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.

 

BEDFORD, Ind. (April 26, 2018)- Radius Indiana has re-engineered its office functions with the addition of three new team members to its staff in March and April: January Roush, Blaine Parker and Anthony Christian.

Roush is stepping into the position of Radius Business Office Manager with 13 years of experience working in local government. With Radius, Roush will be responsible for day-to-day oversight of the facilities and office management, as well as the management and monitoring of the organization’s budget and financial reports. Roush will also support and maintain two economic development assistance programs administered by Radius, the Regional Impact Fund, and the Intermediary Relending Program. In addition, Roush will be available to the constituents in the Radius region to provide information about Radius programs and activities.

In her last position, January Roush served as the auditor of Martin County, where she was responsible for maintaining all financial and personnel records for Martin County Government, along with serving as secretary to the Board of Commissioners and Council. Roush’s background allows her to comprehend the needs of local governments in the region, as well as to provide excellent customer service and monitor the day-to-day operations at Radius.

“Radius has gained a wonderful employee in January Roush,” said Martin County Commissioner Dan Gregory. “She will be greatly missed as our Auditor, but we are all very happy that she is with Radius where she can continue to help move our county, and our region, forward.”

Blaine Parker joins the Radius team as the Director of Tourism and Quality of Place. She will head the current Radius region’s tourism project, which is aimed at developing a strategy to make Southern Indiana a recreation destination. Parker will collaborate with stakeholders to enhance the region’s image, perception, and success and create a consensus among key stakeholders for a future strategy that will optimize the economic opportunity for tourism in Southern Indiana. Parker will also assist with initiatives that help communities become more desirable places to live and work for current and potential residents.

Previously, Parker spent three years as the Membership and Communications Director for the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce, where she collaborated with local officials, business leaders, and members to enhance the community. She also served as Interim President for six months from 2015 to 2016, administering day-to-day operations and managing her personnel staff.

Taking the position of Director of Data Analysis and Development is Anthony Christian, where he will work to develop relevant and useful data about the economic conditions and development opportunities in the region. Christian will also be available as a resource for those communities in the Radius region seeking advice and information related to entrepreneurship.

Previously, Christian was worked for the City of Bloomington in its Community and Family Resources Department where he worked with the council on community accessibility and local
businesses to increase access for disabled persons and assess viability. Christian, who holds an MBA from the IU School of Environmental and Public Affairs, brings his experience creating an economic development policy and analyzing effectiveness of current policy into his new role at Radius.

“I am looking forward to the new ideas and insights that will be provided by our new team members. Radius is always looking to learn about new opportunities, and I foresee the additions to the staff to provide just that,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “We have many new initiatives planned this year, and I know our new staff will only add to the success we’ve already seen in 2018.”

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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. (April 16, 2018)-Radius Indiana hosted its first Defense Industry Stakeholder Roundtable today at WestGate Academy for U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (R.I.) ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Radius brought together more than 50 community leaders for the Roundtable, which included multiple briefings on the regional efforts underway to support the missions and workforce at Naval Support Activity Crane. The nationally recognized innovation ecosystem that surrounds Crane brings together government, the nonprofit community, industry and academia, and contributes to the regional economy that has attracted significant private and public investment in the region.

The Roundtable featured remarks from both Senators as well as Tina Peterson of Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Ben Wrightsman of the Battery Innovation Center, Dr. Jason Salstrom of Purdue@WestGate, Tim Hendrix of Science Application International Corporation, Bill Brown of Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement, Stacy Yike of Applied Research Center and Jeff Quyle of Radius Indiana.

“Radius appreciates Sen. Donnelly’s continuing support for and attention to the unique entrepreneurial ecosystem that Crane and its many regional partners are cultivating in Southwest central Indiana. The collaboration among the scientists, businesses, and community leaders is developing opportunities for increasing success,” said Quyle.

Prior to the Roundtable the Senators toured NSA Crane and saw firsthand Crane’s cutting-edge work, including a microelectronics laboratory and exhibits featuring the crucial work being done in Crane’s unique expeditionary, strategic missions, and electronic warfare laboratories.

