Indianapolis Region Economic Development Blog

Business Facilities magazine released the results of its annual Rankings Report and Indianapolis earned two spots in the Metro Cities Rankings Report.

Indianapolis ranked #7 in the "Top 10 Metro Cities for Economic Growth Potential" and ranked #8 in the "Top 10 Metro Cities with the Best Cost of Living."

Top 10 Metro Cities for Economic Growth Potential:

1. CHATTANOOGA, TN
2. ALBUQUERQUE, NM
3. SAN ANTONIO, TX
4. CHARLESTON, SC
5. CHARLOTTE, NC
6. TUCSON, AZ
7. INDIANAPOLIS, IN
8. KANSAS CITY, MO
9. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
10. LOUISVILLE, KY

Top 10 Metro Cities with the Best Cost of Living:

1. TULSA, OK
2. MEMPHIS, TN
3. MCCALLEN-MISSION, TX
4. LITTLE ROCK, AR
5. NASHVILLE, TN
6. TOPEKA, KS
7. LOUISVILLE, KY
8. INDIANAPOLIS, IN
9. CHATTANOOGA, TN
10. KNOXVILLE, TN

Executive Outlook magazine’s summer 2010 issue ranked Indianapolis #4 in its feature on the “Top 25 Cities in the Country for Business”.

In order to identify the 25 top cities, the magazine cross-referenced current population growth, small business owner/franchise satisfaction rates, cost of living, median household income, and corporate tax burden and unemployment rates for the 52 largest markets in the U.S.

Many of the cities that ranked well, the magazine stated, rely on a fundamentally strong industry, while others remain strong due to a low cost of living.

When it came to Indianapolis, Executive Outlook credited the city as having one of the most skilled workforces in the country with a higher than average worker productivity rate.

Other supporting factors that earned Indianapolis the #4 position included:

• Indianapolis is supported by a diversified economic base
• Indianapolis-based corporations include Simon Property Group, Anthem Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Duke Realty Corp., Hunt Construction Group and National Wine & Spirits.
• Indianapolis’ sporting events and business pack are a powerful punch to the Midwest City
• Indianapolis is situated in the agricultural region known as the “corn belt”

Top 10 Cities ranked from Executive Outlook's Top 25:

1. Dallas/Fort Worth
2. Houston
3. San Antonio
4. Indianapolis
5. Phoenix
6. Austin
7. Denver
8. Atlanta
9. Oklahoma City
10. Salt Lake City

Indianapolis has been named a leader among the country's exporting elite, according to a study by the Brookings Institution.

The Brookings Institution’s recently released study ranks the nation’s 100 largest metro areas on exports in 2008, and between 2003 and 2008.

The Indianapolis area ranks 20th in the value of exports produced in 2008 and ninth in the share of the local economy that came from exports, according to the report.

"To have that much of your (Gross Metropolitan Product) going abroad means that Indianapolis is in the export business," said Jennifer Bradley, co-director of the Brookings Institution's Great Lakes Economic Initiative. "Indianapolis is in the global economy."

Key findings from the study:

• An estimated 85,159 jobs in the Indianapolis area were supported by exports in 2008
• Nearly one in 10 jobs in the Indianapolis area rely on exports
• Currently, the U.S. imports more than it exports
• U.S. metro areas are leading the nation in export production
• Indianapolis' largest export industry is chemicals, which includes pharmaceuticals produced by Eli Lilly and Co.

Indianapolis’ major export industries:

• Chemical Manufacturing
• Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
• Machinery Manufacturing
• Royalties from Intellectual Property
• Medical Equipment
• Sporting Goods
• Jewelry
• Misc. Manufacturing

How Indianapolis compares to its surrounding cities:

Indianapolis
Annual Exports: $12.8 billion (Rank 20)
Exports as Share of GMP: 15.2% (Rank 9)

Chicago
Annual Exports: $52.9 billion (Rank 3)
Exports as Share of GMP: 10.9% (Rank 45)

Louisville
Annual Exports: $6.7 billion (Rank 44)
Exports as Share of GMP: 12.6% (Rank 27)

Cincinnati
Annual Exports: $11.8 billion (Rank 22)
Exports as Share of GMP: 12.9% (Rank 24)

St. Louis
Annual Exports: $14.6 billion (Rank 18)
Exports as Share of GMP: 12.1 % (Rank 35)

Detroit
Annual Exports: $26.9 billion (Rank 9)
Exports as Share of GMP: 14.7% (Rank 12)

Indianapolis' Export Profile Report

Read the Indy Star's article on this report
 

Robotics is growing rapidly as it has become a $20 billion global industry with nearly 9 million robots in use today worldwide. In fact, the world robot population has nearly doubled within the past four years, according to the International Federation of Robotics. As robots begin to make their mark around the world, PrecisePath Robotics’ President and COO, Jason Zeilke, believes Indiana’s resources are an opportunity and reason for the industry to make its mark in the state.

