BEDFORD, Ind. (Dec. 6, 2018) – Radius Indiana released an update today to its Radius Manufacturing Index (RMI). The index shows that both the Radius region and the state continue to remain strongly reliant on manufacturing.

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, and provides cumulative information about 12 data indicators of the manufacturing sector.

This third quarter 2018 RMI update reflects data from fourth quarter 2017, and shows how the region is performing in comparison to the state of Indiana. The raw number of the RMI is 58.2 for the quarter, which represents the total scores of the 12 factors included in the index.

For the state, manufacturing jobs increased as a percentage of total employment. In the Radius region, there was a slight decrease in manufacturing employment, dropping to just under 21,000 jobs. However, the region posted a net gain of 300 jobs across all sectors. The decrease in manufacturing may suggest that workforce in the Radius region is continuing to become more skilled and productive, requiring fewer workers to complete the same amount of work.

For the region, the manufacturing wage growth reflected a higher rate than the previous quarter, rising from $44,651 to $45,302.

“Using the RMI allows Radius to continuously learn about the manufacturing sector throughout our region and the entire state,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius. “We believe that tracking this data is an important way to measure our industries’ successful efforts to stay competitive in 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-12 months in the past, based on the dates for some of the statistics used.

Mike Thissen, executive director of Crawford County Economic Development, references the RMI as he looks for opportunities for his county’s industrial park, which is located just off I-64 and 35 minutes from Louisville.

“The RMI is a great bellwether for me to assess our economic landscape and determine if a new or expanding company is the right fit for our location. Manufacturing is an anchor industry here in Crawford County, and we continue to build up that sector. It is important for me to have the latest information on the economic indicators for the region to ensure that I keep our incentive packages fresh and aligned with the market,” said Thissen.

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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 the region to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.

BEDFORD, Ind. (Nov. 8, 2018) — Radius Indiana traveled to Japan last week to meet with Japanese governmental and business professionals to discuss foreign investment in the Radius region. This was Radius’s first ever international site selector trip, as the organization continues its outreach program efforts to broaden and diversify its economic development program.

Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle, along with a team of 10 people from the Radius region and surrounding communities, were abroad for nine days, meeting with more than a dozen companies to spread education and awareness of the region.

The group traveled to Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka before returning to Indiana. Radius met with a variety of companies, ranging from automobile manufacturers to trading and policy organizations. The Radius region is already home to over 300 manufacturers, with space and opportunity to grow that number.

The Indiana presenters shared information about the Radius region, detailing the top core industries of the region, workforce development and natural resources available in the area. Education has been a top priority for Radius over the course of the past two years, and this trip served as an opportunity to share the outreach program abroad.

“We found that our audiences were extremely interested in hearing about the evolving and increasing workforce training programs available in our state and region,” said Jeff Quyle, CEO and president of Radius Indiana. “In addition to Vincennes University, Ivy Tech, ROI and state workforce training programs, we discussed I-69, Crane and other relevant characteristics that make us open for new business growth.”

Radius had a meeting with JETRO Osaka to present the advantages and incentive programs available for companies conducting business in Indiana. This seminar was a unique opportunity, allowing the Indiana presenters to discuss business incentives on both the state and local level with dozens of companies who attended, as well as providing examples of exactly how these programs could benefit direct foreign investment in Indiana.

The Japan-America Society of Indiana (JASI) and Larry Ingraham, President of Ingraham & Associates, served as important resources of information and provided translations for printed material prior to the trip. The group learned about the Japanese business culture in the months leading up to the trip, and those resources helped the attendees maximize the value of their trip.

“This trip was educational for both sides,” said Salem City Councilman Justin Green. “We listened to the businesses that we met, and we understand them better. At the same time, we mentioned the Radius region to dozens of business leaders who had never heard of us before. I think the companies who will be ready to come to the U.S. will remember our community.”

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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.

Crane, Ind. (October 30, 2018) — Naval Support Activity Crane, one of Southern Indiana’s largest employers with about 6,000 workers, released hiring plans for fiscal year 2019 that include adding over 400 new jobs above attrition for both government and contract employees across multiple disciplines.

The base’s two largest commands, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division and Crane Army Ammunition Activity, will each add to their workforce to meet the demand from the Department of Defense for key activities unique to the technical capabilities, facilities and expertise found at Crane.

Crane Army’s vital work in countermeasures, logistics, production and demilitarization of ammunition; coupled with the upcoming opening of the new Crane Flexible Manufacturing Complex later this year means an increased demand for advanced manufacturing workers who receive specialized training for the Army work.

“Due to a large increase in expected workload in both production and logistics operations, CAAA is looking to increase its blue-collar workforce by approximately 45 personnel. The new employees will go through our onboarding process. CAAA doesn’t send employees to production lines without an adequate amount of safety and rudimentary ammunition training,” said Crane Army’s Chief of Staff Joe Mikac.

