Author: Radius Indiana

Southern Indiana shovel-ready site becomes first in state to be Verisite and state-certified

Posted on by Radius Indiana

LINTON, Ind. (June 28, 2021) — A shovel-ready site in Linton received certification from the state of Indiana through the Verisite certification process, becoming the first in Indiana to be both Verisite and state-certified. 

Leaders from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), Radius Indiana, Verisite, the City of Linton, Greene County Economic Development Corporation and the Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce partnered to celebrate the certification of the site.

“By being designated as site certified, Linton has illustrated their commitment to economic growth,” said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner. “This shows that the Dunkerly site is ready for investment and has the resources needed to be successful. This is an exciting achievement for the community and I congratulate all community members and partners involved in making this designation happen.”

The event featured comments from Spinner, Jeff Quyle from Radius Indiana, Courtney Zaugg from Plaka and Associates/Verisite, and Mayor John Wilkes from the City of Linton.

The 60.97-acre site in Greene County completed the Verisite certification process and received a Silver Site certification in August 2020. The Silver Certification gives companies and site selectors the assurance the site is ready for expedited development and that all needed documentation and data has been compiled and verified, which results in cost savings and speed to market for a new business. Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA) provided financial support and engagement in the certification process.

 “When we say ‘You’ll like Linton’, it’s not just a slogan. We mean that sincerely, and we apply it equally to new residents and new businesses. Our community is prepared to treat newcomers with hospitality and warmth,” said Mayor Wilkes.

Site certification creates opportunities for cities and counties to become preferred locations for industrial growth and innovation. OCRA and Verisite each offer their own certification programs for sites that are ready for economic development. 

The certification process assures site selectors and companies that the area is ready for development and provides documentation with all test results. Criteria to become certified include distance from a major highway, proper zoning, utility capacity and distance, and the number of continuous acres. 

“Our Radius team appreciates all the cooperation that we experienced while working with everyone from OCRA staff to Verisite professionals to Linton City leaders,” said Quyle. “Their team-oriented attitude is exactly what a company wants to experience when they begin a business expansion effort in a community like Linton.”

From left to right: Jeff Quyle (Radius Indiana), Mayor John Wilkes (City of Linton), Denny Spinner (OCRA), Courtney Zaugg (Plaka and Associates/Verisite)

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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.

Bloomington-based start-up wins Crane IP Defense Innovation Pitch Competition

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (June 24, 2021) — A Bloomington-based start-up, Semiring Inc., won first place in the second-annual Crane IP Defense Innovation Pitch Competition on Wednesday, June 23.   

Radius Indiana sponsored the virtual competition in coordination with Elevate Ventures, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division (NSWC Crane), Indiana Innovation Institute (IN3), the Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC), and The Mill. Judges included southwestern Indiana defense and economic development industry leaders who had previous experience with pitch competitions and knowledge of NSWC Crane. 

The top three contestants shared cash prizes totaling $7,000. 

  1. Semiring Inc: ($4,000 prize): Semiring pitched the use of Crane technology for data pre-processing with natural language processing, an existing project into which they incorporated Crane technology. The team consisted of six team members and was headed by Dr. Damir Cavar, a cofounder of Semiring and Associate Professor of Computational Linguistics at Indiana University.
  2. Vieaura ($2,00 prize): Vieaura, ran by co-owners Shrikant Yarlagadda and Srini Morampudi and team members Karey Koscevic and Dr. Mohan Tatikonda, focused on Crane technology involving virtual 3D model generation and navigation using opportunistically captured images.
  3. Exocetus Autonomous Systems ($1,000 prize): Exocetus Autonomous Systems, led by Paul Lwin and Joe Turner, directed its pitch on Crane technology to develop a networked buoy underwater communications system.

“After months of uncertainty during the pandemic, fears that we are facing dark and troubled times, this pitch competition was an extremely positive and motivating event and experience,” said Cavar. “The IP coming from Crane and its researchers is amazing, and it was refreshing to see so many people using this unique opportunity to look for ways to make the technologies available to our local and regional communities, as well as the entire nation and world. Such opportunities are essential for so many, and we hope that we can give back to Crane and the Department of Defense in general, as well as to our compatriots.”

Radius Indiana created the royalty-free IP pitch competition as an opportunity for interested businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs to take advantage of NSWC Crane’s Rapid Response Licensing Program, which launched last spring in response to COVID-19. The competition offered royalty-free access for those who seek to commercialize patented technologies and concepts developed at NSWC Crane. 

