Indiana Business Magazine articles from May 2008

Indiana Business Magazine archives from May 2008

Recession--is it or isn't it? It's not easy to separate emotions from data.(INDIANA INDICATORS)
May 1, 2008... WITH ALL THE MEDIA warnings on the state of the U.S. economy, it is hard to get a good idea what a recession is and what it might mean for Hoosiers. The formal definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic...

World's largest chocolate store? South Bend Chocolate Co. now a "supermarket of confections.".(AROUND INDIANA)
May 1, 2008... FOR THE RECORD, cabernet sauvignon pairs well with dark chocolate, and pinot noir is a good culinary match with milk chocolate. But that isn't the real reason Mark Tamer started serving wine at his chocolate shop. "In a lot of our markets,...

Green manufacturing: innovative design, improved processes and recycling efforts in Indiana.(Cover story)(Company overview)
May 1, 2008... TWENTY YEARS AGO, the first joint venture between two Japanese automotive companies completed a new manufacturing facility in Lafayette, replacing green cornfields with a plant that would produce more than 2 million Subaru and Isuzu vehicles....

Honoring small business: Indiana SBA awards recognize supporters, too.(SMALL BUSINESS)(Small Business Administration)
May 1, 2008... EACH YEAR THE INDIANA Small Business Administration honors individuals who have assisted or promoted small businesses and business owners and small businesses that have excelled in their endeavors. Here are the latest winners and business...

Exporting to Africa: South Bend company named 2008 Small Business Exporter of the Year for Sub-Saharan Africa.(SMALL BUSINESS)
May 1, 2008... PETER BARANAY, PRESIDENT of ABRO Industries in South Bend, recalls a story his father told him about two shoe salesmen who each landed on a desert island. "This is horrible," one wired back to his home office. "The natives don't wear shoes."...

Paying the price: several reasons for increased health premiums.(EMPLOYEE BENEFITS)
May 1, 2008... HEALTH-CARE BENEFITS are eating up employers' profits and employees' paychecks. Our unhealthy population is certainly one driver of health costs. Hoosiers are not the picture of health any way you look at it. The state's major issues in...

Strategic skills initiative: Indiana's regional workforce development program.(WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT)
May 1, 2008... CREATING AND KEEPING high-wage jobs in Indiana. That was the state's clear intent when it invested $23 million in the Strategic Skills Initiative, SSI, launched in 2006. Over the next year, the state's 11 economic growth regions will wind up...

Project lead the way: Indiana takes the lead in innovative program.(WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT)
May 1, 2008... "WE'RE NO. 1!" THAT auspicious ranking is always a source of pride when Hoosiers talk about their favorite sports team. But there's another No. 1 ranking that some Indiana teachers, students and potential employers can take to heart. Indiana...

Northwest Indiana update: the region's top business news.(REGIONAL REPORT: NORTHWEST)
May 1, 2008... FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS of Purdue University's technology park near Crown Point in Lake County, technology again is making news in the heart of the nation's steel industry In Hammond, the city's first business incubator opened last month as...

The South Shore Line: celebrating 100 years of train service.(REGIONAL REPORT: SOUTH SHORE)(Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District)
May 1, 2008... MOST PEOPLE OUTSIDE of Northwest Indiana don't have a clue the state has a rail line that commuters use daily--just like New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. In fact, says John Parsons of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation...

Michigan City: new restaurants eyed for Riverfront District.(REGIONAL REPORT: NORTHWEST)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AS PLANS GO, WHAT Michigan City has on the drawing board for its North End and the adjoining Trail Creek Corridor is pretty ambitious. For a city that has struggled for the better part of three decades to pump...

Guilford trails townhomes: a complete luxury package in Carmel.(PROMOTIONAL PROFILE)
May 1, 2008... WHEN BROTHERS TOM and Steve Stoughton began thinking of developing townhomes in Carmel, they considered top-quality materials, totally customizable interiors and the latest in technology to be givens. But there was something else. They took a...

Managing company health care: high-performing employers have lower per-employee costs.(ADVICE: EMPLOYEE BENEFITS)
May 1, 2008... WITH AN ANTICIPATED 7 percent increase in employer health insurance premiums in 2008, many employers are looking for low cost solutions. High-performing employers are lowering their premiums while low-performing employers continue to struggle....

Getting credit for R&D: improving your business can generate tax savings.(ADVICE: TAX)
May 1, 2008... EACH YEAR MANUFACTURERS claim billions of dollars in federal and state tax credits by taking advantage of incentives to invest in research and development. Companies that are not taking advantage of these potentially lucrative tax savings,...

Green Industries: opportunities flourish in a sustainable economy.(VIEWPOINT)
May 1, 2008... CAP AND TRADE. CARBON tax. Renewable energy Green buildings. Green-collar jobs. Sustainable buzzwords are bouncing around the marketplace faster than you can place an order for a Smart car. With President Bush's recent announcement calling for...