On the Navy side, NSWC Crane is experiencing a significant increase in workload within each of its mission areas that include Expeditionary Warfare, Electronic Warfare and Strategic Missions, and plans to add 368 new employees in the coming year and backfill 187 jobs based on anticipated attrition. Careers range from engineers and scientists to technicians and business administration.

This increased capacity is a direct result of demand signals from National Defense and Naval strategies that call on the technical expertise at NSWC Crane, the state’s only federal research laboratory, to expand its role in mission-critical challenges facing the U.S. military.

“With our workload on the rise, we are looking for the best and brightest to add to our team,” said NSWC Crane Director of Corporate Operations, Dr. Angela Lewis. “Our work is vital to national security, and our staff has proven time and again that Crane has the resources, capabilities and adaptability to meet mission demands — not just for today, but for what’s on the horizon.”

NSWC Crane will increase its work with Strategic Systems Programs that support the Navy’s submarine and missile technologies through engineering and system architecture for power and energy, guidance, navigation and control and also includes imperative work for the nation’s new super-speed Hypersonic Missile Program.

Other growth areas include the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program, which provides enhanced capabilities to existing and new ship combat systems to improve missile defense, counter targeting and counter surveillance as well as the rapidly growing field of Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems that serve to detect, track and defend against drone and other unmanned aircraft.

“As the economic development partnership for the region, we view Crane as a key catalyst for economic growth,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “Adding high-wage, high-skilled jobs makes direct impact on our area’s economy, but the way in which Crane engages partner organizations, private industry and academia as part of its collaborative, working team means that growth at the base is only the first wave of positive impact we will see in our region and across the state.”

Director Danielle Chrysler of the Indiana Office of Defense Development said the state is actively working to increase awareness of all of its defense assets, “This increase in jobs is evidence of the strong defense sector here in Indiana. The outstanding efforts of the leadership and workforce at Crane strengthen our opportunities on a national level.”

Visit www.crane.army.mil or www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NSWC-Crane for more information on career opportunities.

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LOOGOOTEE, Ind. (Oct. 2, 2018) — The Southern Indiana Development Commission and Radius Indiana are now accepting proposals for the Southwest Indiana Technology and Collaboration Hub Network or “SWITCH” Network Feasibility Study aimed at supporting entrepreneurship in the region.

SIDC and Radius Indiana are seeking proposals for professional services from qualified firms with considerable experience in entrepreneurial and economic development growth as well as commercialized property to conduct the study. A grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration will help fund the study; as such, the project will follow all applicable federal, state, and local regulations and successful companies must meet specified terms and conditions.

The study is a partnership of 11 different local economic development organizations (Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Pike and Washington), three regional planning commissions (SIDC, River Hills and IN 15), two regional economic development organizations (Radius Indiana and the Southwest Indiana Development Council), as well as Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Inc. and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

SWITCH is intended to help establish a network of entrepreneurial centers in southwest Indiana and allow the sharing of resources throughout the network. Once completed, this study will bring together the public and private sectors by building an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs throughout the region.

If interested in submitting a proposal, please contact the Southern Indiana Development Commission (SIDC) office at 812-295-3707 or email michelle@sidc.cc to receive a copy of the RFP.  Jeff Quyle, President and CEO of Radius Indiana can also provide more information and answer questions regarding the study; contact him at 812-277-9778 or j.quyle@radiusindiana.com.

Proposals must be submitted at the SIDC Office located at 405 JFK Avenue Suite A, Loogootee, IN 47553 by 4 p.m., Oct. 26, 2018. No proposals will be accepted after that time.

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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 SIDC: The Southern Indiana Development Commission is a voluntary organization of local government serving Daviess, Greene, Knox, Lawrence, and Martin Counties to provide assistance with community and economic development. SIDC utilizes multi-faceted resources, opportunities and skill to strengthen and improve the quality of life in the area.

BEDFORD, Ind. (Oct. 1, 2018) — Radius Indiana is conducting a Wage and Benefits Survey across several counties in southern Indiana–a first for the area. The survey will gather employer pay and benefit information to help create a very accurate, up-to-date understanding of what the real-world labor market is like in southern Indiana.

Approximately 400 companies, with employee size ranging between 1 and 1,000 workers from 15 counties in the region, have been invited to participate in the survey . The survey asks about positions within each company, annual wages, and benefits employees receive and how those benefits translate financially, such as with health and life insurance. Topics such as time-off and leave, vacation, bereavement and paid holidays are also included in the survey.