“The participants put together an impressive display of product ideas, and it was amazing to hear ideas and directions to take these patents that haven’t been considered before,” said Annie Bullock-Yoder, NSWC Crane Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Specialist. “We hope that this competition will spark further innovation and support economic growth using Crane’s IP, and we are looking forward to continuing building relationships with all participants from the competition.”

This event was the fourth pitch competition hosted by Radius since 2019. These competitions have included pitch opportunities for high school students, adults, startups, and established businesses or products and ideas. 

“Technology coming out of Crane clearly has commercial applicability, and Radius is honored to serve as a conduit to strengthen the region’s defense ecosystem through this competition,” said Keeley Stingel, vice president of Innovation and Economic Development at Radius. “The diversity of businesses that participated, from companies yet to form to ones that have been established for 50 years, was a testament to the innovation housed here in the Radius region through NSWC Crane.” 

Radius plans to host additional pitch competitions in 2021. More information will be announced in the coming months.

“This pitch competition was an example of an economic development project that creates success stories in multiple ways,” said Radius CEO and President Jeff Quyle. “We are very pleased with all the ways our partners and participants have benefited from the 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.

About Indiana Innovation Institute: IN3 (Indiana Innovation Institute) works with academia, industry, and government to create a hub of national security innovation that helps solve critical defense priorities. IN3 connects regional, state and national partners through a variety of means including convening research and business teams to solve emerging technical challenges for the U.S. Department of Defense. IN3 is focused on hypersonics, cyber-physical systems, trusted microelectronics and artificial intelligence. Learn more at www.in3indiana.com.

About The Mill: The Mill is the heart of southern Indiana’s startup ecosystem and its largest coworking space. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit center for entrepreneurship in Bloomington, funded by membership and event space fees, as well as by generous donations from corporate sponsors and angel investors from south-central Indiana.

Annual Radius Indiana economic development course returns to French Lick Resort

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (June 17, 2021) — The annual Radius Indiana economic development course at French Lick Resort concluded last Friday, graduating 44 community leaders from 15 Indiana counties. 

Participants in the Radius Indiana Economic Development for Community Leadership Program attended educational sessions on topics related to local economic development, networked with other community leaders, and built skills in strategic planning and community problem-solving.

“After conducting all of our events virtually for the last 15 months, it was special to get to host this course again and see so many new and familiar faces,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “This year’s program exceeded my expectations with a record number of participants and I continue to be blown away by how motivated and dedicated our local leaders are to continue furthering their economic development education.”

The program is the only course of its kind to be offered in the southwestern-Indiana area. Since the first course in 2017, nearly 140 people representing 25 Indiana counties have gathered to learn from national and regional speakers about topics and skills including real estate development, business attraction, workforce, marketing, business finance and incentives, and entrepreneurship.

This year’s course’s registrants included mayors, city, town and county representatives, engineering consultants, economic development professionals, utility representatives, and marketing specialists.

“Now more than ever it is vital for community leaders to support the economic development initiatives in our region,” said Cindy Barber, an educator from the Purdue Extension Community Development who participated in this year’s course. “Through this program, Radius elevates the most important elements needed for economic prosperity by introducing the major players in Indiana to leaders & elected officials. ”

Course speaker Brittany Mann, vice president of incentives and location advisors at Bradley Company, joined two panels during the course to discuss site selection and marketing in economic development.

“I really enjoyed this year’s conference and the opportunity to share best practices from my own client site selection experiences,” said Mann. “Radius Indiana is helping leaders in their community put their best foot forward by sending them off better educated on what economic development is and how to best plug into the ecosystem by offering continual trainings through its annual economic development conference.”

Other sessions and speakers included representatives from economic development groups and consultants including Regional Opportunity Initiatives, local universities and university-led groups, state-run organizations, and finance companies.

Corporate sponsors and scholarships helped fund the program, including generous support from Hoosier Energy, Smithville Fiber, Duke Energy, and Indiana Municipal Power Agency.

Those interested in attending a Radius Indiana course in the future should contact the Radius office at 812-277-9778.

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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.

New Crane Army Ammunition Activity initiative aims to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in hiring

Posted on by Radius Indiana

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

 

You’ve seen Crane Army Ammunition Activity proudly share its modernization efforts as it prepares to open two new state-of-the-art facilities, and upgrade the way that it keeps the Crane Army family safe on the installation. However, these initiatives are only a part of creating an optimal work environment for its employees. 

