IEDC Europe News

Purdue to House Solar Cell Center

2010-07-27T16:52:00.000+02:00

Purdue University will lead a new research center to improve solar cells in an effort to bring alternative energy technology to market. The Semiconductor Research Corporation is providing $5 million to fund the Network for Photovoltaic Technology. It will be led by two Purdue researchers and based at the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue's Discovery Park.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University will lead a new research center to improve photovoltaic solar cells as part of a national effort to bring alternative energy technologies to the marketplace.

The work is funded by the Semiconductor Research Corporation, a university-research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies. The SRC has established a $5 million energy research initiative, teaming companies with university research centers to work on alternative energy technologies.

The new Network for Photovoltaic Technology will be led by Ashraf Alam, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Mark Lundstrom, the Don and Carol Scifres Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Work in the center, based at the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue's Discovery Park, will address performance, cost, reliability and manufacturing challenges of photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into electricity.

"The center will take advantage of Purdue's extensive modeling and simulation expertise and our national Network for Computational Nanotechnology," said Richard Buckius, Purdue's vice president for research. "The NCN provides analytical models and simulation tools for photovoltaic manufacturers, much as Purdue has done for the semiconductor industry."

Photovoltaics is a clean energy source, and few other power-generating technologies have as little environmental impact. However, the technology faces several hurdles, primarily costs relating to power generation and transmission. Researchers are working to develop new cells that are less expensive to manufacture, which would reduce costs associated with photovoltaics.

In addition to the photovoltaics center, the initiative includes a smart grid research center at Carnegie Mellon University to support the incorporation of renewable energy resources and provide modeling, simulation and control tools needed to manage, optimize and secure the power grid.

Research in the Purdue-based center will initially address the need for new modeling and simulation tools to support the development of improved photovoltaic devices.

Since the 1960s, the semiconductor industry has been developing advanced computational models and simulations, which have become critical for the design of electronic devices and have enabled industry to develop new technologies and products.

"We want to do the same thing for photovoltaics," Lundstrom said. "This will be the first center to emphasize the role of models and simulations in this area, and we will seed knowledge gained in this work to industry and other research centers. We're getting in on the ground floor."

The work will include research to precisely characterize the properties of materials used in photovoltaic cells in efforts to better understand the physics involved. Computational models and simulations will enable researchers to test concepts and reliability and also to accelerate the aging of solar cells to see how long they will last.

"Any estimate of the cost of photovoltaics assumes the cells will last for 20 to 30 years, but what if they're more likely to last 60 years? The cost landscape among competing clean technologies can be altered dramatically as a result," Alam said.

The work builds on previous modeling research led by Alam and Lundstrom to develop advanced models for predicting the performance and reliability of new designs for silicon transistors. The same sort of modeling will now be used for photovoltaics. The initiative also aims to train and educate students, providing them with the expertise and skills needed to transition these new methods into the marketplace.

The work is associated with an interactive Web site called nanoHUB.org, which makes available scientific simulations, seminars, interactive courses and other specialized nanotech-related materials. It is operated by the NCN, a six-university network funded by the National Science Foundation and based at Purdue. The Intel Foundation also provides support.

The Semiconducting Research Corporation defines industry needs and invests in and manages the research that gives its members a competitive advantage in the dynamic global marketplace. Awarded the National Medal of Technology, America's highest recognition for contributions to technology, SRC expands the industry knowledge base and attracts premier students to help innovate and transfer semiconductor technology to the commercial industry. More information about the SRC is available at http://www.src.org

Loan Program Aims to Grow Critical Sectors in Northeast Indiana

2010-07-26T09:15:00.001+02:00

In a time when budgets are tight not only for businesses but families as well, having half of a college loan forgiven may seem like a fantasy for students. However, an organization in northeast Indiana is investing more than $500,000 to aid area college students who pursue careers in advanced manufacturing and engineering. The Questa Foundation for Education's ½ Back Loan Program is striving to fill the area's work force pipeline for a windfall of jobs predicted for the region.

With six large defense contractors, several manufacturers and a long list of suppliers in the region that employ thousands, northeast Indiana leaders say the advanced manufacturing, defense and aerospace sectors are critical to the region's economy. However, the area is anticipating a wave of baby boom retirements in the coming years and predicting that several thousand jobs will be available in these sectors in the next five to 10 years.

"We want to make sure we've got the talent pipeline to fill those jobs when they become available," says Leonard Helfrich, grant director for the Talent Initiative, a regional program focused on advancing educational and training initiatives. "The defense, aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries provide high paying, high quality jobs; those are the exact jobs we want to encourage to remain in our area." Listen

In addition to encouraging jobs and employers to remain in the area, leaders are now enticing students to remain in northeast Indiana.

"We know less than 35 percent of students who leave the region for college actually come back to live and work," says Questa Foundation for Education Executive Director Christina Smith. "We want to provide some added incentives for these engineering students to consider study in our region, because we think that's going to help with grad retention." Listen

Questa Foundation leaders say they offer the only college loan program of its kind in the nation. Students can borrow $20,000 and receive up to 50 percent in debt forgiveness if they maintain GPA requirements and commit to live and work in the 11 county region of northeast Indiana for five years after graduation. The five-year $500,000 investment focused on advanced manufacturing and engineering is the first time in the program's history that funds have been earmarked for a specific field of study.

"The reason we picked defense, aerospace and advanced manufacturing is because there's a great need; there's going to be jobs there," says Smith. "This is the only program of its kind where we ask young people to have skin in the game. We want them to perform well, but in addition, we want to incentivize and entice them to remain in the region and commit to its economic growth." Listen

Regional leaders are also hoping to reverse an alarming trend in the area; per capita income for the region has been declining in recent years.

"I think it's partly because there have been a number of moves of corporate centers. It's no fault of anyone, but [the corporation] takes higher paying jobs with it when it leaves town," says Helfrich. "If you don't maintain your talent pipeline over the course of a decade or two, the corporation may just leave behind the lower paying jobs."

In addition to its $500,000 commitment, Questa will earmark six loan awards for students who pursue an advanced manufacturing degree at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast.

The organization is also committing 10 percent of its annual loan awards for students who study engineering at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), Indiana Tech and Trine University. In addition to Questa forgiving 50 percent of the loans, the three institutions have agreed to pay an additional 25 percent, meaning students could have 75 percent of their college loan forgiven.

"If a student borrows $20,000 for a four-year degree in engineering, we forgive 50 percent of it, and the university pays back another 25 percent," says Smith. "That student walks away with a bachelor's degree and only $5,000 of debt. That's a deal!"

The Questa initiative is addressing a looming work force shortage that's also being addressed by other industry groups across the state. Conexus Indiana's "Dream It. Do It." campaign, for example, is encouraging young Hoosiers to enroll in industry-approved educational programs to pursue careers in manufacturing and logistics.

Questa leaders are hoping reduced student loan debt and a near-guarantee that a job will be waiting after graduation near their hometown is a scenario that entices young people to remain in northeast Indiana—utilizing their talent to support the region's economic growth.

Increasing Volumes at Indiana's Ports a Positive Sign

2010-07-26T09:13:00.002+02:00

Leaders at the Ports of Indiana believe most Hoosiers overlook the state's waterways and their significance; unless you live in one of Indiana's river cities or along the Great Lakes, you rarely see the seven million tons of cargo that floats through the state each year.

Through the first six months of 2010, Indiana's three ports—Burns Harbor, Mount Vernon and Jeffersonville—have shipped 3.8 million tons of cargo, which is an 11 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Looking at the ports individually paints an even more impressive picture; comparing the first six months of 2010 to 2009, tonnage at Burns Harbor is up more than 60 percent and Jeffersonville is up 32 percent. While Mount Vernon is holding steady, the port saw its highest volume of shipments in the last 15 years during 2009, meaning 2010 is on pace to be one of the top two years in tonnage shipments since 1995.

"A real advantage of our ports is that we move so many different cargoes, we're not dependent on one or two things," says Ports of Indiana Director of Corporate Affairs Jody Peacock. "Obviously, with the economy down, we've seen a drop across the board in steel shipments that go to the manufacturing sector, but we've been able to balance that out with increases in coal, grain, agricultural products, fertilizer and limestone shipments at certain ports. It's a real tribute to the diversity of cargoes moving through our facilities." Listen

Peacock says Indiana's ports are also an excellent barometer for the state's economy. Burns Harbor, located in Portage on the south shore of Lake Michigan, handles a large amount of steel products for the manufacturing sector and experienced a decrease in steel tonnage in recent years. However, Peacock says the port's 60 percent upswing in cargo shipments so far this year is "a great sign for the economy."

"We see Burns Harbor this year as a project cargo heaven. We're going to see some of the biggest cargo shipments this port's ever had," says Peacock. "We'll see a real focus on wind equipment; a lot of wind turbines will be moving through the port, as did in 2009. We'll also see a lot of tanks related to major business expansions on the Lake Michigan coastline. So, it's more than just a steady stream of steel shipments at this port; we're going to see some pretty massive cargos that include equipment used in heavy industry throughout the Lake Michigan shoreline." Listen

Celebrating its 40th international shipping season this year, Peacock says Burns Harbor plays a "tremendous role" in the state's economy, shipping more than 30 million tons of cargo annually. While it's the state's first and oldest port, Peacock says "[40 years] is pretty young when it comes to ports," and that it's one of the most modern ports on the Great Lakes. Listen

"Burns Harbor is really a crown jewel for Indiana," says Peacock. "There were some leaders back in the day that had a tremendous vision to create a port on the Great Lakes for Indiana. The Great Lakes' St. Lawrence Seaway was just opening, other ports were just getting started in other states and Canada, and the leadership in that region and the state decided Indiana needed to have a player in the maritime shipping industry on the Great Lakes. Having a port right there is crucial to our industry." Listen

While Burns Harbor paints a positive picture for 2010, Jeffersonville, located along the Ohio River in southeast Indiana, is also experiencing a significant 32 percent increase in cargo volume. While the port moves a variety of cargoes, its top commodities include grain, fertilizer, salt and steel. Port Director of the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville Matt Smolek says port tenants credit the increase to their suppliers restocking and the "filling of the supply chains" throughout the region.

"I was very pleasantly surprised that the increases happened at this scale and happened this quickly for us; it seems to be a lot slower in other parts of the country," says Smolek. "This gets us back to nearly pre-recession numbers, which are pretty good in my opinion. Hopefully, it's an indicator that the southeast corner of Indiana—and the entire region—is starting to see a rebound in its economy." Listen

Additionally, Mount Vernon, along the Ohio River in southwest Indiana, is currently within a half percent of matching 2009 cargo volumes, which were the highest tonnage shipments the port had seen in 15 years.