“This survey will not only help employers in our region create an appropriate competitive work compensation package, but will also be used to inform companies and businesses interested in locating or expanding in the Radius region,” said Jeff Quyle, CEO and president of Radius Indiana. “We are excited to be able to facilitate this survey for our region and will share our results with the companies completing the survey and each participating county’s local economic development organization.”

Radius is collaborating with additional counties in the 11-county Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) region of Southwest Central Indiana known as the Indiana Uplands, and counties within the Southwest Indiana Development Council (SWIDC) area to provide a broader regional snapshot of the labor market in southern Indiana.

The consultant on the survey, Kevin Whorton of Whorton Marketing and Research, created the survey framework, and then collaborated with Radius as well as select test companies to develop the final questionnaire. With help from each county’s local economic development organization, companies were identified and emailed a unique link to access the survey in mid-September. The full report on the survey’s findings is planned for release in early 2019.

While this is the first large-scale Wage and Benefit survey for the region, a similar effort in recent years conducted in Dubois County showed the potential value of capturing this type of data. Dubois Strong has been a strong advocate for the Radius Wage and Benefit survey, which expands on the work of its county-specific survey and broadens the scope and understanding of hundreds of companies located in this part of the state.

“It is very important for businesses to have the best wage and benefit information available to attract and retention employees in a very low unemployment environment,” said Ed Cole, President of Dubois Strong.

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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.

BEDFORD, Ind. (Sept. 7, 2018) — Radius Indiana traveled to Cleveland last week to meet with site selectors and share the advantages of doing business in the Radius region. This was Radius’s third site selector trip to Cleveland, and the organization is continuing its outreach program efforts that began in 2016.

Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle met with six site selectors during the trip. Agribusiness in the region was one of the topics of interest for the site selectors, Quyle was able to highlight the existing businesses and opportunities along the supply chain in the area.

Radius Indiana’s agricultural sector is a state leader in poultry production and grain processing. With abundant farmland and sites for commercial development the region has a well-established agriculture infrastructure that enables companies to set up operations and get products to market quickly.

“The Radius message was more fun to deliver than usual this summer because of the many positive project announcements and events we’ve had take place in recent weeks,” said Quyle.  “From Eagle Rail in Washington to Lehigh in Mitchell to SIMCO in Crawford County, or the Parklands of Jasper, there are visible signs of the pro-active spirit of the region.”

Radius Indiana will continue its outreach program efforts with more site selector trips to finish 2018 and into 2019. The organizations first international trip to Japan will take place this October, and is an opportunity to bring foreign direct investment to the Radius region.

“We continue to see a positive impact on our region through site selector trips,” said Quyle. “Being able to highlight different industry sectors that are important to our counties is something that Radius will continue to do as well as continuing to spread education about what we have to offer.”

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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.

 

LOOGOOTEE, Ind. (July 23, 2018) –  Southern Indiana Development Commission received a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to support entrepreneurship in the region through the study of the Southwest Indiana Technology and Collaboration Hub Network or “SWITCH.”

This study will help establish a network of entrepreneurial centers in southwest Indiana and allow the sharing of resources throughout the network. Once completed, this study will bring together the public and private sectors by building an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs throughout the region.

Kent Utt, president Knox County Economic Development Corporation stated, “Two of KCDC’s primary goals vetted out during our recent comprehensive strategic plan are to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem and improve retention and attraction of talent. These goals will be further advanced through the SWITCH feasibility study and enhance a collaborative region focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.”

The study is a partnership of 11 different local economic development organizations (Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Pike and Washington), three regional planning commissions (SIDC, River Hills and IN 15), two regional economic development organizations(Radius Indiana and the Southwest Indiana Development Council), as well as Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Inc. and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

“Regional partnerships are challenging, but with clear focus the benefits created from a region working together create more opportunities than working alone. This initiative, if done right, will be a model for the rest of the country for increasing entrepreneurship and collaboration in rural America,” said Greg Jones, director of SIDC.

Radius Indiana received an initial grant from the IEDC to begin studying the concept of a SWITCH network and will use those funds to match the EDA grant.

“We cannot thank IEDC enough for the initial investment in this concept and by partnering with the EDA I believe we will have enough funds to study the issue and stand up the framework for a lasting entrepreneurial ecosystem,” added Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana.

Local economic development organizations are excited for the next steps in the process. Ed Cole with Dubois Strong said, “I am looking forward to the expanded opportunities for co-working space collaboration the SWITCH Network will bring to Southwest Indiana.”

Ron Arnold with Daviess County Economic Development Corporation said,  “SWITCH Network will allow Daviess County and the region to identify and understand steps needed to participate in an ever changing economy. I applaud the efforts of Radius Indiana and SIDC to bring the region together.”

The planning process will kick off in the fall of 2018.

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About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov): The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.

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 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.”

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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.

 

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.

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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.