Crane Army has also been considering another critical question: How do leaders ensure that the workforce reflects and is prepared for the modernizing landscape of talent management? 

The United States Army’s recent initiative, Project Inclusion, is helping to identify answers. The initiative aims to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion across the force and build cohesive teams. Through this effort, Army leaders have listened to soldiers, Army civilians and family members to identify practices that inadvertently discriminate. 

The Army is pursuing an approach that maximizes every Soldier’s and Civilian’s potential through data-driven talent management approaches and initiatives, such as Project Inclusion, which will help cultivate a culture that infuses diversity across the leadership, provides individuals with promotion opportunities and maximizes the talents of everyone at every level.

While hosted at NSA Crane, southern Indiana’s military base, Crane Army produces and provides essential munitions for American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Crane Army’s  leaders have been holding a series of listening sessions with supervisors to learn how they can improve talent management. 

Over the recent weeks, supervisors have gathered to speak about recruiting, hiring, training, and retention with the ultimate goal of refining the ways that it hires the right people into the right positions. Workforce planning requires effective communication, and the belief that these listening sessions can be a springboard for many new candidates to start a career at Crane Army.

President Joe Biden’s fiscal year 2022 budget anticipates an increase of more than 50,000 full-time-equivalent employees to the federal payrolls next year. This increase is part of concerted efforts to attract young and expert workers to federal service. 

Most of this budget’s push for increasing the labor force across the government is likely to come from programs that target recent graduates and highly-skilled workers in areas like information technology (IT) and cybersecurity. Almost 30 percent of federal employees are older than 55, and 8.1 percent of employees are younger than 30, according to the budget proposal’s analytical perspectives. 

Radius recognizes the value of a workforce with diverse ages, backgrounds, and races. Bringing in new talent to our bases, especially citizens with expertise in rapidly developing fields like IT and cybersecurity, is an essential part of creating the best workforce to serve our warfighters and protect our country. 

 

Indiana Farm Bureau Partners with GEO Partners, LLC; Forms Indiana Broadband Strategic Partnership

Posted on by Radius Indiana

(Indianapolis) – May 26, 2021 – Indiana Farm Bureau today announced the formation of the Indiana Broadband Strategic Partnership (IBSP) to help bring reliable broadband to the most unserved and underserved communities across the state. To help with this initiative, the IBSP also includes Cook Medical Group, Duke Energy Foundation, Indiana Association of Realtors, Radius Indiana and the Regional Opportunity Initiative.

This partnership will promote the Indiana Speed Test, a crowd-sourced internet speed test created by GEO Partners, LLC, a Minnesota-based company that focuses on enabling cost effective planning and deployment of broadband. GEO Partners, LLC is working with other states including Minnesota, Washington, Maine, Kentucky, and Nebraska, as well as the nationally designated Delta Regional Authority that covers parts of eight states along the Mississippi River, to gather broadband data.

“Since access to reliable broadband is one of the most important challenges facing rural communities today, Indiana Farm Bureau sought organizations that advocate on behalf of rural Indiana to begin finding and developing solutions,” said Randy Kron, INFB president. “Data is a critical piece to help local broadband groups and the state of Indiana invest where service is needed and to avoid overbuilding infrastructure. With their groundbreaking work in other states, GEO Partners is a perfect fit.”

Beginning today, the Indiana Speed Test will be available on the INFB website – www.infb.org/speedtest, along with the websites of the initial partners and a growing list of collaborating organizations, including the Purdue Center for Regional Development, Association of Indiana Counties, Indiana Association of Regional Councils, Indiana Hospital Association and Indiana Broadband housed within the Office of Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch.

GEO Partners provides real-time internet speed data by collecting speed test information from residents. Displayed on geographic information system (GIS) layers, the data pinpoints areas that are most in need of reliable, affordable access to broadband service.

The goal for the Indiana Speed Test is to gather data in all areas of Indiana. The GEO Partnerssoftware platform and  the data will be available to local governments and organized broadband groups to analyze potential solutions and aid their applications for Indiana’s Next Level Connections Grants and a variety of federal grants. It is also hoped that the Indiana Speed Test data will jumpstart efforts to plan broadband infrastructure investments from the local portions of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, so that decision-makers make investments with the greatest impact.