"We like to take credit when cargo is up, but really, what makes a difference is what our port companies are doing and what the economy is doing," says Peacock. "As things get rolling in the economy again and the manufacturing sector picks up, we're going to see more shipments going through the ports. That's a good sign of the way things are going in the economic world right now."

While port leaders describe Indiana's waterways as an often "unseen conduit" of commerce, they say the ports play a critical role in the Hoosier economy. Reflecting on positive numbers about halfway through 2010, they believe Indiana is sailing toward an economic recovery.

New Rolls-Royce Facility Helps Power Military Fighter

2010-07-26T09:13:00.001+02:00

Rolls-Royce leaders describe it as as one of the most advanced "aircraft out there," and the high-tech work providing some of the support for the F-35 Lightning II military fighter is taking place at a new manufacturing facility in Plainfield. Rolls-Royce refers to the new Hendricks County facility as the "Focused Factory," because it was built from the ground up to be the company's most high-tech, lean manufacturing operation yet with one laser-sharp focus: to build incredible technology in a competitive environment.

The main purpose of the $12 million factory, the company's 11th Indiana facility, is to manufacture two key components for the F-35, also known as the "Joint Strike Fighter." The supersonic, radar-evading fighter will be used by the U.S. and United Kingdom military.

One of the key features of the Joint Strike Fighter is its short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capability, and Rolls-Royce is manufacturing the technology to make it possible. Rolls-Royce's LiftFan and VaneBox technology being built at the new facility allows the aircraft to take off in extremely short distances, convert from supersonic speeds to hover mode and land vertically—no runway needed. Watch video of the Joint Strike Fighter

"It's definitely a unique system in this aircraft that doesn't exist in any other aircraft," says John Gallo, executive vice president of business operations at Rolls-Royce Corporation. "It gives the aircraft more options and more capabilities of where it can go. Sometimes infrastructure—airports and so forth—are limited in [military fighting conditions]. This aircraft can go places that other aircraft wouldn't be able to go." Listen

The LiftFan directs airflow downward, giving the aircraft power to execute short takeoffs and vertical landings. The capabilities of the system are nothing short of awe-inspiring; Rolls-Royce says the LiftFan generates more than 20,000 pounds of thrust—enough power to raise 10 elephants to the top of the Eiffel Tower in just six seconds. The VaneBox, also being manufactured at the new facility, is a component within the LiftFan.

While three versions of the aircraft are being manufactured, Rolls-Royce's STOVL technology will be utilized in the version created for the U.S. Marine Corps, U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

The entire aircraft program is designed around affordability, made possible in part by streamlined assembly methods that cut production time. Rolls-Royce leaders say the Focused Factory was designed with competitiveness as a top priority, utilizing lean manufacturing methods to improve performance and cut costs.

"This facility and a lot of the technology in it is a first for Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis," says LiftFan Assembly Senior Manager Anthony Woodard. "It's new technology, it's new to the industry and it's new to the area. It's something very unique and very impressive from a technology and competitiveness perspective." Listen

Rolls-Royce leaders say the facility is its most advanced yet, pointing to a long list of state-of-the-art equipment and likening its overall cleanliness to an operating room. An Intelligent Tool Control System electronically tracks each tool in the 35,000 square foot facility, a dry ice part cleaning system removes impurities in an environmentally-friendly manner and air casters—rather than forklifts—are used to maneuver the 3,000 pound LiftFans throughout the facility.

"Everything we've done at this facility utilizes lean manufacturing—the leanest, latest and greatest, state-of-the-art assembly technologies," says Woodard. "Competitiveness is key. This facility ensures we can assemble these LiftFans and VaneBoxes with a competitive cost structure; that gives us the capability and potential to bid for new work and bring that into Rolls-Royce's portfolio here in Indianapolis." Listen

Rolls-Royce leaders say the Focused Factory was built in Plainfield primarily because of its close proximity to the company's LiftFan testing facility in Indianapolis, the only such facility in the world. Listen

"Everybody who has been part of this program is extraordinarily excited," says Woodard. "It's exciting from a technology standpoint, but also from the standpoint of leading competitiveness within Rolls-Royce."

Rolls-Royce leaders say the Focused Factory had its ribbon-cutting ceremony in June, marking the launch of an impressive facility doing even more impressive work—giving power to one of the world's most advanced aircrafts.

Wakarusa Plant Producing Hundreds of All-Electric Commercial Trucks

2010-07-26T09:10:00.000+02:00

The sound of a FedEx delivery truck rumbling down a neighborhood street signals that a package will be arriving on your doorstep before the delivery person has even stepped out of the vehicle. That familiar engine rumble may soon be silenced as FedEx begins using Indiana-produced all-electric commercial trucks—described as being "quiet as a whisper." The FedEx partnership with Illinois-based Navistar, Inc. is part of a $39.2 million federal stimulus grant announced in late 2009 to build 400 eStar all-electric trucks, all of which are now being manufactured at the Navistar plant in Wakarusa.

"[The eStar project] brings manufacturing to a whole new level in Indiana," says Mark Aubry, Navistar's eStar vice president of sales and marketing. "Also, from a technology standpoint, having this available here is something our customers based here in Indiana are extremely excited about, as well as the governor and other state leaders." Listen

Design and pre-production work for the eStar began at the northern Indiana facility in August 2009 when President Obama visited the plant to announce the federal grant to build electric trucks. In May, less than a year after the announcement, eStar trucks began rolling off the production line in Wakarusa.

FedEx is the first to purchase eStars; Navistar has delivered four trucks to FedEx for daily package delivery routes in the Los Angeles area. Navistar leaders say FedEx has committed to ordering more eStars, but has not released the number. In late June, Navistar delivered two trucks to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), also in California, making it the first utility company to purchase the vehicles. Navistar has committed to build 400 units by the end of 2010, but hopes to produce upwards of 1,000 by 2011. Listen

"There is not a single day—including Saturday and Sunday—that we don't have handfuls of inquiries coming in," says Aubry. "We're opening three dealers on the West Coast currently, and we're working on our Midwest dealership openings. In the next 45 days, we'll be going to the East Coast to open those dealerships. The response has been fantastic and really overwhelming. It's not something we didn't expect, but we're certainly excited about the response."

Aubry says package delivery companies make up the "lion share" of interest for the trucks, which are designed for the light- and medium-duty commercial trucking market in urban areas. The remainder of interest is coming from food and beverage businesses, utility companies and municipalities. In addition to operational benefits, such as eliminating fuel costs, Aubry says organizations that enlist zero emissions eStars in their fleet demonstrate an "environmental commitment."

"From a missions statement standpoint, it's going to speak volumes; the company can show visibly that they're working toward sustainability," says Aubry. "From a tangible perspective, a single eStar will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 tons annually. That, multiplied over a fleet's life cycle, will be a significant impact on the environment."

Due to the eStar's capacity, size and application, Aubry says "there are truly no competitors" for the truck. The vehicle has a 100-mile range per charge and features a "cassette-type" battery that can be swapped out in 20 minutes, enabling "around the clock" operation. The company touts other features, including a specially designed windshield to give the driver 180-degree visibility, a low-floor structure that eases loading and unloading, the ability to carry two-ton payloads and a "near zero" noise level. Listen

Aubry says, most importantly, the eStar is the only commercial truck "purpose-built" from the ground up to be all-electric, versus competitors that retro-fit gasoline engine trucks with electric capabilities.

"[The eStar] offers future value; as technology continues to become lighter, more efficient, smaller, etcetera, the eStar itself and the core function of the vehicle doesn't have to change," says Aubry. "As technology continues to change, the eStar can adapt to that. The batteries are probably the most technologically advanced batteries on the market today, and the vehicle can undergo adaptations along the way without any core functionality having to change."

While some uncertainty surrounds Navistar's presence in Fort Wayne—the company is considering consolidating its truck design and technology center and leaving Allen County—Aubry says such a move would have no effect on the Wakarusa facility and production of the eStar.

Aubry says throughout the entire life of the grant to support the eStar project, about 700 jobs will have been created among Navistar and its supply chain, "which certainly has an impact on the local marketplace here in Wakarusa." Navistar leaders are hopeful eStar trucks will continue to roll off the production line far into the future—quieting streets, improving the environment and changing how fleets operate in the world of vehicle "electrification."

Unique Deal Helps Secure Dallara

2010-07-20T09:11:00.000+02:00

The deal to secure a Dallara Automobili production facility in Indiana for the new IndyCar chassis could also prove beneficial for racing teams and suppliers. In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, IndyCar Chief Executive Officer Randy Bernard says the incentive package from the state is structured to encourage more motorsports-related businesses to set up around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through a rebate system.

The IndyCar Series announced last week that Dallara will make the new chassis, but other companies will be able to use their technologies in the final design of the new cars.

Bernard says that could prompt big auto companies including Ford and General Motors to take another look at supporting the Series.

Dallara will make the new chassis at a new facility in Speedway, near Indianapolis. The company is planning to create more than 80 jobs at what will be its only facility outside Italy.

Press contacts First lithium-ion battery THINK City EVs enter production

2010-07-19T12:13:00.001+02:00

THINK makes a further stride towards mainstream volume production this week with the first introduction of award-winning lithium-ion batteries to THINK City EVs in Europe.

THINK and Ener1 have been in active partnership for a number of years, developing and perfecting the match between THINK’s industry-leading EV drive system and the award-winning Ener1 lithium-ion battery technology supplied by Ener1 subsidiary, EnerDel. The result is Ener1’s development of a dedicated 22kWh battery system for the THINK City – the first pure electric vehicle of its kind to use this new generation technology.

With this cutting edge battery in place, THINK, in partnership with EnerDel, is well placed to further develop global business-to-business opportunities with its proprietary integrated electric drive-train, which is already being tested in Asia by the Japan Postal Service, and by Mazda as part of a Itochu Corporation-led sustainability project in Tsukuba, Japan.

THINK CEO, Richard Canny, said: “THINK’s adoption of Ener1’s battery technology is going to allow us to scale up much more quickly in Europe and also be ready to enter the US market later this year. The volume production of these batteries now underway at Ener1 opens the door for THINK to finally enter higher scale production, now that battery supply constraints are behind us. Not only does Lithium-ion offer all sorts of advantages at the customer level, it also opens up the potentially massive business-to-business market for us as well, which will result in significant volume expansion and international growth for THINK.”

