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Summer’s not over yet

Published

Amy Vaughan, Director, The Indiana Office of Tourism Development

on August 5, 2009

. 4 Comments

School buses may be making the rounds, but there’s still plenty of summer left, and plenty of time to enjoy three of my favorite summer things.

I like a road trip to Bonge’s Tavern for tailgating, Perkinsville Pork and sugar cream cake. Over the years, I’ve been to Bonge’s many times with my husband. It’s unpretentious and in the middle of nowhere, but the food is out of this world.

Since I moved to Indianapolis, more than 15 years ago, I have been to at least one Symphony on the Prairie concert each summer. This year, it was Billy Joel; last year, the Beatles cover band. For me, Symphony on the Prairie is the best of an Indiana summer — a warm night, a cool breeze, a great picnic, a beautiful view of 100 acres of Indiana farmland, and kids playing on the hillside and dancing to the music.

With everything from the world’s largest boar to gourds shaped like David Letterman, the Indiana State Fair is my favorite Indiana spot in August. I visit the Dairy Barn for milkshakes and grilled cheese sandwiches, the Home Arts Building to admire the award-winning decorated cakes and the midway for a ride on the Ferris Wheel.

I’m not ready for summer to wind down. I think I can even squeeze in a last Indiana trip or two: Madison and French Lick are on my short list. What’s on yours?

Good news

Published

Jeff Heinzmann, Director, Indiana Small Business Development Center, Indiana Economic Development Corporation

on July 22, 2009

in Communications, Economics and Guest Blogger

. 0 Comments

Last week, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, its Small Business Development Center network, Purdue University and the Edward Lowe Foundation announced our second-annual slate of Companies to Watch (CTWs). To qualify, a company must be privately held, employ up to 150 employees and have $750,000 to $100 million in annual revenue or working capital. Fifty companies were chosen from a field of 500 nominees (see the complete list here), and they receive information and advice throughout the coming year from their peers as well as other business leaders.

Amid all the hubbub surrounding these new honorees, however, I decided to revisit last year’s CTWs and see how they stack up against the 2009 list.

Both the 2008 and 2009 classes had 16 companies in either life sciences or manufacturing, and 2009 had another five winners in the health and medical services industry. These companies have grown out of Indiana’s historic manufacturing strength as well as the state’s modern focus on life sciences. But I also see diversity in the first two classes of CTWs. Winners included aircraft servicing, environmental consulting, retail, educational services, and food products and services, to name a few. Indiana CTWs show that no one sector, no one region, and no one industry predetermines success.

Meanwhile, the 2008 winners have thrived in the past year. Chief among them are AIT Labs, which has added hundreds of jobs, instituted an ESOP program and repeatedly delivered bonuses to all its employees. ANGEL Learning was recently acquired for $100 million, and Intercambio Express added jobs in the far north central region of the state. Many Indiana CTWs received other accolades, such as the Mira awards through TechPoint, or recognition by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. By participating in such programs, CTW honorees help develop a true entrepreneurial community across the state. And the IEDC, through the ISBDC network and other programs, is actively engaged in assisting future classes of CTWs, seeking out entrepreneurs and helping them overcome challenges, find resources, and develop sound long-term strategies.

Working with these young companies makes me hopeful for our state’s economic health. These businesses not only represent good news for the economy—they show that the Hoosier entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.

What have you seen lately that gives you hope for Indiana’s economic future? And what are you contributing to the state’s success?

Where you at?

Published

Shannon Cagle, Emmy-winning television producer and freelance writer

on July 8, 2009

in Communications and Guest Blogger

. 4 Comments

The Meijer Coporation earned a warm spot in my heart when it moved into Indiana, simply because it uses the word “fewer” on its express checkout signs (“20 items or fewer”) instead of the word “less.” Meijer then earned my grammatical anger when I heard the wonderfully talented Jennie DeVoe singing, “There’s a million reasons in a single store.” There is?

As a media professional, I have a vested interest in using the right word for the job. I lead an advanced broadcasting course at Butler University and strive to teach my students that understanding the words they’re using is key to both accuracy and clarity. I’m not a grammatical purist, and I teach them that “conversational grammar” can be correct. But I also teach them that having extra sets of eyes review the project can help eliminate errors that are embarrassing, or worse.

For example, when you apply or interview for a job, you become the product you are trying to sell. Any executive would think twice about hiring someone who couldn’t properly fill out his job application or submit an error-free resume. As a producer and project manager for 25-plus years, I frequently have hired or recommended staff for projects. But when the person under consideration ends sentences with “at” and uses words like “irregardless” (let’s not even discuss subject/verb disagreement), I’m not buying that product.

When I see or hear such errors, I think: sloppy and inattentive equals unreliable and potentially disastrous. Certainly in this day of weak hiring and continued layoffs, basic language skills are a must-have.

What mistakes make you doubt the quality of the work (or the person) behind the message?