Zeilke believes that robotics is a practical tool that has the potential to increase productivity in businesses as well as allow humans to be more creative and innovative with robots doing menial tasks. With that in mind, Zeilke recently introduced PrecisePath's new automated mowing equipment initially tageted for golf courses but with potential applications ranging from construction and landscaping to painting and snow removal.

"While Indiana's robotics industry is far from established, we do several key competitive advantages that will enable this booming field to become an important pillar of our growing technology sector," he said.

Reasons why Indiana has a future with the robotics industry:

• Indiana has a growing information technology and software engineering sector
• Home to world-class engineering and computer science programs like Purdue, Rose-Hulman, Notre Dame and Indiana University
• Indiana’s solid manufacturing heritage
• Close proximity to natural customer base
• Advanced manufacturing firms are more aggressively incorporating robotic systems into their industry to improve productivity; more than one million robots currently at work in manufacturing facilities worldwide.
• Indiana is the most manufacturing-intensive state in nation by per capita income and economic output
• Indiana ranks among leaders in medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing, where high-tech automation is necessary to meet industry standards.
• Growing defense and homeland security sector with a need for specialized robot applications

Read Jason Zeilke’s full article on Robotics in Indiana at Inside INdiana Business

Indianapolis’ Herron High School has reason to celebrate as it was named the 26^th best high school in the nation in a recent list from Newsweek magazine. The charter school located just north of downtown earned the recognition by challenging the majority of its students with college-preparatory Advanced Placement exams, designed to test entry-level college skills.

Newsweek reviewed the Advancement Placement exam participation throughout the nation’s public high schools to indicate how challenging each school is for its’ students. The challenge index was then determined as the ratio of number of AP tests given to number of graduating seniors. Newsweek honored those schools whose index was a 1.00 and above, with Herron’s index at 6.05.

But Herron is not the only recognized school in Indianapolis to make the list, as 14 out of the 28 Indiana schools listed as one of “America’s Best High Schools” are from the Indianapolis region.

Ron Gifford, President of Indy Partnership, said, “It is always nice and encouraging to see our Indianapolis schools being recognized on national lists, though no list will be able to show the big picture of the successes of all our Indianapolis schools.”

The state of Indiana also excells in higher education as it has many nationally recognized colleges and universities and more than 26 university and college campuses in the state.

• #11 School of Business – Indiana University
• #9 School of Engineering – Purdue University
• #4 Master’s of Business in Midwest – Butler University
• #1 School of Engineering – Rose Hulman Institute

The 14 Indianapolis schools ranked in Newsweek’s “America’s Best High Schools” list include:

No. 26: Herron.
No. 511: North Central.
No. 574: Zionsville.
No. 695: Carmel.
No. 1,099: Fishers.
No. 1,114: Hamilton Southeastern.
No. 1,276: Lawrence Central.
No. 1,289: Brownsburg.
No. 1,412: Pendleton Heights.
No. 1,451: Mount Vernon.
No. 1,476: Alexandria-Monroe.
No. 1,567: Center Grove.
No. 1,575: Southport.
No. 1,601: New Palestine.

The 2010 Manufacturing and Logistics Report Card from Conexus Indiana reported many positive findings for the state of Indiana. The report, compiled by Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research, shows Indiana remains the strongest state when it comes to making and moving goods.

More key findings from the 2010 Indiana Manufacturing and Logistics Report Card:

• The Report Card predicts a robust economic rebound next year for Indiana’s major manufacturing cities, foreseeing a 7.3 percent growth in manufacturing income for Indiana.
• Indiana shows a sharp manufacturing recovery during the second half of 2010 and 2011. The state’s total manufacturing compensation is projected to grow by nearly $2.5 billion during this period, after falling or staying flat since mid-2007.
• Indiana ranks first in per capita income derived from foreign-owned manufacturing operations and fifth in reach of foreign direct investment (the number of countries from which the state attracts foreign investment).

