Indiana is #1 in manufacturing jobs per capita in the nation and #2 in manufacturing job growth according to Indiana’s State Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann. The Lt. Governor’s remarks were shared at the Tri-State Manufacturers’ Alliance 3rd Quarter Event “The State of Manufacturing” sponsored by Harding, Shymanski & Company, P.S.C. in Evansville last Thursday. During her presentation, Lt. Governor Ellspermann stated, “In manufacturing, we have 6,000 new job commitments and nearly $1B in capital investments.” She went on to say that much of this success can be attributed to the State’s efforts to make Indiana a great place to do business.
After conducting nearly 50 Business and Ag Roundtables since May, the Lt. Governor reports that among the top concerns identified during the roundtables were: difficulty in filling workforce jobs even with 6-10% unemployment, lack of basic work readiness, and lack of skilled workforce. For the complete presentation, click here.
In addition, Karen Kurek, Managing Partner from McGladrey LLC shared the results of the McGladrey 2013 Manufacturing & Distribution Monitor Report. This year’s report covers outlook for growth; cost expectations and maintaining margins; workforce and business proximity; and information technology. In addition to the full report, a number of customized reports are available by state. Download a copy of the 2013 Monitor Report here.
Ms. Kurek also delivered the Report’s results as part of One Southern Indiana‘s Metro Manufacturing Alliance Summit event last Friday in Sellersburg, Indiana. Kurek was joined by Sharon Rice, Executive Director, APICS E&R Foundation, Dr. Uric Dufrene, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs IU Southeast, and a Workforce Development Panel Discussion led by Wendy Dant-Chesser, President & CEO of One Southern Indiana. Dr. Dufrene shared insights on the regional economic outlook saying that he is “more optimistic than I have been in 7 years” when looking at the economic trends for 2013 and forecasting for 2014.
