Read why the Regional Chamber supports a variety of bills in the 2012 session of the Indiana General Assembly. They range from government reorganization to taxation to transportation. Click More for details. 
Learn more about Regional Chamber member Suzanne Huffman and how her partnership with us benefits Wells County. Right to Work a Factor in Recent Job Announcement
Michigan-based automotive company, Android Industries, recently announced a project that will bring an $8.97 million investment and 33 jobs to Fort Wayne. Among many factors contributing to Indiana being their choice for relocation, the passage of Right to Work had a definite impact on their decision.
“Android chose Indiana and specifically Fort Wayne because it’s both an employee- and employer-friendly environment,” said David Donnay, vice president of human resources at Android. “Recently, Indiana became a right-to-work state and offers us a competitive location and a skilled work force to complement our state of the art technology. All of these factors went into choosing Indiana as an optimal location.”
To read more about the announcement, click HERE to visit the Indiana Economic Development Corporation website.
Member Alert: Speaker Bosma at Next Membership Meeting
The Regional Chamber is pleased to announce that Indiana House of Representatives Speaker Brian Bosma will be attending our Second Quarter Membership Meeting. Speaker Bosma will provide members with a review of the 2012 Legislative Session at the May 21, 2012 meeting. We encourage all of our members to attend and show strong support from Northeast Indiana Business leaders for Speaker Bosma.
Please send your RSVP to kacey.miller@neinadvocates.com if you plan to attend.
Indiana is Officially the 23rd Right to Work State
On Wednesday, February 1, the Senate voted on a very heated third hearing procedure to adopt House Bill 1001 (Right to Work). The bill passed with a vote of 28-22. We strongly believe that this move will place Indiana as a competitor for 30-50% more economic development opportunities, and become an important tool for the highly skilled economic development professionals working in Northeast Indiana.
What is the Indiana Legislature up to this week? Click here for the latest calendar.
I-69 Connector Proposed to Improve Safety, Flow of Goods
The Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana supports a unique collaborative effort to improve access between I-69 and US 24 at Roanoke, Indiana in eastern Huntington County. The plan proposes an upgrade of County Road 900 North/Lafayette Center Road to function as a connector between the two major highways. Download a copy of the project RFI. Read coverage of the proposal by The News Sentinel.
Northeast Indiana Ranks Poorly for Transportation Infrastructure Investment
A report commissioned for the Regional Chamber shows investment in Northeast Indiana’s transportation infrastructure is well below expectations when compared to a variety of funding determinants. In particular, Northeast Indiana lacks funding for major new transportation projects. Allen, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, and Whitley all underperformed funding expectations for in each of 18 funding variables. The full report is available for download in the members only section of the Website.
2012 Legislative Priorities
The Regional Chamber has released its policy priorities for the 2012 session of the Indiana General Assembly. They include the ten-point “THIS IND UP” plan to improve employment, household incomes, and the business climate in Northeast Indiana.
Download a full copy of the 2012 Policy Priority Brochure.
The mission of the Regional Chamber is to promote an environment in Northeast Indiana in which individuals, businesses and communities thrive in a global economy. Historically, Northeast Indiana has not received its fair share of resources from the state and federal governments. If we cannot rise to the challenge of working together, our region is at great risk of falling further and further behind active participants in the global economy.
Today, there is momentum for regionalism that has seldom existed in Northeast Indiana. A well-implemented Regional Chamber can further that momentum by asking leaders from each of Northeast Indiana’s ten counties to help build the policy agenda we need to create the optimal environment for growth and development.