“It was my honor to host Senator Reed at Crane today so that he could see firsthand the cutting-edge work being done by Hoosiers and spend time with key local stakeholders. I’ve worked tirelessly to support Crane’s mission and efforts to expand – as well make sure it gets the recognition it deserves. As the nation faces difficult and complex global security challenges, Crane’s work is as critical as ever, and that’s why it was important to have one of the Senate’s defense leaders visit.”

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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. (April 5, 2018) – Radius Indiana concluded its second annual economic development course at French Lick Resort last week, wrapping up three days of education, networking and skills building for community leaders from across Southern Indiana.

The Radius Indiana Economic Development for Community Leadership Program is the only course of its kind to be offered in the area. Thirty people representing 14 Indiana counties gathered to hear from national and regional speakers teaching educational sessions on topics such as real estate development, business attraction, workforce, marketing, business finance and incentives, and entrepreneurship.

“A fundamental part of economic development is helping communities grow strong; this course helps equip local leaders with the strategies and tools for intentional business growth and skills-driven workforce development,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle.

The course’s registrants included mayors, council members, county commissioners, chamber of commerce leaders, community foundation directors, economic development professionals and business owners.

“This course really covered the depth and breath of all things related to economic development,” said Loogootee Mayor Noel Harty. “These three days exemplified the importance of collaborative thinking in our communities.”

Two national site selectors, Geoffrey Troan of Sandridge Consulting and Jenny Massey of  FairWinds Advisors gave feature presentations during the course. Other sessions and speakers included Introduction to Economic Development with Jim Plump, Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation; Real Estate/Site Development with Chelsey Manns, Manns Consulting; Business Retention and Expansion with Jason Hester, Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation; Abatement/TIF/Incentives with Matt Eckerle, Umbaugh and Associates; Strategic Planning with Wendy Dant Chesser, One Southern Indiana; and Entrepreneurship with Steve Bryant, Ivy Tech.

Corporate sponsors and tuition payments helped fund the program, including generous support from Hoosier Energy, Duke Energy, Smithville Fiber, Old National Bank, Krieg DeVault and Christopher B. Burke Engineering.

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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.

Indianapolis (March 22, 2018) — Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle was featured on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick last week to discuss the current tourism push Radius has undertaken with its new strategic plan.

Click here to watch the full interview.

FRENCH LICK, Ind. (Feb. 27, 2018) — Today, for the first time, Radius Indiana revealed the Top 10 Economic Development Projects from around the region at its annual Stakeholders Meeting at the French Lick Resort.

More than 50 projects were submitted by regional stakeholders, who were then asked to vote on the 20 top projects that made the most impact in the Radius region in 2017. More than 100 stakeholders from across the region weighed in to create the list.

10. IEDA Site Selector Event Comes to French Lick

The Indiana Economic Development Association’s Site Consultant event was held at the French Lick Resort in 2017, and marks the first time the event was held outside of Indianapolis. More than 100 business leaders, elected officials and economic development professionals from across Indiana gathered to hear from 10 national site selectors. IEDA gave the region a national audience and brought many people from around Indiana to French Lick for the first time.

9. Jackson County REMC invests in rural fiber to the Home

In 2017 Jackson County REMC began forming a subsidiary called “Jackson Connect” to bring fiber-optic broadband internet service to its rural customers including many in the Radiu region. The organization invested $5.5 million into the project, and is expected to surpass $60 million by completion. The project will take at least five years to complete, but once done it will not only provide high-speed broadband internet services, but will also enhance the efficiency and communications to the electric cooperative’s existing smart grid equipment to areas in the Radius region.

8. German American announces location of new Operations Center in Jasper

 

German American Bank opened a new $6 million operations center in Jasper, which can accommodate 150 employees and solidifies German American’s precedence as a banking leader in the region. German American, a publicly-traded corporation on the NASDAQ, employs over 600 people, with 257 located in Dubois County.

7.   Farbest Foods invests more than $20 million in Huntingburg

Farbest Foods invested $21.7 million to modernize part of its plant in Huntingburg. Of the investment, $13.5 million went to building renovations, $5.5 million for equipment and $2.7 million in transportation equipment. The improvements will help the company stay competitive in the turkey industry. Farbest employs over 1,300 people, and is the fourth largest turkey processing company in the country–1,200 of those employees are from Indiana, with many residing in Dubois County.

