‘They know Indiana well’: Holcomb emphasizes partnerships on economic development trip
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowGov. Eric Holcomb spent the beginning of September on an international economic development trip aimed at strengthening connections and highlighting decades-long partnerships.
Holcomb and Indiana Adjutant General Dale Lyles spoke to Inside INdiana Business host Gerry Dick from Slovakia, where he met with military leaders and the U.S. ambassador.
The Indiana National Guard and Slovakian military have shared a 30-year partnership. While there, Holcomb commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising, which occurred during World War II. The two nations spoke about ways to build on their partnership.
“The Prime Minister recognized Indiana as an economic leader. He knows Indiana. He knows the foreign direct investment into Indiana,” Lyles said. “What we want to do here is capture some of the things that we’re doing at Camp Atterbury with the defense industry, and then perhaps energize some of those same things with the European defense industry.”
Indiana traded more $1.1 million in goods with Slovakia in 2023. The country is home to facilities for Indiana firms such as Evansville-based Berry Global Group, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. and Green Cubes Technology in Kokomo.
“National security goes hand in glove with economic security and potential growth…we have a regular presence from Slovakia at Camp Atterbury in Indiana. So they know Indiana well,” Holcomb said. “The military front and the commerce angle are always in focus. It puts us in the room with the decision makers when we’re here.”
After Slovakia, Holcomb traveled to Italy, where he attended the Italian Grand Prix and met with Dallara, a company the state has had a 20 year partnership with.
Dallara, the designer and manufacturer of the IndyCar Series chassis, has only one facility outside of Italy—in Speedway.
“We’re very focused on the work…and all the innovation that comes out of Dallara not just in the racing industry, but in aerospace and in defense,” Holcomb said. “We’ll continue to explore some opportunities with a number of companies in Italy, because we not only share the same values, but have the same interest in this racing industry and our collective heritage.”
Holcomb last traveled to Italy in 2018 for a motorsports and automotive focused development trip. Thirty-five Italian businesses have a presence in Indiana, and the pair imported and exported nearly $5.2 billion in goods last year.
Holcomb says the state hopes to gain more investment from companies and “there will be more checkered flags” to come.
After Italy, Holcomb became the first U.S. governor to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the Russian invasion. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Holcomb says the two discussed Indiana’s unwavering support for Ukraine and the country’s ongoing partnership with Indiana.
“I thank Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb for his comprehensive support of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy shared in a post on X. “Our cooperation is strong not only at the national level—between Ukraine and the United States—but also in relations with individual U.S. states.”
Holcomb and Vitaliy Bunechko, the governor from Zhytomyr Oblast, signed a memorandum of understanding to grow a relationship focused on academia, agriculture and economic development. On X, Holcomb shared life sciences, agriculture and humanitarian assistance will be prioritized.