Chris Neal, Director of Engineering at THINK, added: “Ener1’s Lithium-ion technology is a true market leader and an innovation in the EV sector. Thanks to their prismatic design, Ener1 batteries offer solutions that are lightweight, better packaged and smaller, yet with much greater available power and energy density than other technologies. Crucially, fast-charging becomes a possibility with EnerDel batteries, as proven in early tests done by THINK and Ener1, where the battery can be charged up to 80% of its capacity in just 15 minutes. The volume introduction of Lithium-ion is a big step forward for THINK and the EV industry as a whole.”

Ener1 Chairman and CEO, Charles Gassenheimer, who also serves as Chairman of the THINK board of directors, concluded: “The EnerDel THINK partnership combines a cutting-edge lithium-ion battery solution with the most sophisticated EV drive-train in the world, leading the industry with a road-ready electric vehicle solution available for purchase today.”

He added: “Our ancillary drivetrain business, stripping out THINK’s drivetrain technology and combining with the EnerDel solution, is particularly powerful, allowing an impressive time-to-market advantage for third parties. Ener1 continues to leverage its relationships, such as ITOCHU with the Japan Post and the new Ener1-Wanxiang joint venture, to create compelling new revenue opportunities for both companies.”

The latest generation THINK City is a purpose-built, all-electric car designed for urban environments. It can travel at highway speeds and cover 160 kilometers on a single charge (via any conventional household outlet), with zero local emissions. It is the world’s first EV to be granted certification with the European CE conformity mark and EU homologation requirements (M1 certificate). To achieve these exacting standards, the THINK City has successfully completed very thorough testing and validation procedures.

European production of the THINK City is underway in Finland with manufacturing partner Valmet Automotive, which also assembles the Boxster and Cayman models for Porsche AG. First customer deliveries are taking place across Europe in selected key EV markets such as The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Austria and others.

THINK also recently announced plans to establish a U.S. production facility during 2011 in Elkhart County, Indiana, and is working with Japanese partner Itochu on developing operations in Asia.

Photo caption: The EnerDel Lithium-Ion battery on the THINK City production line at Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki, Finland.

About THINK:

THINK is a pioneer in electric vehicles and a leader in electric vehicle technology, developed and proven over 19 years. It is one of the few companies that has a ‘ready-to-market’ fully electric vehicle – the THINK City. With its market-leading range, driveability and recyclability, the THINK City is the first vehicle of its type to be granted pan-European regulatory safety approval and CE certification.

THINK is also a leader in electric drive-system technology, and was the first to offer a modular and flexible EV drive-train solution in the business-to-business sector. With its Scandinavian origins and sustainability mindset, THINK is one of the most carbon efficient car companies in the world.

About ENER1:

Ener1 develops and manufactures compact, high performance lithium‐ion batteries to power the next generation of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles. The publicly traded company (NASDAQ: HEV) is led by an experienced team of engineers and energy system experts at its EnerDel subsidiary located in Indiana. In addition to the automobile market, applications for Ener1 lithium‐ion battery technology include the military, grid storage and other growing markets.

Ener1 also develops commercial fuel cell products through its EnerFuel subsidiary and nanotechnology‐based materials and manufacturing processes for batteries and other applications through its NanoEner subsidiary.

Italian Race Company, Dallara, to Open U.S. Base in Speedway, Ind.

2010-07-19T10:59:00.000+02:00

SPEEDWAY, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Speedway Redevelopment Commission (SRC) announced today that Italian-based racing company Dallara will expand its operations to Speedway, Ind. – the home of the Indianapolis 500®, Brickyard 400® and Red Bull Indianapolis GP®. This location will be the racing company’s only operation outside of Parma, Italy. The news follows the announcement that Dallara was recently selected by the Indy Racing League (IRL) as the chassis manufacturer for the 2012 IndyCar Series.

“The new Dallara IndyCar will be built in Speedway, Ind., and it will set new standards in terms of safety, fuel efficiency, raceability, technology performance and cost containment”

“This announcement is in the spirit of Speedway’s redevelopment vision,” said Vince Noblet, SRC president. “We are pleased that Dallara has made a commitment to manufacture and assemble its new chassis for the 2012 IndyCar Series season in the United States, and specifically in Speedway. This is exactly what we’ve been waiting for.”

The expansion will allow for the creation more than 80 new jobs in Speedway. Dallara will move into a new, state-of-the-art technology center located on Main Street, investing $7 million into the community.

"The new Dallara IndyCar will be built in Speedway, Ind., and it will set new standards in terms of safety, fuel efficiency, raceability, technology performance and cost containment,” said Gianpoalo Dallara, founder of Dallara Automobili. “Dallara has been a trusted, credible, stable and loyal partner of the Indy Racing League for the past 12 years. We are committed to the development of this new car by locating a dedicated facility near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”

The IRL’s announcement will lead to future investments in Indiana’s motorsports industry, and will additionally bring new manufacturing, automotive technology development and IndyCar racing teams to the area. Dallara has stated that it will encourage its distributors and other businesses to also move into Speedway’s redevelopment area to continue to foster the growth of a vibrant, racing-centered community.

“Dallara is a high-profile, innovative racing company that will bring jobs and stimulate our local economy,” said Bill Suffel, president of the Speedway Town Council. “We believe Dallara is a great fit for our community due to our mutual dedication to the racing industry and advanced technology. We welcome Dallara to our community, and are happy it has committed to forming the foundation of a redeveloped Speedway.”

About Speedway Redevelopment:

In November 2009, the SRC broke ground on Main Street, its first construction project. The $10 million Main Street project is the first milestone in the town’s Redevelopment Area One and is part of a $500 million investment to breathe new life into 400 acres of multi-use property that will be primed for commercial, shopping and entertainment, residential and research and development projects. Made possible through private and public investment, the redevelopment zone will be a vibrant, thriving and attractive downtown that will foster growth within the existing business community and encourage development of new business.

SRC consists of five volunteers appointed by the Speedway Town Council. Using input from the entire community, the commission is charged with developing a plan to revitalize a 700-acre area, including Speedway’s Main Street.

Solar Panel Manufacturer to Add 850 Jobs in Tipton County

2010-07-07T09:41:00.000+02:00

New life is on the way for the failed Chrysler-Getrag Transmission plant in Tipton County. Colorado-based Abound Solar Inc. announced Saturday it will locate a solar module manufacturing operation in the now vacant plant with plans to add 850 jobs by 2013. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation says the deal represents a $500 million investment. When complete, the Tipton location will be the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the United States.

President Barack Obama announced this morning a conditional commitment of $400 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for a loan guarantee for the project.

In May, the Tipton County Council approved a $13 million incentive plan for at the time what was described as "a potential clean energy company" that was interested in the Getrag Transmission plant.

In June 2007, Governor Mitch Daniels, along with executives from Chrysler Group and Getrag, officially announced plans for a $530 million dual clutch transmission plant in Tipton that was to have resulted in 1,400 jobs. Financial woes and legal disputes prompted the companies to part ways and cancel the project in 2008,

Press Release

Solar Panel Manufacturer to Locate in Former Getrag Facility in Tipton

TIPTON, Ind. (July 3, 2010) - Abound Solar, Inc. announced today that it will locate a solar module manufacturing operation in the facility previously constructed in partnership with Chrysler for the German transmission maker, Getrag. Abound Solar projects to add up to 850 workers by 2013 at the Tipton site.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has worked alongside the Tipton County Commissioners, Senator Richard Lugar and the Indiana congressional delegation, the Indiana Secretary of State's office and the U.S. Department of Energy to assist Abound Solar in finalizing its purchase of the more than 800,000 square-foot facility. This move represents a more than $500 million investment in machinery, equipment and building improvements.

"While the loss of Getrag was disappointing after so much work, the region will now add 850 new jobs - what a great way to celebrate Independence Day," said Governor Mitch Daniels.

Abound Solar's thin-film photovoltaic module manufacturing technology was born out of Colorado State University in the late 1980's. The company, which also has production operations in Longmont, Colo., expects that when completed, the Tipton site will be the largest solar panel manufacturing facility in the U.S., producing millions of panels annually.

"State and local representatives from Indiana were particularly instrumental in our efforts to finalize plans for this state-of-the-art facility and create high-paying jobs for Hoosier workers," said Steve Abely, Abound Solar chief financial officer. "We are excited about the opportunity to make America a global driver of renewable, affordable and abundant solar energy."

The company intends to hire for positions such as engineers, technicians and production associates once facility renovations begin.

"The addition of solar panel manufacturing builds on Indiana's strong clean-tech energy sector and provides many new opportunities to the Tipton community," said Mitch Roob, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

The IEDC offered Abound Solar, Inc. up to $11.85 million in performance-based tax credits and $250,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans and will also provide workforce and ombudsman assistance. Tipton County has approved additional incentives including tax abatement for the company along with tax increment financing dollars to the land trust which owns the building.

"We are very excited that Abound Solar chose us. The advanced manufacturing process of this new business will bring jobs to Tipton County residents, increase our tax base and allow even more opportunities for additional industrial and commercial development in our county," said Ken Ziegler, president of Tipton County Commissioners. "State and county officials have worked for over a year with this company. We are grateful that our efforts have paid off, and want to thank all involved that have helped get us to this announcement today. It was a huge team effort and it was worth all the time and energy it took."

Abound Solar's announcement to locate in Tipton comes on the heels of Chrysler's recently announced plans to invest $300 million to produce a new fuel efficient, eight-speed transmission in Kokomo, a decision expected to help retain approximately 1,200 jobs.

About Abound Solar
Abound Solar is a leading manufacturer of next-generation, cadmium telluride thin-film photovoltaic modules. Built upon 15 years of development at Colorado State University and with support from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Abound Solar is producing solar modules that significantly reduce the cost of generating solar electricity using a robust, commercial-scale, continuous manufacturing process. For additional information, visit http://www.abound.com .

About IEDC
Created by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Daniels. Mitch Roob serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov .

WIndiana Conference Set for July

2010-06-16T09:23:00.001+02:00

More details have been released about this year's only statewide wind power conference next month. WIndiana 2010 will include information on utility-scale wind projects, smaller wind generation initiatives for communities and individuals and the state's wind industry supply chain.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Indiana's only statewide wind power conference, taking place July 21 and 22, will concentrate on better integrating wind with the power grid and includes talks on topics ranging from big wind farms to wind power for individual homes or small communities.

WIndiana 2010 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis will bring together experts from industry and government to address key issues in wind power. The conference is organized by the Indiana Office of Energy Development and the Energy Center at Purdue University's Discovery Park.

