify Duke Energy business customers in need of the funds.

“These are challenging times, and the COVID-19 crisis has been particularly difficult for small companies,” said Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar. “These grants will support those businesses that are the backbone of the Hoosier communities we serve statewide.

In April, Radius worked with Crawford and Greene counties to set up local, Rapid Relief Funds to aid small businesses. The dollar-for-dollar match program provided small, low-interest loans ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to help businesses address immediate needs and help offset losses caused by COVID-19.

Small businesses in the region in need of assistance should contact their local economic development office. Businesses can also visit   radiusindiana.com/resources/#covid-19 for information on additional assistance programs and COVID-19 information.

For more information about Duke Energy grants visit news.duke-energy.com/releases.

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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.