Schellinger: Every Focal Point ‘Robust’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowLast week was a big week for job commitments in Indiana, with state and local officials unveiling deals totaling more than 1,100 potential positions. And while Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger was elated about the announcements, he was equally enthused about the range of industries involved. "We’ve gotten jobs in agribusiness, the manufacturing services, the professional services area, information technology, which we are growing at more than two times the national average, and we also landed jobs in logistics this week," said Schellinger, who adds the economic development pipeline for the remainder of 2019 is strong.
Schellinger talked about the flurry of jobs announcements on this weekend’s edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.
The largest of the economic development deals is in Shelbyville, where Canada-based Greenleaf Foods announced plans to invest $310 million and add up to 460 jobs in phase one of a multi-phase development to create what the company describes as North America’s largest plant-based protein manufacturing operation.
Schellinger says the Greenleaf Foods deal came together in just six months. “I can’t say enough about Mayor Tom DeBaun and Brian Asher down in Shelbyville, how they came to together to recruit this group with the state.”
Among other big jobs announcements last week were two in Carmel, Zotec Partners and BCForward, announcing plans that could mean a combined 600 jobs in the Hamilton County city.
Also, in southeast Indiana, New Albany-based HMS Global Maritime is expanding its Floyd County headquarters with plans to create up to 50 jobs by the end of 2022. The company and its American Queen Steamboat affiliate plan to invest nearly $800,000 to renovate a newly-purchased historic building in downtown New Albany.