 Indiana’s Top Grades:

• ‘A’ in Manufacturing; ranking first among states in share of its economy focused on manufacturing
• ‘A’ ranking Top 5 in Global Position (geography)
• ‘A’ ranking Top 5 in Tax Climate
• ‘B+’ in Logistics; ranking among the Top 10 in per capita logistics employment

Inside INdiana Business' article on the report

The flurry of activity during the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race weekend included nearly 100 U.S. and Chinese auto executives and government officials coming together for the first U.S.-China Advanced Technology Vehicle Summit in downtown Indianapolis.

The event was produced by the Energy Systems Network (ESN), an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and a sister organization in Indiana economic development to Indy Partnership. ESN is focused on the development of the energy technology or “clean-tech” sector.

The weekend concluded with many signed deals, promising future partnerships and more business opportunities for Hoosier automotive companies.

Indiana participants in the Summit included:

• Allison Transmission
• Cummins
• Delphi
• EnerDel
• Remy International

The Indianapolis region is home to nearly 2,000 Indiana information technology firms, and IT executives predict that number to rise with the completion of another new state-of-the-art data center being built by LightBound on the west side of the city of Indianapolis.

President Jack Carr of LightBound said the new data center will be an asset to Indiana site selection and has the potential to bring more software service providers and even other leading IT targeted companies such as ExactTarget to the Indianapolis Region.

ExactTarget, a fast growing IT company with roots in e-mail marketing, will be a major tenant in the new data center. ExactTarget COO Scott McCorkle said the new facility was a critical aspect of ExactTarget choosing to expand and invest in Indiana and the Indianapolis Region.

PHOTO CAPTION: The new LightBound data center, located on the west side of Indianapolis at 650 West Henry Street.

This 47,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art data center is tornado proof; has the latest power, cooling and communications technologies; and is a Tier IV facility, meaning it guarantees 99.995 percent availability and is designed to host mission-critical computer systems. When it comes to data centers, there are different types or levels, and each is classified in terms of tiers being either a I, II, III or IV Tier. The higher the tier, the higher the accessibility.

Indiana and Indianapolis region IT executives are eager and excited for this new data center to further stimulate the growth of Indiana information technology. this excitement was captured in a recent press release from TechPoint, an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and a sister organization in technology-related Indiana economic development to Indy Partnership:

Despite last year being the worst year in more than a decade (since 1997, to be exact) for venture capital nationally, investors are betting on Indiana’s high-tech entrepreneurs, with Indiana growing in total revenue investment by nearly 70 percent over 2008, which surpassed 2007 by 40 percent, according to the PricewaterhouseCoopers National Venture Capital Association Money Tree Report.

“The latest Cyberstates report from the TechAmerica Foundation shows that the state added tech jobs during the downturn, even as the rest of the private sector was making cuts,” said Jim Jay, president and CEO of TechPoint. “When the rest of the economy starts catching up, Hoosier high-tech companies will be leading the way.”

Read the INside Indiana Business Article and learn more about Indiana information technology.

The U.S.-China Advanced Technology Vehicle Summit event is being produced by the Energy Systems Network (ESN), an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and a sister organization in Indiana economic development to Indy Partnership. ESN is focused on the development of the energy technology or “clean-tech” sector.

ESN distributed the following press release on the event:

First U.S.-China Summit on hybrid and electric vehicles set for Indianapolis

Summit hosted by Energy Systems Network offers “unprecedented” opportunity for Indiana companies in global vehicle manufacturing market

(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., May 24, 2010) Executives from Energy Systems Network joined Governor Mitch Daniels and officials from the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China (Chicago) to announce that Indianapolis will host the first U.S.-China Advanced Technology Vehicle Summit Thursday and Friday (May 27-28).

The Summit will bring together a delegation of Chinese automakers and Indiana manufacturers of components for hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles to share information and explore potential business relationships that could result in new opportunities for Hoosier firms and future foreign investment in the state. The event is hosted by the Energy Systems Network, a non-profit organization focused on growth and commercialization within the clean technologies and energy sectors.

China represents the world’s fastest-growing market for electric vehicles, projected to grow its global market share from less than 3% this year to 35% in 2020; all of the nation’s major state-owned and joint venture auto manufacturers as well as most privately-held companies are producing or have announced plans for hybrid and electric models.