The speed test may be performed multiple times on any device that has an internet or cellular connection. The test takes less than one minute to complete, and no personal information will be collected.

“All Hoosiers are encouraged to participate in the Indiana Speed Test, the more locations, the more data points we’ll be able to map to highlight what connections are available and speeds Hoosiers are getting at those locations,” Kron added. “We are confident that GEO Partners will help all broadband stakeholders in Indiana by mapping actual internet speeds and identifying the most efficient methods to invest in broadband infrastructure.”

The COVID pandemic put a spotlight on the lack of adequate broadband in Indiana, especially in rural areas. The IBSP’s goal is to encourage data-driven investment decisions that substantially impact lives and our economic opportunity. Take the test today: www.infb.org/speedtest.

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About Indiana Farm Bureau: For more than 100 years, Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) has promoted agriculture in Indiana through public education, member engagement, and by advocating for agricultural and rural needs. As the state’s largest general farm organization, INFB works diligently to ensure a farmer’s right to farm—protecting the livelihood, land, equipment, animals and crops of Hoosier farmers—because agriculture is vital to Indiana’s economy. Learn more at INFB.org

SouthernIndianaBusinessReport.com ready to tell region’s stories

Posted on by Radius Indiana

PAOLI — Southern Indiana businesses and communities will gain an informative news and data resource when a business news-dedicated website, SouthernIndianaBusinessReport.com, goes live in June. The digital news site promises to bring an in-depth level of coverage of business and economic development, including tourism and gaming news, agribusiness updates, and insights into how local education initiatives, state policies and other factors impact the local economy. Additionally, SouthernIndianaBusinessReport.com will provide commentary from
respected Indiana economists and other experts.

The new venture is led by veteran southern Indiana journalist Miles Flynn. With several years in the radio industry in Bedford and Orange County, as well as an additional 14 years in regional print journalism, Flynn has served as managing editor at Orange County Publishing and also in the same role at the Times-Mail in Bedford.

SouthernIndianaBusinessReport.com will focus primarily on Lawrence, Greene, Daviess, Dubois, Martin, Orange, Crawford and Washington counties, which are home to nearly a quarter of a million people and a wide array of businesses.

“I’m so eager to help tell the stories of a region that’s really quite unique,” Flynn said. “In addition to factories that support the automotive industry and manufacture everything from cement to fine furniture, this region also produces architectural limestone that’s renowned around the globe, and it’s home to the third-largest naval installation in the world. Plus, these counties also boast some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the state, a historic grand resort with a casino that serves as a tourism engine for the surrounding area, one of the most
popular state parks in Indiana, a U.S. National Landmark cave, and an 8,800-acre lake that draws more than half a million visitors per year. We’ll definitely have plenty to write about!”

Flynn credits Radius Indiana President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Quyle as the source of the spark that led to the creation of SouthernIndianaBusinessReport.com. Quyle has long sought more exposure for the region and came to Flynn for input on the idea of an online business journal, which Radius would help support.

“Our Radius region and communities are supporting some truly vigorous business and economic activities currently,” Quyle mentioned. “Yet the changing face of the media industry has left us as a ‘media desert’ without reporting or coverage. It’s important to the ongoing momentum of our businesses and institutions that there be ways to communicate the dynamic forces that are present.”

Flynn suggests that story pitch ideas be sent to news@SouthernIndianaBusinessReport.com. “We welcome grassroots sources of information to help introduce us to the stories that are waiting to be told,” he said.

Radius Indiana secures $27,000 Grant for electric vehicle charging stations in Dubois Co.

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (April 22, 2021) — Two new public charging stations in Jasper and one in Huntingburg will add Dubois County to the map of destinations for electric vehicle drivers. 

Radius Indiana pursued a grant on behalf of the City of Jasper from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management for $27,000 to install two electric charging stations for vehicle owners in Jasper, with two additional locations in Huntingburg and neighboring Petersburg.

“Our region has untold numbers of restaurants and shops and attractions in our cities and towns,” said Blaine Parker, Radius’s Director of Tourism and Quality of Place. “We realized that with the growing number of people who drive electric vehicles, we needed to help install the charging stations that would bring our communities and attractions into an easy driving range for EV drivers. When these are installed, drivers can recharge their car batteries while they eat lunch, shop, visit the local galleries, and enjoy relaxing visits in our beautiful scenery. Our slogan is ‘Discover Southern Indiana’ and that’s what we want the EV crowd to enjoy!” 