The conference, which is in its third year, has expanded to include three tracks focusing on "big wind" - or utility-scale wind generation - small-scale wind generation for communities and individuals, and Indiana's wind industry supply chain.

"Indiana's wind industry continues to grow," said Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman, who will deliver a keynote address. "As more wind farms are built, as smaller wind facilities are installed, as more wind manufacturing supply chain jobs are created, we must understand how it all works together towards Indiana's energy and economic future."

Indiana has gone from no turbines to more than 1,100 in two and a half years and is ranked the third fastest-growing state for wind power in the country, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The association ranks Indiana 13th for most installed wind power capacity in the country.

"This conference keeps getting bigger and better and mirrors wind power expansion in the state," said John Schneider, Purdue's assistant vice president for industry research. "It's the perfect opportunity to network. We're expecting several hundred attendees representing local and state government, developers, manufacturers, landowners, and others. Officials will keep abreast of the latest technological and economic developments, and property owners will learn how to go about putting up wind turbines."

Researchers also will discuss how their work has the potential to impact the wind-power industry.

"By bringing scientists, engineers, economists and wind companies together to address major issues, universities in the state can play an important role in advancing the field," said Douglas Adams, Purdue's Kenninger Professor of Renewable Energy and Power Systems in the School of Mechanical Engineering and director of Purdue's Center for Systems Integrity.

Adams' research at the center includes work to develop "smart" turbine blades that would use sensors and computational software to improve efficiency by adjusting for rapidly changing wind conditions.

Indiana has five privately developed wind farms that generate a total of more than 1,000 megawatts, compared to about 23,500 megawatts of generating capacity for utilities in Indiana, primarily from coal. Wind farms now online in Indiana can power the equivalent of more than 250,000 homes. A sixth wind farm facility is under construction, and several others are proposed.

"In addition to the farms themselves, 11 Hoosier companies manufacture wind turbine components," said Brandon Seitz, director of the state Office of Energy Development. "These companies employ about 1,000 people."

Conference registration will be 7-8 a.m. the first day and 7:30-8:30 a.m. on the second day. Those interested in registering early may do so at http://www.conf.purdue.edu/wind

Skillman will give the keynote address at noon on July 21. Also speaking at that time will be Keith Trent, vice president for renewables at Duke Energy, Indiana's largest investor-owned utility.

Sessions are divided into three tracks running simultaneously. Events will include sessions on:

-Integrating wind power into the daily grid; integrating property owners' concerns into small and community-scale wind operations; and an overview on the wind-power supply chain, 10:30 a.m. to noon on July 21.

-Transmission expansion and planning; using wind power in communities; and how the supply chain works, 1:45-3:15 p.m. on July 21.

-Integrating the latest technology into industry; wind applications for small businesses and homes; wind turbine and component manufacturing, 3:15-5 p.m. on July 21.

-Integrating research activities into industry; the state's work force; and wind-power services and support in Indiana, 8:30-10:15 a.m. on July 22.

-"Bumps in the Wind Power Road," challenges and opportunities; and improving the wind power supply chain in Indiana, 10:30 a.m. to noon on July 22.

A roundtable discussion on various wind power topics is scheduled for 12:15-3:30 p.m. on July 22.

The conference includes a tour of the Horizon Energy Meadow Lake I wind farm in White County. Because space for the tour is limited, attendees who want to take the tour are asked to indicate this in the registration process or on the registration form. Attendees more interested in small- and community-scale wind power may take a tour of wind and solar installations at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. More information is available at http://www.energy.IN.gov .

Chrysler Pumping $300 Million Into Indiana

2010-06-14T09:14:00.000+02:00

Chrysler Group LLC has confirmed it will make a $300 million investment in its Kokomo facilities to produce a new fuel efficient eight-speed automatic transmission. The automaker says it is the largest U.S. investment since the new Chrysler was formed last year. The decision will help retain nearly 1,200 jobs in Kokomo.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 9 -- Chrysler Group LLC will invest $300 million into the Company's existing transmission manufacturing facilities in Kokomo, Ind., to accommodate a new highly fuel-efficient eight-speed automatic transmission for future Chrysler Group vehicles.

The largest investment in the U.S. since the new Company was formed in June 2009 was aided by the approval of a tax abatement from the city of Kokomo. The investment will fund the installation of equipment and special tooling to modernize Indiana Transmission Plant I and the Kokomo Casting Plant. The project will extend the life of both manufacturing facilities and help retain nearly 1,200 jobs.

Chrysler Group has licensed the manufacturing rights from Friedrichshafen, Germany-based ZF Group to build the new eight-speed beginning in 2013. Included in this agreement is the purchase of transmissions manufactured by ZF.

"The new eight-speed transmission that we'll be producing in Kokomo will transform our future product line, but equally important, ensures the future viability of our Kokomo facilities and our dedicated workforce," said Scott Garberding, Senior Vice President and Head of Manufacturing, Chrysler Group LLC. "The support demonstrated by General Holiefield, Vice President and Director of the UAW Chrysler Department, and the entire UAW for World Class Manufacturing is one of the primary reasons we continue to make significant investments in our Indiana facilities."

"In addition, the State of Indiana and Governor Mitch Daniels, the City of Kokomo and Mayor Greg Goodnight as well as Congressman Joe Donnelly, Congressman Dan Burton and the rest of the Indiana Congressional delegation have been valued partners as Chrysler Group works to bring the most technologically advanced and fuel efficient vehicles to market. This investment would not be possible without their continued support," said Garberding.

"It's heartening to see the local unions and employees in Indiana embrace the principles of WCM and, as a result, see the company continue to make significant investments in both new technology and the Kokomo facilities," said General Holiefield, Vice President and Director of the UAW Chrysler Department. "This action will give Chrysler a head-start on a new transmission and will help secure the future for Chrysler UAW-represented employees."

The new transmission will contribute to an overall fuel economy improvement across the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep® and Ram Truck product lineup. More sophisticated and efficient than traditional five- and six-speed automatic transmissions, the new eight-speed is proof of Chrysler Group's commitment to fuel economy.

"The new eight-speed automatic transmission will offer our customers refinement and comfort while achieving greater fuel economy and performance," said Paolo Ferrero, Senior Vice President--Powertrain, Chrysler Group LLC. "We look forward to integrating the new transmission into future Chrysler Group products and welcome its contribution to a corporate fuel economy improvement of more than 25 percent by 2014."

Chrysler Group Powertrain engineers benchmarked the industry's leading automatic transmissions to set functional goals. After working closely with ZF, the result is a seamless shifting eight-speed transmission without sacrifice. Specific product information and timing for the new transmission will come at a later date.

Earlier this month, Chrysler Group announced that it would invest $43 million in new equipment and tooling to expand its operations in Kokomo to support production of the World Engine and improve processes for the 62TE transmission program. In December 2009, the Company announced that it would invest $179 million in its Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) plant in Dundee, Mich., to produce the 1.4-liter, 16-valve Fully Integrated Robotized Engine (FIRE). In May 2007, Chrysler announced a $730 million investment in the Pentastar V-6 engine program, which began production at the all-new Trenton (Mich.) Engine Plant in March 2010--bringing the total powertrain investment to nearly $1.3 billion since 2007.

About Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 from a global strategic alliance with Fiat Group, produces Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram Truck, Mopar® and Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) brand vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler's culture of innovation - first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925 - and Fiat's complementary technology - from a company whose heritage dates back to 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group LLC's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler and Ram Truck. Fiat will contribute world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-sized cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.

Source: Chrysler Group LLC

Brevini Still Plans to Begin Production in 2010

2010-05-26T11:51:00.001+02:00

Brevini Wind USA says it remains on track to begin production at its Delaware County facility in the fourth quarter of this year. The company says it will need to fill 450 jobs as construction is completed. The founder of parent company Brevini Group, Renato Brevini, says he is confident the U.S. wind market "will be the biggest in the world."

May, 20th 2010, Yorktown/Indiana (USA). Brevini Wind is achieving its publicized goals for the United States wind market. The start of production will be in the 4th quarter of this year. As construction is completed, Brevini is seeking new employees: A total of 450 jobs must be filled.

450 New Jobs for Indiana

Brevini Wind at its new operation located in Yorktown, Indiana offers many different job opportunities. The company has announced it will hire 450 people during 2010, 2011, 2012 and beyond – managers and skilled workers as well as young professionals. “We offer outstanding development prospects on all levels and individual training in our Brevini companies in Germany and Italy”, says President Jacopo Tozzi. The search for key management positions is underway with the hiring of skilled workers and others to begin soon. “So this will be a gradual build up of employees that will last for the next three or four years,” Tozzi explains.

Brevini Wind’s Bullish Outlook on the United States Wind Market

Renato Brevini, President and founder of Brevini Group, is convinced of the outstanding opportunities in the North American wind business: “We are preparing ourselves for a robust market around the corner. We have the wind, we have the technology and, thanks’ to the support of the State of Indiana the Local Authorities and the U.S. Department of Energy we have the opportunity. That is why I am absolutely confident that the US wind market will be the biggest in the world, and Brevini Wind will be a major player.”

Brevini: 15 years of experience in the wind power industry Brevini in not new in the wind power industry: more than 60,000 pitch and yaw systems made by Brevini Power Transmission, a sister company of Brevini Wind, have been installed all over the world for wind turbine OEM’s. Brevini Power Transmission is a growing organization with 150,000 gearboxes produced per year and a direct network of 24 subsidiaries around the world.

Brevini at AWEA’s WINDPOWER 2010, DALLAS TX
Brevini is exhibiting in the USA from May 23rd through May 26th 2010 at the American Wind Energy Association 2010 Wind Power conference in Dallas. Besides displaying the portfolio of pitch and yaw drives and glimpses of the main drives under design this exhibition offers the opportunity for personal meetings with the experts from Brevini.

Brevini Wind – Company Profile
Brevini Wind is a part of Brevini Group; an industrial group that includes the Brevini Power Transmission (mechanical transmission) and the Brevini Fluid Power (hydraulic and oil-pressured transmissions) divisions. Brevini Wind is investing over $50 million for the new production plant in Yorktown, Indiana, enabling the manufacture of a complete range of reliable and innovative main gearboxes for wind turbines ranging from 0.9 MW to 3.5 MW. In phase one the production capacity will be 1000 main gearboxes per year and can be expanded up to 2000 main gearboxes/year in phase two.

Brevini Group - Company Profile

The group is headed by Renato Brevini who company started the company in 1960 in Reggio Emilia (Italy), which is still its headquarters. Today the Brevini Group is an international player in the Power Transmission sector through Brevini Power Transmission in mechanical power transmission, Brevini Fluid Power in the fluid power sector and Brevini Wind in the wind power sector. In 2009 Brevini Group had a consolidated turnover of roundabout $380 Million and employs a total of 1700 persons around the globe doing business in 21 countries and in the major markets of the world with its 11 product lines.