“Last year, we took Indiana’s story to China for the first time.  Now, we’ll welcome our colleagues from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and representatives from some of the country’s major automakers to Indiana for the first time.  Hoosier firms developing technologies and components for electric vehicles will have an unprecedented business development opportunity to discuss potential partnerships and joint ventures,” said Governor Daniels.

The delegation will be led by Mr. Wang Chao, Assistant Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic and include nearly 100 Chinese government officials and automotive executives.  More than 15 Chinese auto companies will be represented at the Summit including:  FAW Group Corporation, Dongfeng, Chery, BYD, Geely, Guangzhou Automobile Group, Wanxiang Group and others, along with the Chamber of Commerce for Manufacturing Equipment and Electronics, and the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

“This is the largest delegation of Chinese automotive company executives and officials to travel to the United States for a historic visit with American automotive parts manufacturers,” noted Assistant Minister of Commerce Wang Chao. “We are confident the visit will result in stronger business relationships between the Chinese and American automotive companies, especially for hybrid and electric vehicles.”

U.S. participants include Indiana manufacturers Cummins, Delphi, Allison Transmission, EnerDel, and Remy. These companies represent a growing cluster of firms producing advanced batteries, engines, motors, transmissions and electronics for hybrid and electric vehicles; Hoosier manufacturers collectively attracted more than $400 million in vehicle electrification stimulus grants in 2009.

“To truly capitalize on the global market for vehicles, component manufacturers have to look beyond the U.S.,” added Joe Loughrey, Chairman of the Energy Systems Network and retired Vice-Chairman of Cummins.

“Many of ESN's member companies already do business in China,” Loughrey continued. “We hope this Summit helps advance those relationships and set the stage for new ones that together result in Hoosier companies supplying more components to Chinese companies, creating great jobs in Indiana."

Daniels will speak at a delegation welcome dinner on Thursday evening at the Eiteljorg Museum, and the U.S.-China Advanced Technology Vehicle Summit will be held at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday.

Details on media availability during the Summit and specific lists of participants will be released as they become available.

About Energy Systems Network: The Energy Systems Network (ESN) an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership. It is a non-profit industry-driven economic organization focused on the development of the energy technology “cleantech” sector. ESN provides project development and coordination for joint ventures and cooperative partnerships between network members to bring new energy technologies to market.  ESN partners include a wide range of Fortune 500 firms, emerging technology companies, and research and educational institutions with expertise in advanced technology vehicles, distributed power generation, advanced biofuels, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

The Indianapolis region is becoming more bicycle friendly as the city plans to add an additional 30 miles of on-street bike lanes over the next two years.

A recent Indianapolis Star newspaper article reported that the city is planning on restriping and widening several streets throughout Indianapolis to add bike lanes.

Streets being restriped to accommodate bicyclists include:
 

• 13-mile stretch of Lafayette Road to Downtown area
• All of Lafayette Road
• Most of Allisonville Road inside of I-465
• Capital Avenue and Illinois Street from Downtown to Westfield Boulevard
• Portions of East Street and Southeastern Avenue
• Stretch of Broad Ripple Avenue between the Monon Trail and Keystone Avenue.

The Indianapolis region has many other accommodations for cyclists, such as the bicycle and pedestrian only Monon Trail and the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

The Monon Trail, which extends 16.7 miles from the town of Westfield just north of Indianapolis to Downtown Indianapolis has been serving the region since 1999. The Monon Trail serves an estimated 4,000 people a day.

Indianapolis is also in the process of finishing the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, an 8-mile biking and pedestrian trail designed to run throughout the downtown Indianapolis area. The trail is scheduled to be completed in early 2012, just in time for the city to host Super Bowl XLVI.

The Cultural Trail will connect to the Monon, as well as connect to the five cultural districts of Downtown:
 

• Massachusetts Avenue
• Fountain Square
• Indiana Avenue
• Canal and White River State Park
• Wholesale District

The trail is estimated to generate a total economic benefit of $800 million as well as create over 10,000 jobs through its construction, private-sector investment along the trail and an expansion of tourism.

Indianapolis is reported to be part of the “New Heartland” of the country, according to a recent report by Brookings Institution that studied the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas based on their growth, diversity and education.

In the report, Indianapolis is compared with cities such as: Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Portland, Ore.; and Richmond, Va., which are all reported as “New Heartland” cities as well.