IDEM’s grant is funded by the Volkswagen Diesel Emissions Environmental Mitigation Trust and will help fund the installation of the Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations.

In October 2017, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed an executive order establishing the Indiana Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund. The order outlines Indiana’s plan to distribute the state’s $40.9 million portion of a legal settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Volkswagen Corporation for its violation of the federal Clean Air Act. 

The Indiana Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Program continues to offer grant opportunities for clean air projects that will significantly reduce diesel emissions across Indiana. This statewide program is supported by Indiana’s portion of the national Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund and is focused on equipment and vehicle repowers and replacements with newer, cleaner alternatives of various fuel types. 

Coordination for the charging stations began this month and installation will follow. The project will be completed by the end of 2022.

“We appreciate the economic opportunity this grant provides our community by continuing the expansion of EV charging stations,” said Mayor of Jasper Dean Vonderheide. “Our utility crews will be installing these stations in strategically selected locations. We strive to be a community in step with the growing demand from our residents and visitors to the area. The stations will serve residents, industry partners, tourists enjoying the plethora of attractions in the immediate area, and the families engaged in the many sports and recreational activities we host. Thank you to Radius for providing this opportunity.”

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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.

Entrepreneurs, inventors and start-ups invited to participate in second royalty-free pitch competition

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (April 8, 2021) – Entrepreneurs, inventors and start-ups can pitch innovative proposals to southwestern Indiana defense and economic development industry leaders on June 23 at Radius Indiana’s second annual “Crane IP Defense Innovation Pitch Competition” with royalty-free IP. 

The competition offers unprecedented, royalty-free opportunities to commercialize the patented technologies and concepts developed at Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division, Indiana’s only federal research laboratory. Individuals or teams are invited to develop an innovative proposal for one of the intellectual property areas selected for the competition.

“Our desire is that businesses and entrepreneurs will be able to make use of these technologies, which will ultimately lead to job creation and economic growth,” said Jenna Dix, technology transfer director at NSWC Crane. “The engineers and scientists at Crane create valuable technology to help the men and women who protect our nation, and we would love to see this technology be applied to increase innovation in our communities.”

The competition is hosted by Radius Indiana, in coordination with Elevate Ventures, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division, Indiana Innovation Institute, and the Indiana Small Business Development Center. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to connect with industry leaders from these organizations, and cash prizes totaling $7,000 will be available to the top three contestants. Additional prize funds will be available for competitors with locations in the Radius region of southern Indiana. 

“Radius continues to make important investments in small business and entrepreneurship,” said Keeley Stingel, vice president of innovation and economic development at Radius Indiana. “The continuation of the pitch competition and the strength of the relationships between our partners positions our region and defense ecosystem to attract top talent and emerging technologies.”

Virtual informational sessions given by NSWC Crane’s Technology Transfer program on April 29 and May 11 are available for participants in advance of the competition. The sessions will provide an overview of available technologies and highlight opportunities for engaging with Crane, and include an introduction to Crane’s IP portfolio. Participants can also receive individual coaching sessions through the resources of Elevate Ventures and ISBDC. 

“Pitch competitions give entrepreneurs valuable feedback, new connections, and increased confidence ahead of future ventures,” said Hunter Hawley, the winner of Radius Indiana’s 2019 regional pitch competition and CEO of Blueprint Stats. “Radius delivers all three in this event, and the environment is fun, supportive and competitive.”

The competition is free for participants. Entrants will receive a template to create a slide presentation for the competition. 

The registration deadline is June 1, 2021. Visit www.radiusindiana.com to learn more and register for the competition. 

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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 Innovation Institute: IN3 (Indiana Innovation Institute) works with academia, industry, and government to create a hub of national security innovation that helps solve critical defense priorities. IN3 connects regional, state, and national partners through a variety of means including convening research and business teams to solve emerging technical challenges for the Department of Defense. IN3 is focused on hypersonics, cyber-physical systems, trusted microelectronics, artificial intelligence and 5G. Learn more at www.in3indiana.com and follow us on Twitter @IN3indiana and LinkedIn.

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. To learn more about you can access free resources through the ISBDC network, visit us at www.isbdc.org. 