6. M & C Tech Indiana locates in Washington, becoming the first regional Japanese investment

M & C Tech invested $4.6 million into a 40,000 square foot building and added 35 new jobs with more come to the Radius region. This was the first investment by a Japanese company in Daviess County and the Radius region, and comes on the heels of the construction of I-69. Indiana has the largest amount of Japanese investment per capita among all U.S. states and is the only state that is home to three Japanese automotive assembly plants. More than 260 Japanese business facilities operate across Indiana, providing more than 53,000 Hoosier jobs.

5. LPGA Senior Championship chooses French Lick for five-year contract tour

Last year, French Lick Resort hosted the first-ever LPGA Senior Championship and the second annual tournament will be held at the Pete Dye Course this October. The tournament is broadcast on the Golf Channel, and is expected to bring millions in tourism spending into the region and thousands of spectators in for the tour during the coming years.

4. French Lick Resort kicks of first year of the $20 million expansion at the Event Center

French Lick Resort completed the first phase of its $20 million expansion of the Event Center adding 58,000 square feet. The renovation adds to the existing 101,000 square feet of meeting space, which includes a 22,000 square foot adjustable ballroom. Now with a total of 163,000 square feet for meeting and event space, the resort contains the largest privately owned meeting space in the state  of Indiana and is positioned to be a destination of choice for state, regional and national conventions.

3. BrightVolt moves into the Battery Innovation Center

BrightVolt, a leader in battery and energy storage technology, received $500,000 in matching funds from the Radius Regional Impact Fund to move to an Indiana location at the Battery Innovation Center within Westgate@Crane Technology Park. This move allows BrightVolt to create new lab space, job positions, and battery prototype manufacturing for its design, development, and manufacturing of safe, thin and flexible batteries.

2. Orange County Economic Development Partnership sells Paoli LLC building to Jasper Seating

Jasper Group’s investment keeps furniture manufacturing and jobs alive in the region and will allow the company to expand its operations. Jasper Group has multiple facilities in Southern Indiana including five in Dubois County, and now three in Orange County with the addition of the 1.2 million-square-foot Orleans facility. Jasper will retain the remaining Paoli LLC production employees and could add more jobs as it ramps up operations in 2018.

1. Purdue Arrives at WestGate@Crane Technology Park

Purdue University and the Purdue Research Foundation joined forces with Westgate and Crane to further education, research & development, and technology commercialization across Indiana with the establishment of Purdue@WestGate. As part of the agreement, Purdue will provide educational opportunities from the Krannert School of Management and Purdue Polytechnic Institute; startup creation assistance from Purdue Foundry; increased tech transfer support from Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization; and company incubation space and amenities from WestGate@Crane Technology Park and Purdue Research Park. This is a monumental development for WestGate, bringing new jobs and multiple opportunities for new investment in the region.

With so many great projects, a list of “Honorable Mentions” was also created. While these narrowly missed making the Top 10, they each represent important projects, events and investment in the region. This list includes:

-First Radius Economic Development Course at French Lick

-First Purdue Foundry Firestarter Group launched, taking entrepreneurs from concept to business

-SERVUS! Announces new corporate headquarters in Jasper

-ProMark Grand Opening in Linton

-Duke Energy selects Crawford County I-64 Industrial Park for McCallum-Sweeney site certification

-Radius Community SWOT analysis for Crane

-Alion expansion at WestGate@Crane Technology Park

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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. (Feb. 28, 2018) – Radius Indiana held its annual stakeholders luncheon
on Tuesday at the French Lick Resort where nearly 150 attendees gathered to learn
about the organization’s events planned for 2018. Radius also presented, for the
first time, the Radius Top 10 Economic Development Projects of the past year.

Gerry Dick of Inside INdiana Business joined the presentation to reveal the 2017
Top 10 list, which counted down projects from across the region and finished with
the No. 1—Purdue arriving at WestGate@Crane Technology Park. Purdue@Westgate is
working to further education, R&D, and technology commercialization opportunities
across the region.

Greg Deason, senior vice president of Purdue Research Foundation and director of
innovation and entrepreneurship at the Purdue Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship,
was on hand to give an update on Purdue@WestGate and to thank the Radius stakeholders
for voting them the top project.