But what is meant by “New Heartland?” New Heartland is one of the seven categories that the Brookings Institute divided the 100 metro areas into based on demographical data obtained from the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey. New Heartland cities are fast-growing, high-education areas, but have lower shares of Hispanic and Asian populations than the national average.
 

Indianapolis was reported as being characterized by its high growth, and high education, and according to the study, was one of the fastest growing areas in the Midwest between 2000 and 2008.
 

How Indianapolis compares with other "New Heartland" cities:

Population:

Indianapolis: 1,715,459
Atlanta: 5,376,285

Charlotte, N.C.: 1,701,799
Kansas City, Mo.: 2,002,047
Portland, Ore.: 2,207,462
Richmond, Va.: 1,225,626
 

Increase in population between 2000 and 2008:

Indianapolis: 12 percent

Atlanta: 25.6 percent

Charlotte, N.C.: 27 percent
Kansas City, Mo.: 8.6 percent
Portland, Ore.: 14 percent
Richmond, Va.: 11.4 percent

Diversity – Nonwhite population:

National average: 35 percent

Indianapolis: 23 percent

Atlanta: 46.8 percent

Charlotte, N.C.: 36.3 percent
Kansas City, Mo.: 23.4 percent
Portland, Ore.: 22.2 percent
Richmond, Va.: 38.1 percent

Higher education – Adult population (25+) with a bachelor’s degree:

Indianapolis: 32 percent

Atlanta: 34.6 percent

Charlotte, N.C.: 32 percent
Kansas City, Mo.: 31.9 percent
Portland, Ore.: 33.3 percent
Richmond, Va.: 30.6 percent

Median household income:

Indianapolis: $54,587

Atlanta: $60,928

Charlotte, N.C.: $55,394
Kansas City, Mo.: $56,762
Portland, Ore.: $59,044
Richmond, Va.: $58,980

David Wu, policy director for Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, said in an article from the Indianapolis Star, “I think population growth is always a good sign that you’re doing something right, that people want to come there.”

The Urbanophile, Aaron Renn, an opinion-leading urban affairs analyst, communicated the same idea in his keynote address at the Indy Partnership annual meeting in April. He reported that Indianapolis is number one in population growth—by a lot, compared to its Midwest peers. In fact, Indianapolis is actually growing 50% faster than the national average.

Here is a brief excerpt from Renn's keynote speech:
 

"But more telling than population growth is a statistic called net migration. This is just what it sounds like. It’s the number of people who moved in minus the number of people who moved out. If you think about it, this is really the ultimate verdict on a city. It’s people voting with their feet about where they want to live. So let’s take a look. Indianapolis is number one again. I’m beginning to notice at trend already. A net of almost 65,000 people moved to Indianapolis in the first eight years of the last decade. That’s the equivalent of the entire population of [suburb] Fishers packing up from where ever they are and moving to Indy. It’s more than twice as many as the next nearest city on the list. And as you can see, the Midwest is a place most people want to move away from, but not here, not this city. Indianapolis is a place where people want to be, to plant their flag, seek their fortune, and build a better future for themselves and their families."

The Indianapolis Star article on this study

European Trade Mission
Day 2 - Hannover Messe
 
With all of the passport drama of the previous day behind me, I started the morning out refreshed and energized ... and boy was I going to need a lot of energy!  My morning started with a breakfast meeting at 8:30 a.m. followed by a hectic schedule of back-to-back meetings at the trade show. 

Let me just state for the record, this is not your average trade show.  Hannover Messe is the single largest industrial trade fair in the world with over 4,000 exhibitors.  I know that may sound big, but you really can’t appreciate just how big it is unless you see it.  Literally, we’re talking about 27 halls of exhibitors -- and all of the “halls” are large buildings. 

So the Hannover complex is set up for 27 large buildings, all full of exhibitors -- some of which have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their state-of-the-art exhibits, not to mention the cost of shipping their equipment in for demonstrations.  The show is so big, that they have three different shuttle lines taking people around the show from hall to hall.  If you have one meeting in "Hall 3" and then your next meeting is in "Hall 20," it could literally take you a good 20 minutes to get from place to place on foot.  I learned first-hand today just how important those shuttle are!  It is truly impressive -- and this is coming from someone who has seen a lot of trade shows. 

I was so glad that we had strategically secured pre-arranged meetings with exhibitors and other companies and that we had a set agenda for my time at this trade show.  Otherwise, it would have been very easy to get lost in the sheer size of the show and become overwhelmed. 