State to Recruit More Wind Energy Jobs

2010-05-20T09:12:00.000+02:00

The state is making a push to land more wind energy companies. Officials with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Office of Energy Development, along with executives and educators, will attend the world's largest wind conference next week. Windpower 2010 is being held in Dallas and is expected to attract more than 1,300 exhibitors and 23,000 industry leaders. State officials say they are planning one-on-one meetings with some of the companies in an effort to promote the state's wind energy sector.

INDIANAPOLIS (May 19, 2010) - Representatives from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Indiana Office of Energy Development will join executives, local officials and educators next week in Dallas to recruit new, high-tech companies to Indiana and showcase the state's strengths in wind energy development and components manufacturing.

The trip is part of the state's business recruiting efforts at the world's largest wind conference and exhibition trade show, WINDPOWER 2010, a show that is expected to host more than 1,300 exhibitors and 23,000 national and international wind energy leaders.

"Indiana continues to be at the top of the list for growing opportunities in wind power development and associated supply chain needs," said Mitch Roob, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the IEDC. "With the workforce and logistics infrastructure already in place, we will continue to promote Indiana's assets across the country and around the world."

In addition to showcasing the state's homegrown energy and economic competitiveness in a booth at the convention, the Indiana delegation will meet one-on-one with company executives to encourage them to locate high-tech jobs in the fields of renewable energy and components manufacturing in the Hoosier state.

"The growing amount of wind development in Indiana is only partially due to our available wind resource," said Brandon Seitz, OED director. "It also has a lot to do with the economic development landscape here that spells success for manufacturers as well as developers."

Representatives from Duke Energy, Indiana Michigan Power, Hoosier Energy, Ice Miller, Krieg DeVault, Columbus Economic Development Board, Energize-ECI, Indy Partnership and MidWest Indiana Economic Development will join IEDC and OED at the trade show.

Indiana is a leading state in adding new wind capacity - ranking second in the nation in 2009 and first in 2008 according to the American Wind Energy Association. At 750 megawatts, BP's zero-emission Fowler Ridge Wind Farm in Benton County is the largest wind farm east of the Mississippi River and generates enough carbon-free electricity to power more than 120,000 homes.

About American Wind Energy Association
WINDPOWER is hosted by the American Wind Energy Association. AWEA is the national trade association of America's wind industry, with a membership that includes global leaders in wind power development, wind turbine manufacturing, and energy, as well as a broad range of component and service suppliers. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA Web site: www.awea.org .

About IEDC
Created by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Daniels. Mitch Roob serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC. For more information about the state's job creating agency, visit www.iedc.in.gov .

About OED
The Office of Energy Development (OED) was created in December 2005 as an extension of the Indiana Energy Office. Under the leadership of Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, OED is responsible for the state's energy policy. For more information visit www.energy.in.gov

About INdiana Connections

2010-04-26T09:18:00.000+02:00

Inside INdiana Business and Conexus Indiana have launched a new partnership to communicate the explosive growth, success and excitement surrounding Indiana's Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics industry. Indiana is recognized as a global leader in Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics, and we share a belief that this evolving field plays a vital role in Indiana's economic future. INdiana Connections is published by the special projects unit of Grow INdiana Media Ventures LLC, the parent company of the Inside INdiana Business brand of business news products.

Keeping our workforce edge is critical to green manufacturing success

2010-04-26T09:17:00.001+02:00

In this edition of Indiana Connections, you'll read an Earth Day re-cap of Indiana's many recent successes in renewable energy and clean technologies. It's a story that illustrates the state's position on the leading edge of the green manufacturing revolution, at ground zero of a booming cleantech market.

We've become a leader in manufacturing electric vehicles and their components, with companies like Bright Automotive, EnerDel (the only U.S. manufacturer of advanced batteries for plug-in vehicles), Remy (the largest U.S. manufacturer of hybrid engines), Delphi (which is adding a new production facility in Kokomo to manufacture products for the electric drive vehicle market), Allison Transmission, Cummins and many more.

In particular, Northern Indiana is emerging as an electric vehicle hub. Last year brought the great news that Think North America had chosen Elkhart as the site of its first U.S. factory for its line of electric cars, joining Electric Motors Corp and NaviStar as the hub of a growing green vehicle cluster along the state's northern border. In all, Indiana is the second-largest recipient of federal stimulus funds for vehicle electrification, with grants going to companies across the state.

Delaware County is also becoming a hub for wind energy manufacturing. Brevini Wind and VAT, two leading producers of wind turbines and their components, have both chosen east-central Indiana as home for North American manufacturing operations.

The list of cleantech manufacturing stories goes on and on. Clearly, the 'green' sector is one area where doing the right thing for the environment also means doing the profitable thing for Indiana's manufacturing industries.

When it comes to clean technologies and advanced manufacturing in general, Indiana is eclipsing the high-tech markets on both coasts with our combination of manufacturing know-how and heritage of automotive innovation. The Kauffman Foundation has ranked Indiana number one in advanced manufacturing technology in its annual New Economy Index.

But to maintain our competitive advantage in this market, we can't ignore the indispensable ingredient in today's knowledge-based economy – human capital.

There are very few 'low skill' jobs left in manufacturing in general today. In a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York ('A Leaner, More Skilled U.S. Manufacturing Workforce'), economists divided manufacturing jobs into low-, medium- and high-skill and observed that between 1982 and 2002, high-skill manufacturing occupations grew 37% while low- and medium-skill jobs declined 24% and 18% respectively. Today's manufacturing jobs demand a greater level of education, technical skills and technological expertise than ever before.

Fortunately, Indiana boasts a significant manufacturing workforce, trained over the course of decades, benefiting from the rich reservoir of engineering talent left from projects like General Motors' engineering of the EV1 (the first modern electric car) here in the 1980s. But as more and more Baby Boomers begin retiring, we need to replenish our workforce pipeline for the highly-skilled manufacturing job opportunities of today and tomorrow, including those in the energy and clean technologies sectors.

In fact, this 'tidal wave' of replacement workers needs new high-tech skills even more than their predecessors; fortunately, today's younger generation is the most tech-savvy in history. Now it's just a matter of attracting and qualifying then for these opportunities.

The marketing challenge isn't insurmountable. Though many young people still mistakenly regard manufacturing careers as menial assembly-line positions, the high-tech, high-wage nature of these jobs is compelling once understood (especially in today's job market). The green emphasis of clean technology manufacturing is also appealing to the Millennial Generation, who tend to place a high priority on environmental protection.

Conexus Indiana is working to get the message out about high-tech manufacturing careers through our Dream It. Do It. campaign, which includes a dedicated website, Dream It Green (dreamitdoitindiana.com/dreamitgreen/) showcasing green manufacturing jobs.

But we also need to back up marketing with substance, the specific education and training programs to meet the workforce requirements of this growing industry, and get young Hoosiers ready for work on day one.

We were pleased to hear about Ivy Tech's recent $4.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to train displaced workers for 'smart grid' manufacturing jobs, working with Conexus' sister initiative, the Energy Systems Network. Conexus is working with Ivy Tech and other educational partners to ensure that advanced manufacturing curricula are up to date and relevant to the needs of Indiana companies, including our growing cleantech sector.

In short, Indiana has a lot to be proud of during this Earth Day week – our manufacturing sector is 'greener' by the day, with companies doing their part to put more electric cars on our highways and making renewable energy a realistic option for consumers – all while creating great new jobs for Hoosiers. Making sure the next generation of Hoosiers has the training to take advantage of these careers will do more to keep the momentum going than any tax break or economic incentive.

Steve Dwyer is President & CEO of Conexus Indiana, the state's advanced manufacturing and logistics initiative; he formerly served as Chief Operating Officer for Rolls-Royce North America in Indianapolis.

Indiana Making Progress in "Clean Tech" Industry

2010-04-26T09:15:00.000+02:00

4/22/2010
While the nation focuses on all things "green" during Earth Day celebrations, the Indiana manufacturing industry is making clean tech projects an important business focus year-round. In the last year, the Hoosier state has achieved a long list of accomplishments in the emerging sector that not only benefits Mother Earth, but could also benefit manufacturers' portfolios.

State leaders say clean tech sub-sectors like wind and solar power, plug-in and hybrid electric vehicles and second generation biofuels are each projected to grow to more than $70 billion over the next ten years.

The state's legacy in automobile manufacturing is now complemented by the vehicle electrification sector. Governor Mitch Daniels describes the Hoosier state as "the capital of the electric vehicle industry." State leaders believe continued investment from electric car manufacturers and suppliers add validity to his claim.

In late 2009, President Obama's administration announced advanced battery and electric drive projects across the country would receive $2.4 billion in federal funding. He visited northern Indiana to announce the state would receive the second largest slice of the pie with $416 million awarded to six Hoosier companies and a group of colleges and universities led by Purdue.

Indianapolis-based EnerDel received the largest dose of funding with $118.5 million. The company, which makes lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, recently announced it will expand U.S. production by building its third Indiana manufacturing facility. Located in Hancock County, the $237 million dollar project is expected to create 500 jobs, bringing EnerDel's total Indiana employment to 1,400. The Hancock County facility is expected to begin production as early as May.

"By the end of the 2010 calendar year, we'll be producing and shipping out of our Indiana facilities upwards of 900 EV battery packs per month," says EnerDel Chief Financial Officer and Controller Robert Kamischke. Listen

Scandinavian electric car maker THINK also announced plans to build its first North American production facility in Elkhart—a $43 million investment expected to create more than 400 jobs by 2013. Keith Takasawa, product development director for THINK North America, says the facility will manufacture the fully electric THINK City cars, the company's only current model. Listen

"We're not a start-up like many of the other electric car companies," says Takasawa. "We've got 1,500 cars on the road [in Europe] with over 30 million miles of real customer, real world experience. We bring a very mature design and a lot of real world experience behind that design."

Recent electrification efforts in the state go beyond small vehicles; in late 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded Navistar International Corporation's Truck Development and Technology Center in Fort Wayne a $10 million grant to develop, test and deploy plug-in hybrid school buses.

In addition to vehicle electrification, Indiana is also making strides in the wind energy industry. In late 2009, Germany-based VAT-Getriebetechnik (VAT) revealed plans to locate its U.S. headquarters and first North American manufacturing facility in Delaware County.