“It is a great honor to see the Purdue@WestGate project receive top recognition
by the Radius stakeholders. Purdue wants to create impact in the eight Radius counties
and the project is already seeing great results and opportunities as we provide
training and programs aimed at helping innovators and entrepreneurs take their ‘Ideas
to Impact.’ We are looking forward to Purdue’s continued efforts in the region to
build a more vibrant innovation and entrepreneurial culture and to see that lead
to happier, healthier and longer lives for Hoosiers as well as great new job opportunities,”
said Deason.

The Top 10 Economic Development Projects of 2017 were chosen by regional stakeholders
through online voting prior to the meeting. Projects included new investment and
expansion at the French Lick Resort, M&C Tech locating in Washington as the first
Japanese manufacturer in the region, and a new tech company, BrightVolt, moving
into the Battery Innovation Center. Visit RadiusIndiana.com to view the complete list.

The meeting also featured Radius Indiana Board of Directors’ Chair Becky Skillman
who thanked stakeholders for their continued support of Radius and introduced Michael
Dora, Indiana State Director of the USDA. Dora spoke about ongoing projects in the
department, and spread his optimism about Radius’s recent acceptance into the USDA’s
Intermediary Lending Program, which will allow it to provide low interest loans
for regional infrastructure and economic development projects.

Jeff Quyle, Radius Indiana president and CEO, addressed the group to share successes
from the year, from economic development education efforts to site selector outreach.
Quyle also announced new initiatives for Radius in 2018. Radius will take its first
international outreach trip to Japan this fall to meet with potential investors
and companies looking to expand in the U.S. to educate them about the Radius region.
The organization is also kicking off a regional tourism branding effort to create
an identity for southern Indiana as a recreation destination.

Finally, Quyle announced that Radius will undertake a strategic planning effort
this year to define priorities for the group moving forward. To kickoff the process,
stakeholders participated in live polling to share their insights on efforts such
as developing a network of co-working spaces, collaboration with other regional
groups, and the Radius activities that affect their communities.

“Our annual meeting saw record attendance this year and I want to thank all of our
stakeholders for their continued interest and engagement as we work to grow economic
development opportunities for the region,” said Quyle. “From celebrating the Top
10 projects of 2017 to seeing the support for new initiatives planned for 2018,
the entire program was a true testament to how working together as a region can
move us forward and put our eight counties on the map for new investment.”

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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. (Feb. 23, 2018) — Radius Indiana and South Central Indiana Economic
Development partnered to promote their respective Indiana regions as co-hosts of
an event for site selectors from Columbus, Ohio business advisory firms last week.

This is the second joint-regional event for Radius and SCIED, and builds off the
success of the organizations’ co-hosted site selector luncheon held in Louisville
in 2017.

The session is part of Radius Indiana’s 2018 outreach program to raise awareness
about the business strengths and opportunities in the region. This program continues
to grow after launching in 2016 and marks the first outreach trip of the new year.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation joined Radius and SCIED on the trip
to help showcase the benefits of doing business in the state and the regions, as
well as available sites, demographics and the quality of the workforce that powers
existing businesses.

“The trip to Columbus was a great opportunity to talk to industry consultants about
our communities,” said Shance Sizemore, CEO of the Bedford Chamber and Lawrence
County Economic Growth Council. “Additionally, having the opportunity to have in-depth
conversations about industry trends allows our region to get outside perspective
on our respective communities.”

Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle highlighted the Radius region’s assets,
its logistical advantages, interstate connectivity, and economic activity for the
Group.

“Radius’s outreach program has given us great opportunities to raise awareness about
the Radius region since we began, and in 2018 we expect to connect with many more
site selectors,” said Quyle. “By partnering with SCIED we are able to reduce costs
while boosting the exposure for both of our neighboring regions. On this trip, we
were able to meet with officials from a major corporation with operations in Indiana
and share the benefits of the region–this keeps us top of mind for expansions and
new operations.”

Radius Indiana will partner with the IEDC and Local Economic Development Organizations
from the region’s respective counties for future visits in Indiana and other states
across the country. Ensuring that decision makers know about the area’s offerings
is a primary focus for Radius Indiana, the regional partnership representing Crawford,
Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington Counties.

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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.