I had meetings with eight companies today and two consulting firms.  I met with companies across the advanced manufacturing spectrum from a die casting company for the wind industry to a power capacitor manufacturer to a specialty, precision components manufacturer.   Before I knew it, it was already 6 p.m.!  The day just flew by.  All of my meetings were really good.  All eight companies will be good future prospects, and I would classify three of them as “warm” leads.  These are companies that are actively pursuing plans to establish a presence in the U.S. market, and that would be a good fit for the Indianapolis region. 

Today was certainly a great day!  It was a business development professional’s dream -- a target-rich environment with little to no competition.  Clearly, the volcano had an impact on the attendance at the show. 

As unhappy as I was that some of my Indiana colleagues were unable to join, I realized that this was also the fate of our competitors from other states and regions in the U.S.  In every meeting that I had, people were amazed that I had made it from the U.S and they were excited that I (an American) had made the journey!  This told me that 1.) Americans were scarce at the show and 2.) that I was probably one of the few U.S. economic development representatives in attendance with the exception of states or regions that are represented with foreign offices in Europe.  In fact, despite some of our cancellations, I believe Indiana was well represented because the State’s European office (contracted through IEDC) had scheduled meetings beginning Monday, through this afternoon and had advised me on other contacts I should follow up with later in the week.  Working in collaboration with IEDC, I think we will definitely cover a lot of ground at this show. 

I am looking forward to tomorrow and another full day of scheduled meetings!

Also, just for fun, I thought I would share a video I found on YouTube from a company with a presence in the Indianapolis region that is the single largest exhibitor at Hannover Messe.

European Trade Mission Mission
Day 1 - Arrival (Tuesday April 20th)
 
Hats off to the Dutch!
 
By now you may be aware that I was the only lucky Hoosier to be on the only flight leaving from the US to Amsterdam on Monday evening (as scheduled).  To top it all off, just before I boarded the plane in New York, I was notified by a Delta representative that they had given me a last minute seat change on the plane.  At first, I was a little annoyed because I had booked an exit row seat in coach, and anyone who has traveled internationally understands just how difficult it can be to secure an exit row seat with extra leg-room.  Of course, my annoyance completely evaporated when she told me that I would now be seated in FIRST CLASS.  Seriously!  What are the chances!?!?  If there are any Seinfeld fans out there, this was like "Elaine's bizarro world."  I had entered bizarro world!!!
 
So I arrived in Amsterdam around 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning feeling rested and completely invincible.  My luck couldn't run out, right?  I was so excited about what the next few days would bring -- considering my recent windfall of good fortune.  What would be next?  Maybe I would meet with a company considering immediate plans for expansion in the U.S.!  Maybe that company would be considering the Midwest!  Even better, maybe that company would be considering Indiana, in particular!  These were the "sugar plums" dancing around in my head!  Hey, don’t laugh -- I was in bizarro world!  Anything can happen in bizarro world.

Ahhh, but you may recall in the Seinfeld episode, your time in bizarro world is brief.  Remember how reality eventually came crashing down on Elaine?  So was my fate as well. 

Indeed, it was clear I had left bizarro world when the immigration officer at Schipol airport took one look at my passport and informed me that I could not enter the country without a valid passport.  To my horror, after taking a good look at my passport, I realized I had inadvertently picked up my old passport with my maiden name.  My current, valid, passport with my married name was safely stored away in my safe at home where I keep all important documents.  (As a side note, my husband has been evaluating our insurance policies and had been shuffling around in our safe a few days earlier -- which had to be why this old passport was on the top of the stack.  So you see, clearly this was my husband’s fault!).  Miraculously enough, I was able to get through JFK airport with an invalid passport that didn’t even match the name on my boarding pass.  Of course at that time, I was still technically in bizarro world where anything can happen. 

I couldn’t believe it!  I had come so far, conquering a volcano for goodness sake!  Now, I might be forced on a plane back to the US because I don’t have a valid passport.  I was the “last hope” for my Indiana colleagues who had all watched their flights get canceled one after another!  How could it end this way!?!?  Naturally, I began to feel sick.  How could an expert traveler like me let something like this happen? 