VAT is the second international wind energy company to invest in east central Indiana. Brevini Wind is also building its U.S. headquarters and first U.S. manufacturing facility in Delaware County and expects to start production late this year.

"[Brevini and VAT] are big wins for the community," says Terry Murphy, vice president of economic development at the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance. "We've been hit hard here too with the economy, so these are bright spots in a tough time."

To help Indiana manufacturers capitalize on the increasing demand of such "clean tech" products, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership formed the Energy Systems Network (ESN) in 2009. ESN brings together private firms, research institutions and public agencies to leverage Indiana's rich manufacturing heritage with the need to bring new energy technologies to market.

ESN is progressing on its first two projects: the Hoosier Heavy Hybrid Partnership, an effort to bring more cost effective light, medium and heavy duty hybrid trucks to market, and Project Plug-IN, an initiative to build infrastructure that supports plug-in vehicles in metropolitan Indianapolis.

"The clean tech sector actually matches up very well with Indiana's manufacturing base," says ESN President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Mitchell. "Some of the companies that may be producing nuts, bolts and widgets for automobiles could produce those same products for the wind market going forward."

Indiana leaders believe the state's manufacturing heritage, companies' desire to innovate and skilled workforce will lead to a dynamic and prosperous clean tech sector—a proposition that will not only benefit Hoosiers, but also the environment.

Grant to Prepare Workers for Energy Sector

2010-04-26T09:14:00.001+02:00

4/22/2010
Indiana's manufacturing landscape is evolving; a traditional manufacturing base is now complemented by "clean tech" firms that are new to the Hoosier state, such as lithium-ion battery maker EnerDel and Brevini Wind, which produces gear boxes for wind turbines. Even companies that have called Indiana home for generations, like Cummins, Remy and Allison Transmission, have evolved to become leaders in hybrid electric component manufacturing for the next generation of electric vehicles.

To help the work force keep pace with Indiana's changing manufacturing and energy sectors, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana a $4.7 million grant for smart grid work force training to prepare the next generation of workers in the electrical manufacturing and utility industries.

"[Ivy Tech] will be developing a suite of training and educational initiatives aimed at developing smart grid enabled work force in Indiana," says Ivy Tech Vice President for Work Force and Economic Development Rebecca Nickoli. "It builds capacity in Indiana to train individuals who will take the smart grid jobs or who are in the energy sector and need to upgrade their skills to work with the smart grid."

Ivy Tech is partnering with Purdue University to develop the Crossroads Smart Grid Training Program (CSTP), a suite of training and educational initiatives that will include certifications, as well as associate and bachelor degrees. The program is expected to help train 1,500 students. Listen

"One thing that's very appealing about [this grant] is its broad audience. There's a need to upgrade workers already in the industry, retrain displaced workers and attract young people to the energy industry," says Nickoli. "If you think about the typical 16 or 17 year-old or high school counselor, energy probably doesn't come to mind as a career that sparks interest or that they know much about; so there's also a component of this grant that's aimed at recruitment and education." Listen

Ivy Tech and Purdue will work hand-in-hand with private and public entities in the energy sector to ensure the CSTP will help fill what industry leaders call the "work force-education gap." One such partner is the Energy Systems Network (ESN), an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership to build the state's clean technology industry. ESN will serve as a connection between the colleges and energy sector to assure the CSTP coursework aligns with industry needs.

"Our role is to make sure [the CSTP] is well informed by the industry perspective of our partners: the utilities, the manufacturers and the technology development firms," says ESN President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Mitchell. "The hope is that the programs are more effective, and the students who come through them will be well suited to quickly move into the work force for the clean-tech and energy sectors." Listen

Mitchell believes the energy training grant will impact Indiana's manufacturing industry by developing a "robust pipeline" of workers with a broad range of expertise.

"These workers could be employed by new manufacturers or new businesses who maybe manufacture smart meters or the charging infrastructure," says Mitchell. "It could also include firms that design and sell software that run on the smart grid. There's a whole new market of innovative opportunity, as well as the need to back fill the high level of attrition taking place in the more traditional utility business." Listen

The grant is part of a $95 million nationwide project, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to implement smart grid technologies in communities across the country.

"There are smart grid projects in the state that have already been deployed in tens of thousands of homes. The speed at which they're going to move from a pilot to deploying it in millions of homes is not too far away," says Mitchell. "It won't be too long before there will be a great deal of demand for employees in this space." Listen

Mitchell is confident Indiana could be one of the country's greatest benefactors of the nationwide effort; he believes the existing industry base in the clean tech and energy sectors—and their desire to work together to bring innovation to market—gives Indiana the potential to "outpace the nation in green job creation."

Conexus Has Big Plans for Indiana's Logistics Industry

2010-04-26T09:13:00.001+02:00

4/22/2010
Indiana has plenty to brag about concerning its logistics industry—Conexus Indiana says the state ranks first nationwide for interstate access and mileage, ninth in rail miles and 15th in foreign and domestic waterborne shipping. While Indiana is already a national leader, Hoosier logistics experts believe taking steps to improve even further could make the state a global leader. To help map those steps, Conexus recently issued the first phase of its statewide strategic plan to advance Indiana's position as the "Crossroads of America."

"This [plan] lists the things we need in the future to make us even better," says David Holt, vice president of operations and business development for Conexus, the initiative to grow the state's logistics and advanced manufacturing industries. "If we implement these things, I think we will be number one—not just in the nation, but probably in the world."

The plan focuses on three key areas that impact the state's logistics sector: infrastructure, public policy and work force development. Conexus developed the plan after conducting a two year study with its Logistics Council Executive Committee (LCEC), a group of 36 logistics executives throughout the state.

"If you're very, very good today and don't do anything, you're going to be very, very mediocre tomorrow," says Mark Howell, president of Brightpoint Americas and a member of the LCEC. "However, if you're very, very good today and you get the best minds, dedicate the time, energy and focus, take ownership of issues and drive things forward, you have an opportunity to be excellent." Listen

In the key area of infrastructure, the plan identifies a list of what Holt calls "go gets"—action items that, if implemented, could significantly strengthen the state's position as a logistics leader. These items include: developing several large intermodal facilities in key regions of the state; reconstructing and redesigning decaying locks along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the Great Lakes; supporting important highway and other infrastructure projects in congested areas to be certain they move forward; ensuring communities—such as Bloomington and Jasper in southwestern Indiana—have direct interstate access; and finally, maximizing Indiana's airports to increase international freight movement. Listen

"These [action items] were all developed through logistics businesses saying, 'We need to do something and have a plan for the entire state,'" says Holt. "Rail, water, trucking, etcetera all lived in their own silos, and there was never a cohesive plan that put the whole jigsaw puzzle together. We feel this plan puts that jigsaw puzzle together, and it shows a cohesive strategy that everyone agrees on in all of those sectors."

In addition to executing strategies within Indiana's infrastructure, Conexus also plans to work with the LCEC to identify public policy changes that could benefit the industry, then submit those recommendations to the Indiana General Assembly and Congress. Listen

Conexus leaders believe the organization is already making significant progress in work force development, the plan's final key area. As a leader of one of Indiana's largest logistics companies, Howell says he's most excited about the plan's mission to ensure Indiana's work force is prepared to support a logistics industry that's becoming increasingly high-tech.

"The logistics industry today is a great career path, but you have to bring to the logistics industry a continually evolving skill set," says Howell. "The science of logistics is becoming more important; the technologies that are deployed and the speed at which they change. Not only do we need to attain the right number of employees, we need to make sure those employees have the skill sets that are necessary to be successful." Listen

Howell is confident Indiana's "inherent" advantages—like a geographic position that puts more than two-thirds of the nation's people and businesses within a day's drive—will ensure a strong logistics industry for many years to come. Additionally, he believes following Conexus' strategic plan could help the state capitalize on opportunities that have never been greater. Listen

"The importance of supply chain and supply chain companies is increasing; Brightpoint itself is sending out more than 20,000 orders a day—people who are ordering mobile phones this afternoon will be talking on them tomorrow morning. That type of commerce and globalization is progressing very rapidly," says Howell. "So if you take the combination of great infrastructure, great public policy and great workforce, then marry that to a rapidly growing, high demand service offering, it creates tremendous opportunity for the state."

Conexus leaders say the "work has just begun" by mapping a plan to enhance Indiana's logistics industry. In the coming months, the organization will work toward advancing many of the strategies the plan outlines—hoping to make the "Crossroads of America" perhaps the crossroads of the world.

Indiana Company Earns Contract to Electrify Postal Vehicle

2010-04-26T09:11:00.001+02:00

The climbing cost of postal stamps in recent years plus the United States Postal Service's (USPS) plan to reduce street delivery to five days a week is evidence the organization is struggling to cut costs and maintain its viability in the age of e-mail. Anderson-based Bright Automotive believes it has a solution that would move the USPS into the future and slash millions of dollars from its annual budget: electrifying its142,000 mail delivery trucks—the world's largest civilian vehicle fleet.

"For every one cent of increase at the fuel pump, the USPS budget is hit with an $8 million increase in cost on an annual basis," says Bright Automotive Vice President of Marketing and Sales Lyle Shuey. "By going to an electrified vehicle platform, that volatility toward fuel cost is basically eliminated."

Recognizing that converting its fleet to electric could be a critical innovation for its future, the USPS is contracting with Bright and five other manufacturers throughout the country to launch a year-long pilot program to develop and test electric mail delivery trucks.

Under the contract, Bright will retrofit a standard USPS Long Life Vehicle (LLV) with an electric drive train. The makeover will result in a fully electric delivery truck that uses no gasoline—a stark contrast to the LLVs the USPS has been using for decades, which have an average fuel economy of only 10 miles per gallon. Bright is partnering with Detroit automotive supplier EDAG, another recipient of the contract, which will complete the heavy metal fabrication for the conversion.

After Bright completes work on the postal vehicle in July, it will be used in "real world" service in the Washington, D.C. area for at least one year.

"We believe the USPS vehicles, as the largest fleet in the U.S., is the perfect opportunity to bring electrified transportation to the mass market," says Shuey. "By looking at a large fleet such as the USPS, we can quickly reduce our dependence on foreign oil, reduce carbon emissions through fuel reduction and provide an example for the public that electrified transportation is real, economic, and can bring great value to the market in the U.S." Listen

At its headquarters in Anderson, Bright is currently developing the IDEA, a light commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for commercial and government fleets. Scheduled for production in 2013, company leaders say Indiana is on the "short list" of locations for the manufacturing site for the IDEA. Bright eSolutions Executive Vice President Nigel Francis says the ability to move quickly into full scale production helped the company earn the USPS contract.

