Would you give $6.25 of your weekly spending to help generate $300 million for the local economy?
Sound like a gimmick, or too good to be true?
Not according to Victoria Wesseler, an Indiana food blogger and founder of Going Local Week. Wesseler says that if half of our Indiana families shifted just $6.25 of their weekly food budget to the purchase of Indiana grown or produced food, they would pump $300 million annually into the Indiana economy.
Some would argue that $300 million is conservative because a dollar spent on local food inevitably turns over a number of times in the community because producers spend their dollars locally as well.
A study on the impact of local food dollars spent in the Seattle area demonstrated that for every $100 spent on local food, the local community benefitted by $200-$500 in economic impact. What that could mean for the Indiana economy then is not $300 million, but $600 million or even $1.5 billion dollars per year. A pretty significant number when you consider the initial investment is just $6.25 a week per family.
So what about you? Will you start going local? Here are some ideas to get you started:
Consider Green B.E.A.N. Delivery (formerly Farm Fresh Delivery), an online home delivery service that provides organic and natural groceries to its members. Or New Day Meadery, a maker of honey wine, or Heartland Distillers, Indiana’s first new distillery since Prohibition. There are multiple Indy-area producers to consider. Who would you recommend?
By Maggie Richmond, Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce
There’s been a lot of talk in the past year about how to jumpstart the economy. Former West Virginia Governor Bob Wise knows the solution that will make the longest-term impact—and it’s one that every person, community advocate or business leader can do something about.
“The best economic stimulus package is a high school diploma.” President, Alliance for Excellent Education
According to a January 2010 study by the Alliance for Excellent Education, approximately 6,700 students in the Indianapolis metropolitan area from the Class of 2008 dropped out of high school. If even half of them had been able to graduate, the yearly impact on our local economy would have been astounding:
- $5 million in increased state and local tax revenue
- $11 million in additional investments
- $30 million in additional spending
- $42 million in increased earnings
The business community does not exist in a vacuum. It relies on a well-educated pool of potential employees to prosper and grow. As our schools produce more high school graduates, more students move on to college—and fewer end up in jail or utilizing social services. Our community will flourish through an educated workforce leading greater individual earning potential. The more income individuals earn means a stronger tax base which builds and stabilizes a stronger infrastructure, public works and social services.
The bottom line: more high school graduates is good business.
Which is exactly why the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with business leaders, community organizations, and educators to help more of our high school students reach graduation.
Common Goal is an educational initiative aimed at increasing the Marion County high school graduation rate to 80 percent by 2012. That would be 2,000 more students graduating every year. In order to make this goal a reality, we are using five interventions: graduation coaches, internships, mentors, and reading and credit recovery programs.
How you can help:
You can mentor. Team up with other mentors to facilitate small groups of high school students. Contact Maggie Richmond, Common Goal Mentor Coordinator, at mrichmond@indylink.com or 464-2270 to learn more.
You can partner. Provide an internship, help us recruit mentors from your staff, or make a contribution that funds a program or intervention. Contact Eric Bedel, Common Goal Director, at ebedel@indylink.com or 464-2271 for more information.
By Sue Scott
Project Director, Logistics
Logistics companies considering Indianapolis as a home base just got another big reason to choose our city—or rather, 10 big reasons!
If a company locates on one of the eight sites at the 205-acre World Connect at AmeriPlex that company will receive a 10-year real property tax abatement from the city.
The incentive is one that city officials are banking on to draw in global logistical leaders. That draw is further enhanced by proximity to the new Indianapolis International Airport, which was recently recognized for its air cargo excellence, having handled one million+ tons in 2009 alone. And I-70. And the world’s second largest FedEx hub. And the opportunity to build a modern, LEED-certified facility that is specifically designed to fit the operations of your business.
While Indy already boasts strong logistics hubs – such as Park 100 and Park Fletcher – World Connect is particularly attractive for companies that would like to construct their own facility.
As Develop Indy’s project director for logistics, I’m excited to see what will transpire at World Connect over the next few years. We will literally be connected to the world in every way.
By Courtney Poulos
Director, International Economic Development
My recent trades missions trip to Paris was “bon pour les affaires,” that is “good for business.”
Representing Develop Indy, and more importantly, our great Capitol City, I traveled to Paris to build and foster business relationships in the defense and aerospace arena. With leaders such as Rolls Royce and Allison Transmission as our foundation, our city and state are very interested in growing this industry.
My visit was centered around Eurosatory, an international defense trade show held every two years. With exhibits and presentations, as well as one-on-one meetings and access to leading think tanks, it was a positive step forward in establishing contacts and determining the types of companies we may be interested in—and who may be interested in us.
While in Europe, I also attended the Renewable Energy Expedition. With both clean technology and advanced manufacturing as two of the city’s targeted industries, this worldwide conference was also important to us. In the next couple of years, we’d like to attract more wind turbine and solar panel component parts manufacturing companies to the region.
At Develop Indy, we understand that in order to build our local community, we need to think of our global one. We’ve got more international trade missions trips planned for this year and next. We invite a select number of business leaders to accompany us on each trip. If your company is interested in boosting its international trade relationships, give us a call. Together, we can Develop Indy.
The beginnings of it were somewhat quiet…with the technology seeming too futuristic to some. But visionaries have held fast to their belief of how electric cars will transform the automotive industry. Today, the future doesn’t seem quite as far away. And Indiana—including Indianapolis—is well positioned to lead that future as the electric car center of the U.S.
In fact, while the Hoosier capital has mockingly been called “Indiana No Place.” The truth is, when it comes to electric car expertise and experience, there’s “no place” that occupies the space quite like this region of the country.
Consider this:
- Indiana was the second-largest recipient of federal funds for advanced battery and electric drive projects. Remy Inc. and EnerDel were among the Central Indiana companies who received federal grants.
The state is a leader in developing and manufacturing plug-in vehicles and their components. One of the nation’s first national infrastructures for plug-in stations is starting right here in Indy.
- EnerDel – with facilities in Indianapolis and Noblesville – is the only U.S.-based manufacturer of commercial-scale, automotive-grade, lithium-ion systems. (The lithium-ion battery chemistries and technology also offers advantages in energy infrastructure, renewable energy, military, aerospace, industrial and other growing markets.)
- In nearby Pendleton, Remy Inc.’s High Voltage Hairpin technology could revolutionize the way in which electric vehicles – from hybrid to pure electric – will be manufactured going forward.
- Bright Automotive in Anderson has been contracted to provide electric vehicles to the U.S. Postal Service.
- Elkhart, Indiana, boasts the new U.S. production center for Think, the Norwegian-based manufacturer that hopes to charge into the emerging market for battery-electric vehicles. Think hopes to be turning out as many as 20,000 battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, annually by 2013.
- LC3, a small producer of neighborhood electric vehicles and modified golf carts has Indiana roots in Fort Wayne.
- Cummins, Delphi, Allison Transmission and Caterpillar Remy also are building some of the most innovative electric/hybrid applications available today.
- And the Energy Systems Network, a partnership of private firms, research institutions and public agencies, is focused on bringing new energy technologies to market by leveraging Indiana’s strong manufacturing sector, R&D capabilities and advanced energy systems.
These are just a handful of the reasons – both large and small – why Indiana is the place to be for companies involved in the development of electric cars. Indeed, with the established brain trust here – both in technology and manufacturing – as well as a trained workforce, it’s easy to see how Indiana has electrified itself as the “electric vehicle state.”