Indiana Defense Task Force combats potential losses of military assets

Posted on by Radius Indiana

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

 

Indiana’s well-established military presence includes commands at Naval Support Activity Crane, the Grissom Air Reserve Base, and a distinguished state national guard with six critical assets. These commands support 14,000 soldiers and airmen, who are located in 52 counties across the state. The Base Realignment & Closure (BRAC) process was implemented in 1988, and the Department of Defense (DoD) repeatedly reduced its investment in Indiana’s military assets as part of that process. 

The Pentagon dollars that increased over the last four years could soon be harder to obtain. Many politicians are calling for a return of fiscal conservatism, and the Treasury will feel the full impact of COVID-19, both the stimulus and its cuts to paychecks and income taxes soon. 

In light of cuts to the Pentagon, potentially 10 percent or more in future years, defense communities should plan for various scenarios. Impacts from a defense budget reduction could include: 

  • Any military program not in existence prior to the previous administration will be subject to close review and re-justification. The number of aircraft to be purchased will be reduced, lot buys pushed out, recapitalization delayed, satellite constellations deferred, and ship keel-laying slowed because of budgetary pressure and/or shifts in defense prioritization. 
  • State-of-the-art technology pursuits like hypersonic weapons, autonomous combat vehicles, and artificial intelligence will be hampered. Legacy programs will be retired, while new acquisitions with lesser effect on service requirements will be canceled. 
  • When the Pentagon sees these types of budget cuts, military leaders typically ask for another round of the BRAC, a nonpartisan process that shutters military bases and consolidates missions to save money and increase military value. The last time the Pentagon closed bases was 2005, and other states came out as winners. 

The state must make a significant effort to avoid additional significant losses of our military assets. In 2019, the Indiana State Legislature established the Indiana Defense Task Force to accomplish the following tasks for Indiana’s military bases: 

  • Identify the public infrastructure and other community support necessary to improve mission efficiencies and for development and expansion; 
  • Identify existing and potential impacts of encroachment; 
  • Identify potential state and local government actions that can minimize the impacts of encroachment and enhance the long-term potential; and
  • Identify opportunities for collaboration among the state, including the military department of the state, political subdivisions, military contractors; and academic institutions to maintain and expand the missions. 

This move by our legislatures recognized changes that could occur in the future defense landscape. We applaud the Indiana State legislature for recognizing that the coalition that fights for Indiana’s military assets must grow, and grow stronger. 

Radius region sustains economic recovery throughout COVID-19 pandemic

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (March 23, 2021) –– Many community members are surprised to observe that economic growth has continued to take place over the course of the COVID-19 era, including in the Radius Indiana region — growth that was aided in part by investments made by the Radius organization. 

Radius has invested over $4.4 million in its eight counties to support infrastructure, quality of place, and overall economic development improvements since 2016. Radius’s Regional Impact Fund, the state’s only deal-closing fund that supports area growth and expansion efforts, served as an additional incentive to make several regional projects possible. 

“Radius aims to take a truly regional approach by investing in local businesses, infrastructure projects, and quality of place throughout our eight counties,” Radius President and CEO Jeff Quyle said. “We’re proud of the resiliency our communities and businesses have shown over the past year. This sustained growth demonstrates the potential our region has for economic success, especially when the pandemic is over.” 

In December 2020, Indiana’s unemployment was 4.3 percent, the lowest unemployment rate of any of the state’s immediate neighbors. The average unemployment rate for the eight Radius counties was 3 percent. The impact of the pandemic struck the Radius counties unevenly. Defense and manufacturing-dense counties saw a very slight increase in unemployment over the course of the year, while counties with tourism-dependent economies suffered more significant job losses. 

Yet by the end of 2020, the region’s resilience was evident: the regional unemployment rate in December 2020 was only 3.4 percent, below the state unemployment rate of 4.3 percent and the national rate of 6.7 percent.

Additionally, many regional employers expect to add workers over the next 12 months, according to Radius Indiana’s second regional survey of wages and benefits in southwestern Indiana. The survey also found that 77 percent of employers are planning pay raises in the next 12 months. 

Radius Indiana’s recent investments in infrastructure, economic development, and quality of place include: 

  • Sewer extensions;
  • Improvements at local airports;
  • Building refurbishments;
  • Water retention and detention improvements;
  • Workforce training for defense industry contractors; and
  • Downtown developments.

“Radius’s continued support of Washington County and our neighbors have played a crucial role in sustaining our economies,” said Justin Green, who represents Washington County on the Radius board. “Their investment, specifically in infrastructure and economic development throughout the region, has created jobs and opportunities that have prevented larger unemployment rates.” 

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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.