"Our core expertise is vehicle electrification for series production; it's not a one-off conversion" says Francis. "Actually preparing a vehicle for series production where you'd be producing tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of vehicles is a very different engineering task than making a one-off vehicle."

In addition to production capability, Shuey says the IDEA program is providing a long list of elements that will be incorporated into the USPS conversion project.

"We're taking the electric drive motor system as a package from the IDEA and basically plugging it into the postal service vehicle," says Shuey. Listen

Bright engineers say experience gained during the development of the IDEA will also provide a very smooth path for the postal LLV conversion project. Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Hadrian Rori believes Bright has already cleared many of the technical "hurdles" during its development of the IDEA. Additionally, he says the stop-and-start nature of postal trucks is an ideal platform for an electric vehicle.

"When we electrify the power train, we can actually take advantage of that stopping with regenerative braking," says Rori. "We use regenerative braking to absorb some of the energy that would be normally dissipated in heat and can use that to recharge the batteries and make the vehicle more efficient. It's a great duty cycle for an EV power train." Listen

The USPS attempted partnerships with two auto manufacturers in the past to bring electric delivery trucks to the neighborhoods of America, but they failed due to high production costs or lack of battery availability. However, Bright leaders believe now—over a decade later—the pieces are in place to update the world's largest civilian vehicle fleet.

"We will provide the USPS a demonstration vehicle that quantifies the value that can be brought forth economically for the USPS," says Shuey. "Out of this test and demonstration period, we believe the postal service will have proof of technology readiness and economic viability to move forward with a process where they replace all 142,000 of these vehicles in the marketplace. We believe—as does the USPS—this technology can dramatically change how those neighborhood vehicles operate on a daily basis."

EnerDel Grows in Indiana, Preps for Full Production

2010-03-24T10:09:00.000+01:00

3/23/2010
Leaders at lithium-ion battery maker EnerDel are confident Indiana could be what Governor Mitch Daniels describes as "the capital of the electric vehicle industry" and is backing up that belief with continued investment. The Indianapolis-based company recently announced it will expand U.S. production by building its third Indiana manufacturing facility. Located in Hancock County, the $237 million dollar project is expected to create 500 jobs.

"We look at Indiana as being centric to electric drive in America and even in the world," says EnerDel Chief Financial Officer and Controller Robert Kamischke. "[Our headquarters on Hague Road in Indianapolis] are the physical location where a tremendous amount of development work took place back in the mid-90s to create the electric drive components that eventually became part of General Motor's EV-1 [electric vehicle]."

EnerDel's three Indiana facilities—its headquarters in Indianapolis, battery pack assembly facility in Noblesville and manufacturing operation in Hancock County—comprise the company's only U.S. production. Founded in 2004, EnerDel has commercial and strategic partnerships with companies such as THINK, Volvo, Nissan, Mazda and the U.S. military.

EnerDel's newest facility in Hancock County, an existing building in the Axcess 70 Industrial Park at Mount Comfort Road, will be a full-scale manufacturing site and is expected to begin production as early as May. The company says the new facility will more than double its U.S. production capacity and bring its employment to a total of 1,400 in the three central Indiana locations. Listen

"By the end of the 2010 calendar year, we'll be producing and shipping out of our Indiana facilities upwards of 900 EV battery packs per month," says Kamischke.

Company leaders say the new facility will allow it to meet the "dramatically expanding" demand for high performance lithium-ion battery systems, a critical piece of the automobile industry as cars "electrify."

"[Lithium-ion batteries] are able to hold a sizable amount of energy within a defined space," says Kamischke. "With electric drive in the automobile, there's one very valuable thing you're consuming, and that's square area within that automobile. Lithium-ion batteries are compact enough and have high enough energy density that they're able to deliver the kind of mileage standards that retail vehicle customers want in their vehicles."

In addition to vehicle applications—including hybrid, plug-in electric and electric—EnerDel also develops lithium-ion battery systems for stationary smart grid projects in the U.S. and Japan.

"That would include projects like community energy storage," says Kamischke. "For example, during non-peak hours in the evening when there's not a lot of electricity being consumed, you'd have a chance to off-load the electricity off the grid, put it into a storage device, then consume it at a later time when the entire grid system is being taxed for peak energy needs. It could also potentially provide a back up in severe weather conditions."

Kamischke says, in addition to the Hancock County facility, the Indianapolis location is expected to begin high volume production in May. Listen

EnerDel's ambitious expansion plans are driven in part by a $118.5 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, recognizing the company's strategic importance as the only current U.S. manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and plug-in vehicles.

"The Department of Energy is pleased to officially make these funds available to support EnerDel's aggressive growth plans," says Gil Sperling, senior advisor to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, during a visit to Indianapolis in early March. "This grant advances two of the administration's key goals – putting Americans back to work and putting a million plug-in hybrids on U.S. highways by 2015."

Consistent with this national attention, EnerDel leaders believe Indiana is emerging as a "central player" in the electric drivetrain technology sector. While the state offers close proximity to both domestic and foreign car manufacturing operations, Kamischke says a wealth of Hoosier expertise is also a critical component—powering the growth of a company that wants to make Indiana the "capital" of the electric vehicle industry.

ArcelorMittal Upgrading Indiana Facilities

2010-03-11T09:05:00.000+01:00

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal is pumping millions of dollars into improvements for its Burns Harbor and Indiana Harbor operations. The company says it is part of a $138 million investment in U.S. Flat Carbon operations. The upgrades at Indiana Harbor will expand product capabilities and the Burns Harbor facility will add a new piece of equipment as part of a strategy to increase productivity and lower costs.

Chicago, March 10, 2010 – Today ArcelorMittal announces it is moving forward with approximately $138 million in capital funding for three investments within its U.S. Flat Carbon operations. The Company’s Group Management Board and Investment Allocation Committee recently reviewed and approved the investments.

“These projects will improve the competitive position of ArcelorMittal USA by improving product quality and growing our leadership position in key markets,” said Michael G. Rippey, president and CEO, ArcelorMittal USA. “This marks a significant investment in our USA operations, further exemplifying our commitment to the revitalization of American manufacturing and production of safe, sustainable steel.”

“Capital investment in equipment and technology is crucial to the long-term viability of the company and the job security of its workers. I praise the joint United Steelworkers (USW) and management efforts that led to these facilities securing the capital investments, which will improve future prospects not only for members of the USW, but for all stakeholders who have an interest in the success of ArcelorMittal,” said Leo W. Gerard, United Steelworkers, International President.

“I am pleased to see ArcelorMittal make this major investment in its Northwest Indiana facilities, demonstrating its commitment to the continued vitality of steelmaking in the region. These projects will provide greater job security to local steelworkers and solidify steel’s position at the heart of our local economy for years to come,” said U.S. Representative Pete Visclosky.

The $138 million will support:

ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor – The funds will allow the facility to upgrade its 84” Hot Strip Mill coiling capability, which will expand its product size range and improve quality. The upgrade will allow the facility to meet demand in the energy linepipe and heavy-gauge, water transmission pipe market by offering a complete range of sizes and grades to our customers. The project will also expand product capabilities to include ultra high-strength, hot rolled steels in a greater size range to serve the heavy equipment markets, including construction and agriculture. The coiler upgrade includes the installation of a state-of-the-art sampling station.

ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor – At Burns Harbor, the 160” Plate Mill will add a new, high-capacity leveler as part of the company’s overall plate heat-treating strategy which aims to provide customers with the broadest range of high-quality, heat-treated products at increased productivity and lower costs. The leveler will be sized for high-strength quenched and tempered products in a broad spectrum of gage, width, length and yield strengths which will allow participation in long-term growth markets such as mining and nuclear. ArcelorMittal has developed a holistic approach to this heat treat facility to improve flatness, surface and presentation quality of its products. Customers will also see improved delivery performance from quality and process flow enhancements at the Burns Harbor plate mill.

Hibbing Taconite – The mine will receive an upgrade to its assets with the purchase of two new haul trucks. The new trucks are expected to be in operation in the third quarter and will improve transportation of raw materials at the mine. Hibbing Taconite is a joint venture between ArcelorMittal, U.S. Steel and Cliffs Natural Resources.

ABOUT ARCELORMITTAL

ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel company, with presence in more than 60 countries.

ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global steel markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. With an industrial presence in over 20 countries spanning four continents, the Company covers all of the key steel markets, from emerging to mature.

Through its core values of sustainability, quality and leadership, ArcelorMittal commits to operating in a responsible way with respect to the health, safety and well-being of its employees, contractors and the communities in which it operates. It is also committed to the sustainable management of the environment. It takes a leading role in the industry's efforts to develop breakthrough steelmaking technologies and is actively researching and developing steel-based technologies and solutions that contribute to combat climate change.

In 2009, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $65.1 billion and crude steel production of 73.2 million tons, representing approximately 6 percent of world steel output.

ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Brussels (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).

Scale Computing Secures $9 Million Investment

2010-03-10T09:03:00.000+01:00

Indianapolis startup Scale Computing says it has received $9 million in venture funding from lead investor Benchmark Capital of California. The data-storage technology developer says the funding will be used to improve its product line and for international expansion. In November, Scale Computing located to the Purdue Research Park at AmeriPlex-Indianapolis and unveiled plans to expand its work force from 15 employees to 50 by the end of the year.

INDIANAPOLIS--Scale Computing, a developer and manufacturer of complete, end-to-end midmarket clustered storage solutions, announces its Series B investment totaling $9.0 million. Led by Benchmark Capital, with participation from existing investors Blue Chip Venture Company, CID Equity and Spring Mill Venture Partners, the funding will be used to support the long-term development of Scale Computing’s product line, international expansion and company growth.

“We are thrilled by the tremendous investor support which will help us not only continue to improve our product line, but also aggressively expand into international markets,” said Jeff Ready, CEO, Scale Computing. “Benchmark Capital’s experience and expertise in helping to build market-leading companies will certainly help us significantly to advance our offerings and continue growing the company - both of which are key to meeting the accelerating demand we're experiencing. Our pipeline growth is accelerating at a 50 percent rate per quarter.”

With the announcement, Benchmark Capital general partner, Bill Gurley, will also join Scale Computing board members Jeff Ready, Scott Loughmiller, Rick Thau, and Don Aquilano. Since joining the venture industry 10 years ago after a successful stint as a research analyst on Wall Street, Gurley has invested in such companies as de-dupe pioneer Avamar (acquired By EMC), as well as OpenTable, one of last year’s most successful IPOs.

“We are thrilled to be leading an investment in Scale,” said Gurley. “This is what I would consider to be an investment trifecta - a team of repeat entrepreneurs connected with a disruptive product targeted at a massive growth industry.”