After valiantly pleading my case and explaining my dire situation (all the while holding up the line of other happy passengers who had their passports), the nice immigration officer kindly asked me to step out of line and report to the immigration services office.  “I am so sorry for you and I understand, but this is not a decision for me to make,” she said.  “You will have to ask my superior what we will do about this.”  I was devastated!  Not only was I letting everyone down by having to cancel all of our meetings after all, but I was also fearful that I might have to wait days for a returning flight to the U.S. under the circumstances.

The Dutch immigration officers were all very kind and extremely professional.  After hearing my very, sad story, they contacted a U.S. officer working at Schipol to provide guidance on the situation.  Sure enough, about 15 minutes later, I met Richard, (my saving grace/guardian angel) the U.S. immigration representative they had called to my rescue.  Richard made a few phone calls and was able to verify that I was, in fact, a U.S. Citizen by pulling up my current passport on his blackberry.  Then he made an impassioned request to our Dutch friends in the immigration office to consider granting me a temporary approval to enter the country so that I could apply for an emergency passport at the American Consulate’s office located in downtown Amsterdam.  They certainly did not have to help me.  In fact, there was about 90 minutes-worth of paperwork they had to prepare in order to grant me approval to enter the country.  They also had to prioritize my case so that I could make it to the Consulate’s office before they closed at 11:30 AM.    Otherwise, I would have had to stay in the Netherlands overnight and try again the next morning (which would have required me to cancel all of my appointments arranged on Wednesday in Hannover).  I was a truly touched by their willingness to help me.  Maybe I’m being nostalgic or a bit dramatic, but I got the sense they were all rooting for me in some way.  Certainly, they could have been doing it just to get me out of their hair, but it sure seemed like they really cared. 

Regardless of motive, the Dutch immigration staff all worked very diligently to process my paperwork and I was able to make it the U.S. Consulate’s office by 11:28 AM.  The staff there was phenomenal as well and they went above and beyond to get me processed.  Normally, you would have to make an appointment to apply for an emergency passport.  However, after explaining my situation and my business obligations, they made an exception for me and went ahead and processed my application immediately so that I would have time to get to Hannover and make my meetings the next day.  I was finally issued a valid, temporary passport at 3:00 PM -- just enough time to buy a train ticket and catch the next train from Amsterdam to Hannover, Germany.

I arrived in Hannover by train at approximately 9:30 PM.  What an adventure!  I will forever feel indebted to the fine people of Holland!  My hat is off to the Dutch.  We as Hoosiers are known for our hospitality.  However, I think the Dutch might just be giving us a run for our money!!! 

OF NOTE: Aaron Renn, The Urbanophile, will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Indy Partnership Annual Meeting. The event will be held on March 23 at the Toby Theatre at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and is open to the public. For more information, visit www.indypartnership.com or contact Oren Cooley at ocooley@indypartnership.com.

PHOTO CAPTION: A view from the Washington Street bridge shows the NCAA headquarters, NCAA Hall of Champions, and the nearly complete JW Marriott hotel, which stands 34 stories tall next to the newly expanded Indiana Convention Center. The Indianapolis JW Marriott will boast the largest ballroom in the chain -- fitting for the largest JW Marriott in the world.

No one living anywhere near Indianapolis could imagine the nation's 14th largest city without White River State Park -- home to the Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens; Indiana State Museum and IMAX Theater; Eiteljorg Museum of Native American art, history and culture; NCAA headquarters and the NCAA Hall of Champions; Victory Field and the Indianapolis Indians Triple-A baseball team; The Lawn outdoor concert venue; and the Central Canal waterway.

However, without a plan developed in cooperation with the American Institute of Architects in the 1970s, the west edge of downtown Indianapolis might never have become the laudable quality of life and economic development engine that it is today.

Forty years later, Indianapolis and indeed the Indianapolis Region as a whole is at another major crossroads that will have significant and long-term impact on the people who live in the region, on Indiana site selection and Midwest economic development in general.

This time, the plan takes a comprehensive look at regional public transportation, with a blueprint developed by a task force led by Allan Hubbard, co-founder of locally based acquisition firm E&A Industries and an economic adviser to both Bush administrations. The group also included representatives of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (the nonprofit parent organization of Indy Partnership) and Central Indiana Community Foundation.

This group evaluated transportation investments with an eye towards return on investment, using a rigorous cost-benfit model and focusing on issues like workforce mobility, transit-oriented development and neighborhood redevelopment.  (Read more about the potential economic benefits of the plan here on the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership blog.)

