Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels came to Elkhart Thursday with economic news — 500 jobs are coming to northern Indiana. WSBT-TV Photo
Story Created:
Apr 2, 2009 at 5:56 PM EST
Story Updated:
Apr 5, 2009 at 7:18 AM EST
Elkhart's high unemployment rate is actually drawing some new companies to set up shop in northern Indiana. Thursday Governor Daniels announced 500 jobs are on the way.
Daniels calls this a "day of hope," but when it comes to raising the educational standards, northern Indiana still has a long way to go.
"There's life in the old girl yet," Daniels told business owners and reporters gathered for his announcement. "In fact, there's a lot of it."
As he promised new life and new jobs to Hoosiers plagued by unemployment and recession, Governor Daniels said people of enterprise will see opportunity and seize it.
"They're seizing it here in Elkhart even while the world is still, for all we know, yet to hit the bottom of this trough."
One company looking to expand from its Illinois headquarters is Lake Cable of Elkhart — an industrial, commercial, residential wire and cable company based in Illinois.
The wiring and cable is used in factories, traffic signals, wind turbines, security systems, fire alarms and building automation. The new factory will bring 20 jobs.
"Elkhart has a lot ot of great people that know the business, know the industry, and the facilities here," said Lake Cable's Executive Vice President John Murakami.
Intercambio Express, a money transmitter company, will locate its headquarters to Elkhart, hiring an additional 51 information technology (IT) and customer service associates.
“The economic climate was also to our advantage at this point,” said Anita Knudtson, Intercambio Express spokesperson. “We were able to secure a building that was in a great location and fit our needs very well and allowed us a lot of growth.”
After Governor Daniels spoke, a laid off RV worker talked about her experience with Ivy Tech’s retraining program.
“I have a lot to be thankful for,” said Annette Silvers.
She knows new jobs will need skilled workers. Silvers is going back to school to get a job in the healthcare industry.
“I want to be the example to lead by,” she said.
Governor Daniels said Northern Indiana needs more examples of higher educational standards to get out of desperation and back into business.
“At this point in Indiana’s history, we are the most attractive place in America with a couple of Sunbelt states by every measure and criterion except one,” he said.
The new jobs won’t be in our region overnight. Some should be in place by this time in 2010, but others not until 2013.
But the hope is Thursday’s announcement will be the beginning of an economic turnaround for northern Indiana — especially Elkhart County.
After his economic development announcement, reporters asked Governor Daniels about the controversy between state and federal officials.
The government said state officials broke federal rules during the writing and awarding of contracts — including the $7 million retraining program at Ivy Tech last June. In fact, the Labor Department mandated the immediate cancellation of the program.
When asked about that Thursday, Governor Daniels said there was nothing to clear up.
“It was the contract to move quickly to get these very people — young and not so young — retrained so they can get back to work. That will continue to occur. The money will have to go a little longer circuit now to comply with some bureaucrat's misinterpretation of his own rules," he said.
Bottom line: if you're going through the re-training programs at Ivy Tech, the governor said your funding is not in jeopardy.
