TOPEKA - Wind was the talk of the town in Topeka Tuesday, with U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd, meeting with town officials and representatives from Pioneer Wind Energy, a Fort Wayne firm that wants to erect windmill farms in the area.In an informal press conference with the congressman, the company's managing director, Steve Stroup, said Pioneer is well on its way to having its first farm up and

Wind energy could help pull northeast Indiana's manufacturing economy out of the doldrums, a speaker told the crowd at the Northeast Indiana Wind Energy Supply Chain workshop Wednesday.More than 250 people - including manufacturers looking to replace dwindling auto industry orders - attended the workshop at Grand Wayne Center.Two wind developers have announced plans to invest more than $1 billion

FORT WAYNE - Steel Dynamics Inc., which built its first steel mill in rural Butler, broke into the Fortune 500 list of the nation's largest companies for 2008, according to rankings released this week.Steel Dynamics rose to 318th place on the list, after just missing the list at 517th last year.Fortune magazine ranks companies according to total revenue. SDI's revenue reached $8 billion in 2008,

COLUMBIA CITY - Modular aluminum framing systems provider 80/20 Inc. announced today that it will expand its manufacturing and distribution center to include aluminum anodizing capabilities. "We are pleased to announce this expansion project, which continues our focus on providing creative, innovative solutions to meet our customers' needs," said Don Wood, 80/20 Inc. CEO.The company, which

AUBURN - Solar panels are providing a bright side to Auburn's gloomy manufacturing economy.Guardian Industries has been making concentrating solar panels for a year in its Auburn factory, which chiefly produces automotive windows and windshields.About 60 of Guardian's 200 hourly workers at Auburn are fabricating the large, reflective panels, said Joe Abbruzzi, vice president and general manager

Competition is keen among contractors, construction takes time to complete and executives believe expanding now will bring a number of important new opportunities to Steel Tank & Fabricating Corp.The Columbia City-based storage tank builder is investing about $1 million in a plant addition, which will increase its size 58 percent to 20,200 square feet."There are a lot of tank companies that

Fort Wayne, Ind. - Buchanan Hauling & Rigging, Inc. has announced an expansion at its Fort Wayne headquarters. The overall investment for the project is approximately $520,000 and the transportation and logistics company will add 60 new jobs in the next five years. Project completion is scheduled for 2012. "This is a very exciting time for our company," said Geary Buchanan, president of Buchanan

Albion-based Busche says it is adding seven manufacturing positions. The precision machining company in Noble County has landed a $1.1 million contract from Copeland Emerson Climate Technologies involving several different refrigeration air compressors. Busche hopes to have production up to full speed by June 1.Diversification - many organizations are using the word, but BUSCHE a CNC (Computer

The IEDC has unveiled the 2009 Life Sciences Resource Guide, a reference tool which provides a concise overview of Indiana’s life sciences environment and organizations.The guide is coupled with the Indiana Health Industry Forum’s comprehensive directory of state life sciences organizations and companies. The guide is now available on the IEDC Web site at http://www.in.gov/iedc/files/

INDIANAPOLIS (May 12, 2009) - Indiana Secretary of Commerce Mitch Roob and BioCrossroads Chief Executive David Johnson will join Indiana's top life sciences executives and academics next week in Atlanta to recruit new high-tech companies to Indiana and showcase the state's strengths in biotech discovery, development and delivery.The trip is part of the state's business recruiting efforts at the

This year marks the beginning of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Centennial Era, a two-yearcelebration commemorating the 100th anniversary of the speedway in 2009 and the 100thanniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011.This year also marks the 100th anniversary of another notable milestone: The establishment ofIndiana as a worldwide leader in the motorsports industry.The then new

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Superior Essex, a manufacturer of magnet wire and cable for a variety of industries, announced today that it will expand its distribution operations here creating up to 15 new jobs by 2010.The manufacturer of heavy industrial wire and cable for original equipment manufacturers and distributors will invest nearly 500,000 to consolidate its Kentucky and Columbia City, Ind.,

WARSAW, Ind. (April 28, 2009) - The Flexaust Company, a hose and ducting manufacturer, announced today that it will expand its operations here, creating up to 20 new jobs and expanding training opportunities for existing employees.The company, which manufactures flexible hose and ducting solutions for the industrial and commercial markets, will invest more than $1 million to update equipment at

AUBURN, Ind. - Metal Technologies Auburn, LLC (MTA), a manufacturer of gray iron castings for the construction, automotive and appliance industries, announced today that it will expand its operations here, creating up to 32 new permanent jobs and another 20 temporary positions by the end of the year. MTA, which produces iron castings for customers primarily in the small gasoline engine,

CHICAGO (May 4, 2009) - Representatives from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Indiana Office of Energy Development will join executives, local officials and educators this week in Chicago 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