INDIANAPOLIS — Members of the West Side Chamber of Commerce gathered to celebrate the group’s first anniversary and were treated to a visit by Gerry Dick, creator and host of “Inside INdiana Business.”
Dick commended the crowd of business leaders for their commitment to the new chamber.
“To be successful, communities have to be engaged,” he said. “It’s incredible what you have built here and I wish you continued success.”
He then gave his view of how business is recovering in Indiana.
“Indiana is holding its own,” Dick said. “A number of indicators show that the economy is slowly ticking up. Indiana has a 9 percent unemployment rate, but it’s lower than anybody around us.”
He said the balanced state budget has contributed to Indiana’s success.
“We’ve not raised taxes, which places us in a position that many other states are not in,” Dick said.
There has been discussion of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) relocating outside of Chicago and Indianapolis is one of the sites being looked at.
“If Indianapolis landed that deal, it would be a game changer,” he said. “That would be 1,500 to 2,000 jobs and a new office building.”
Dick said that even though many indicators are showing positive results, the confidence in Indiana business is still slowly declining. He said the Indiana Business Council does a survey each quarter that measures what they call the “Indiana Business Confidence Index.”
“In February, we were at a 67 percent confidence and now we are at 60 percent,” he said. “Any number of factors go into this study.”
Two studies, one by Indiana University and one by Ball State University, show that Indiana is showing a modest growth of 2 to 3 percent in business, Dick said.
“They’re showing that we will not rebound back to where we were until some time in 2014,” he said. “It might not be moving as fast as we would like to see.”
But he said there are some bright spots in the economic outlook.
“Angie’s List has grown to more than 1,000 employees and is now a publicly traded company,” he said. “And you cannot get any more positive than the story of Kokomo.”
With Delphi and Chrysler both being large employers in the city, it was hit hard with the automobile industry layoffs.
“There was so much uncertainty with Delphi and Chrysler,” Dick said. “But they’ve turned it around and was just honored as the community of the year by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.”
He said one of the main issues contributing to unemployment is having a skilled workforce.
“Some jobs just go unfilled because they cannot find qualified applicants,” Dick said. “A lot is happening in Indiana with the public and private partnerships. The enrollment in community colleges is exploding. We need trained workers to fill these new skilled positions.”
The West Side Chamber of Commerce started nearly 18 months ago as a way to network with business owners in the community.
Rick Proctor, president of the chamber, spoke with members before and following Dick’s report. The organization’s mission is to promote vibrant, sustainable economic development and strengthen the quality of life in Pike Township, Wayne Township, Decatur Township, and Eastern Hendricks County.
“We are excited about 2012,” Proctor said. “We have a packed schedule of events.”
For more information, visit the website at www.westsidechamber.biz.
brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com
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