Recently awarded Best New Product Infrastructure Category by PC Mall, Scale’s storage portfolio is based on the company’s Intelligent Clustered Storage (ICS) technology, which enables users to add storage hardware, known as storage nodes, as necessary without suspending services or migrating data. IT managers are able to build out storage clusters, starting with just three usable terabytes up to the multiple petabyte range on a single file system. As a unified storage platform, Scale’s Starter Cluster line of products provides for simultaneous SAN and NAS services from a single pool of storage, providing enterprise-class, truly clustered, and highly scalable storage at a fraction of the price of competing solutions.

For more information on Scale Computing, contact Scale at 877-SCALE-59 or visit www.scalecomputing.com.

About Scale Computing
Scale Computing is a developer and manufacturer of complete, end-to-end midmarket clustered storage solutions. Based on Scale’s Intelligent Clustered Storage™ (ICS) technology, Scale’s storage portfolio aims to reduce costs while increasing control, as well as make storage management more convenient for IT administrators. The Starter Cluster line of products provides enterprise-class, truly clustered storage features at a fraction of the price of comparable solutions. IT managers are able to build out storage clusters, starting with just 6 terabytes (raw) up to the multiple petabyte range on a single file system using commodity hardware. One hundred percent channel, Scale’s Generation 3.0 storage solution is protocol and density agnostic. Based in Indianapolis, IN, Scale Computing was named one of Forbes’ Most Promising Companies in 2009. For more information, visit www.scalecomputing.com.

Brevini Deal to be Felt in Indiana

2010-03-10T09:02:00.000+01:00

A $100 million deal with a Finnish company is expected to eventually have a positive impact on Brevini Wind's turbine manufacturing operations in Delaware County, which are still under construction. Brevini has signed an agreement to provide main gear units for WinWinD's wind power plants. The deal will start to impact Brevini's Indiana plant in late 2011.

WinWinD, a Finnish manufacturer of wind power plants, has signed an agreement with Brevini, one of the world's leading gear box manufacturers, concerning main gear units to be supplied for WinWinD's three-megawatt wind power plants.

Main drive units are one of the most important, complex and expensive components in wind turbines. These complex gear units transform each slow revolution per minute of the wind turbine blades into hundreds of revolutions per minute to drive the generator which produce the electrical power for consumption.

WinWinD has signed a development and supply agreement with Brevini. Brevini is one of the most important manufactures of pitch and yaw drive technology in the global wind turbine business. Brevini Wind Deutschland GmbH, a member of Brevini Wind which is part of Brevini Group, will develop close co-operation with WinWinD to provide a next generation planetary gear unit for main drive deployment.

"Our goal in this new solution is to reduce the wind turbine nacelle weight, since weight is very expensive at heights of one hundred meters or more which are required for larger turbines. The total weight of the nacelle has a direct effect on the loads supported by wind turbine structures, including the tower. This next generation gear unit will also be much easier to maintain," says WinWinD's CEO, Ilkka Hakala.

“We are very excited to start this project with WinWinD; we believe that we are building something innovative, not just for us but for the whole industry, one that will revive wind turbine manufacturing and lead both of us to a large market share globally”, says Jacopo Tozzi, President of Brevini Wind.

BREAKING: Dow AgroSciences Adding More Than 550 Jobs

2010-03-05T09:13:00.001+01:00

Dow AgroSciences LLC has released plans for a major, multi-year expansion that would add more than 550 jobs and dramatically grow the life sciences company's global headquarters in Indianapolis. The $340 million investment includes construction of a research and development complex with laboratories and a greenhouse as part of an effort to develop and commercialize products for the company's agriculture and related markets. It is billed as the largest jobs announcement by the company since its inception some 20 years ago.

INDIANAPOLIS (March 4, 2010) - Governor Mitch Daniels and Mayor Greg Ballard joined executives from Dow AgroSciences today to announce the company will significantly expand its global headquarters here, creating up to 577 new jobs by 2015.

The agriculture-based firm will invest more than $340 million to construct additions of its global headquarters over the next five years, with the first phase being a 14,000 square-foot greenhouse and a 175,000 square-foot research and development facility at its corporate campus on the city's northwest side. Dow AgroSciences anticipates the greenhouse construction to be complete by the end of the year while the R&D facility is expected to open in early 2012, with other building projects coming according to a multi-year timeline.

"R&D leadership in the life sciences is a dream of every state in the Union," said Daniels. "Here in Indiana, it's not a dream, but a vibrant reality, and Dow AgroSciences' steady growth is a major reason why. This expansion makes Indiana a true world capital of agricultural science."

Dow AgroSciences, a global agricultural company providing agrochemical and biotechnology solutions, continues to expand its workforce including both scientific and commercial positions. Salaries reflect the high-technology focus of the company, with example pay ranges of $65,000 - $90,000 annually.

"Indiana has cultivated a pro-business environment, with leaders in both the public and private sector being very committed to expanding the life sciences and building critical mass in related industries," said Antonio Galindez, president and chief executive officer of Dow AgroSciences. "This makes for the perfect setting for our ambitious growth plans. Central Indiana also offers outstanding infrastructure and quality of life which are important components of attracting top talent. We thank city and state leaders for their support of our expansion efforts."

Dow AgroSciences was created in 1989 as DowElanco, a joint venture between the agricultural products business of The Dow Chemical Company and the Elanco Plant Sciences business of Eli Lilly and Company. In 1997, Dow acquired 100 percent ownership of the business and changed the name to Dow AgroSciences. In its 20 years of operation, the company has grown to employ more than 1,200 associates at its Indiana headquarters and 5,400 globally.

"Dow AgroSciences has once again proven its commitment to our city. This important new expansion will further enhance our growing life sciences community and provide quality jobs to our residents," said Mayor Greg Ballard.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Dow AgroSciences up to $12.5 million in performance-based tax credits and $205,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. In addition, the IEDC will provide the city of Indianapolis with up to $500,000 from its Industrial Development Grant Fund to assist in road, sewer and water improvements needed for the project. The city of Indianapolis and Indianapolis Economic Development, Inc. will assist the company's expansion by supporting a request for tax increment financing.

Dow AgroSciences' decision to expand its headquarters follows two additional company expansions in 2009. In July, the company announced it would lease an 80,000 square-foot research facility from Browning adjacent to its global headquarters, allowing for expansion and adding 100 new biotechnology scientists to its ranks. In September, Dow AgroSciences announced that it would expand its Indiana research operations to Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, creating up to 30 new jobs by 2014.

About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company providing innovative agrochemical and biotechnology solutions globally. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, has sales of $4.5 billion. Learn more at www.dowagro.com .

About IEDC
Created by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Daniels. Mitch Roob serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov .

Source: Indiana Economic Development Corporation

Knauf Insulation Executive Meets With President Obama

2010-03-04T13:04:00.000+01:00

The chief executive officer of Shelbyville-based Knauf Insulation North America has met with President Barack Obama to show support for so-called HOMESTAR legislation, that supporters say would create jobs and improve energy efficiency. Mark Andrews was among the business leaders who attended a Presidential event Tuesday at a technical college training facility in Georgia. He says the meeting confirms the company's belief that the nation needs to do more to save energy and can create jobs through energy efficiency programs.

SAVANNAH, Ga.--Today, Knauf Insulation North America CEO Mark Andrews met with President Barack Obama to discuss, and show support for, pending HOMESTAR legislation; a program designed to create jobs and deliver energy efficiency across the United States. HOMESTAR uses incentives to encourage homeowners to make energy efficient investments in their homes in return for substantial government rebates. Homeowners who invest in building insulation, mechanical systems, energy efficient appliances, and whole-home energy efficiency retrofits will be eligible for incentives and rebates. The meeting confirmed that Knauf’s long held position of “it’s time to save energy” aligns with the President’s goal of creating jobs through energy efficiency.

“Buildings account for 40 percent of the energy used in the U.S.”
“Knauf has always believed that energy efficiency is important because when consumers use less energy, they save money and improve their cash flow,” says Andrews. “And insulation is the quickest and easiest way to make an impact. The savings from insulation are well-documented and will start accruing for consumers from day one.” Adding insulation reduces average home heating and cooling costs by around 20 percent.

“Buildings account for 40 percent of the energy used in the U.S.,” continues Andrews. “Bringing 3 million homes up to code will save those homeowners as much as $9.5 billion in energy costs over the next 10 years while saving the nation the energy equivalent of the entire output of three coal-fired power plants each year.”

Knauf Insulation has led the industry in recent years with the introduction of ECOSE® Technology, a revolutionary binder used in glasswool insulation that eliminates the phenol, formaldehyde, acrylics and other petro-based chemicals found in traditional fiberglass binders. ECOSE Technology is the result of over five years of intense Knauf research and development, resulting in a more sustainable binder for its products. Knauf Insulation director of sustainability and product affairs Scott Miller says, “With energy costs rising, and energy sources diminishing, conservation is critical for our earth’s future. Insulating buildings is the single most important factor in ensuring a sustainable future. Insulation is a known technology that has an immediate economic impact and provides a substantial environmental payback.”

In addition to the economic and environmental savings, the HOMESTAR program will create jobs. Unemployment in the residential construction segment stands at 24.7 percent. HOMESTAR will create 168,000 jobs in skilled manufacturing and construction that can’t be outsourced. “Construction-related manufacturing is running at less than 65 percent of capacity,” says Knauf Insulation vice-president of marketing Joey Viselli. “Producing these energy-saving products will re-start factories across the country and take advantage of capacity that is immediately available while putting skilled contractors back to work.”

HOMESTAR is currently proposed as a part of the U.S. Senate’s jobs agenda for America. The program invests $6 billion in the form of incentives, matched by private investment, to generate three million home retrofits and tens of thousands of jobs across the United States. The President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board has unanimously recommended HOMESTAR as a strategy for near-term job creation.

And Knauf and its contractor partners are ready today says Andrews. “We are ready and able to ramp up quickly to deliver home energy efficiency improvements. HOMESTAR will generate thousands of jobs and reduce the utility bills of countless homeowners. It’s important, and the time to act is now. It’s time save energy and it’s time to put Americans back to work.”

Knauf Insulation is a leading global manufacturer of thermal and acoustical insulations for residential, commercial, industrial, OEM and metal building applications. For more information about Knauf sales and products, visit www.knaufinsulation.us, write to Knauf Insulation GmbH, One Knauf Drive, Shelbyville, IN 46176 or call 800-825-4434 ext. 8212.

Source: Knauff Inuslation