Expansion plans keep central region bustling
Monday, June 18 2007
Good news kept coming to central Indiana in 2006, with a diverse array of economic development projects promising new jobs and investment for the region. The 30-county swath-which includes Indianapolis, Lafayette, Terre Haute, Bloomington, Muncie and Richmond-won 83 competitive projects in 2006. Those deals carry the promise of 10,717 new jobs and $2.4 billion in capital investment. By comparison, 2005 saw 58 projects, 6,189 new jobs and $851 million in new investment.
By all accounts, 2006 was a banner year. In fact, it was a record one, said Charlie Sparks, central region director for the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
Most deals were responsible for 250 new jobs or less, but a handful of high-profile transactions stands to deliver the most economic growth.
The largest came from Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc., which announced in December that it would create 1,200 jobs over five years by expanding its managed care Medicaid operations and coordinating specialty remedies through its PrecisionRx Specialty Solutions arm.