Major enhancements to public transit such as the proposed new in-street light rail, ground-level commuter train, and expanded bus service, bike and pedestrian paths are helpful to the economic development cause. According to an IBM study conducted for Indy Partnership, these types improvements will be viewed by SOME site selection consultants and their clients as a "key project driver," and by ALL consultants and their clients as a positive contributor to the Indianapolis region's business climate, infrastructure and living environment. 

Visit indyconnect.org or read the official press release to learn more about the proposed comprehensive regional transportation plan. Click on the map to view specific proposed routes and transportation modes.

In partnership with fellow Central Indiana Corporate Partnership organization Conexus Indiana, I penned the following column -- now appearing on the Inside Indiana Business website -- highlighting some of the monumental clean-tech energy and Indiana advanced manufacturing success stories coming out of the first 45 days of 2010.

 

About Conexus: Conexus Indiana is the state’s advanced manufacturing and logistics initiative, dedicated to making Indiana a global leader in these high‐growth, high‐tech industries. Conexus is focused on strategic priorities like workforce development, creating new industry partnerships and marketing our competitive advantages.

Here is the column as it appears on insideindianabusiness.com:



2010 Off to a Fast Start in Green Manufacturing Success Stories

What do you get when you combine cutting edge technologies, a legacy of engineering expertise, and a rich manufacturing heritage? A flurry of good news that puts central Indiana in the driver's seat of activity to put more electric vehicles on our highways and make renewable energy a practical reality. And if the rest of the year looks anything like the first few weeks, 2010 will be known as the Year of Clean-Tech here at the Crossroads of America.

Let's run down a few of the highlights:

In Anderson, Ind., Remy International announced a new business unit dedicated solely to the development and manufacturing of electric and hybrid motors. Remy is already the largest U.S. producer of hybrid motors, and last year earned a $60 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of an initiative to fuel development of electric vehicle batteries and components.

The move could spur significant investment and create hundreds of new jobs over the next few years, and appears to already be paying dividends – Remy just announced a major contract to supply Mercedes with hybrid motors.

When it comes to electric vehicles, the "green-tech" juggernaut known as EnerDel continues to produce new jobs and investment in the Indianapolis Region, along with cutting-edge batteries. As the only U.S. manufacturer of the lithium ion batteries that power hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles, EnerDel has tapped the rich reservoir of engineering talent that created General Motors' EV1 and other groundbreaking projects here in the region. EnerDel just announced a major new manufacturing facility in Greenfield, Ind., that will ultimately employ 1,100+ -- thus expanding a footprint in greater Indianapolis that includes its northeast Indy headquarters and a battery pack assembly facility in Noblesville, just north of the city.

Throughout the state, tremendous wins are being registered in attracting clean tech manufacturing. Think North America, an electric car manufacturer, has chosen Elkhart as the site of its first U.S. manufacturing plant, joining Electric Motors Corp and NaviStar as the hub of a growing green vehicle cluster along Indiana's northern border.

Brevini Wind (in Muncie, Ind.) has earned $12.8 million in federal tax credits to manufacture gear boxes and other technologies for its massive wind turbines. Just a few weeks ago, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chu visited Columbus, Ind., to announce $54 million in federal stimulus grants to Cummins to increase engine fuel efficiency.

Like any high-tech, innovation-driven industry, the clean tech sector demands a skilled workforce. Here too, Indiana is making great strides, as the state's Department of Workforce Development recently secured a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to help workers from other manufacturing sectors take advantage of new jobs in the clean tech space.

The Indy Partnership has aggressively pursued companies in the energy innovation and green manufacturing arenas, both here and abroad – including multiple visits to Europe and China. We plan to continue these recruiting efforts in the years to come, and the level of activity so far in January tells us that our hard work is paying off.

Download our Indiana Clean-Tech Energy Industry Report.

Central Indiana has a long-term strategy designed to strengthen our world-class clean tech sector and re-energize our manufacturing base. Our sister initiative, Energy Systems Network, is playing a leading role in making Indiana a center for energy innovation. The success stories that have marked the start of 2010 are early dividends, but we're confident the best is yet to come.

As the economic development arm for the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and the 10-county Indianapolis Region, Indy Partnership will be doing its part to tell this story and maximize our potential in this booming area of cutting-edge clean technology industries. In Indiana, green tech means green jobs; in other states, they're just green with envy at our success.