8 MARCH 2017 SI T E S E L E C T IO Ndramatic growth in both employed residents and its tax base. Among the report’s findings: The $174-million investment in the project area resulted in an additional $110 million of economic activity within Hamilton County. And more than 3,300 jobs and nearly $140 million in employee compensation are associated with total investment in the district. Districts of DiscoveryObviously I’m not the only one setting foot in Indy and discovering its value. The Indy Partnership, the regional business attraction arm of the Indy Chamber, reported 11,100 new jobs and more than $1.2 billion in capital investment in 2016, coordinated with partners across the nine-county area.Nearly one of every three new jobs came in IT, continuing a trend: The 2016 ‘Tech Thirty’ report (released annually by commercial real estate broker CBRE) ranked the region 5th among major metros in tech employment gains for the last two years (besting even Silicon Valley over that span). And the area is in the Top 10 for headquarters investments over the past three years, according to Site Selection’s Conway Projects Database.Among the tech investors: Salesforce (800 jobs); Octiv (formerly Tinderbox, 225 new jobs), Clear Software (190 new jobs, Zionsville) and Braden Business Systems (120 new jobs, Fishers) among 27 tech projects accounting for more than 3,300 jobs. Advanced manufacturing and logistics continued their healthy momentum in the region too.“Roughly 60 percent of all new jobs tracked by the Indy Partnership last year came from IT and logistics,” noted Indy Chamber President & CEO Michael Huber. “It shows that we need to focus on our high-tech future and continue to capitalize on fundamental assets like our central location and multi-modal transportation system. That’s why a long-term solution for infrastructure funding is high on our public policy agenda, alongside issues like education and entrepreneurship.”Among other national organizations in Indy you’ll find the headquarters of Lumina Foundation, dedicated to increasing the proportion of Americans with degrees, certificates and other high-quality credentials to 60 percent by 2025. According to Lumina’s April 2016 report A Stronger Nation, Greater Indianapolis ranks 42nd among the largest 100 US metro areas by percentage of residents aged 25-64 with at least an associate’s degree.Area leaders want to see that ranking rise. With development of the 16 Tech innovation district and Indiana Bioscience Research Institute, that seems destined to happen. The hiring of the Indy Chamber’s first Chief Economic Development Officer, Maureen Donohue Krauss, coincides with the recent launch of the Chamber’s “Accelerate Indy” strategy, focused on a regional approach to cultivating high-skill talent and a high-tech business climate.It’s only a matter of time before you’ll find yourself touching down in the Indy region for a site visit, conference or sales call. Take a cue from what you’ll read about in this Greater Indianapolis Intelligence Report and then take the time to poke around a bit. You might find the climate conducive for a lot more than just a pleasant stroll. By 2020, the nine-county Greater Indy region is projected to grow by more than 5 percent to over 2 MILLIONpeople, comprising nearly of Indiana’s total population.30%Indy17-full.indd 83/3/17 8:16 AM
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