Top executives from the largest and most visible retailers and consumer goods manufacturers in the world are in Florida this week for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) national logistics conference. Indy Partnership Senior Business Development Director Scott Fulford is there promoting the advantages of locating new or expanded operations here, with the goal of attracting new jobs and investment to communities throughout the 10-county Indianapolis region.

International Economic Development Council awards Indy Partnership top honors for outstanding outreach and marketing efforts, magazine also receives honorable mention

INDIANAPOLIS (September 22, 2009) — Indy Partnership Business Development Director Kristie McKillip departs for Germany today on a trade mission promoting the 10-county Indianapolis Region. It is McKillip’s third trip to Germany in 10 months.

$17.3 million investment in new oncology Therapeutic Resource Center® will create 160 pharmacy-related jobs in Boone County, Indiana

WHITESTOWN, Ind. (June 23, 2009) — Just 18 months after locating an advanced automated pharmacy in the Indianapolis Region that will create 1,300 high-paying jobs, Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MHS), has announced that it will invest $17.3 million and create 160 additional jobs in the region at its first Medco Therapeutic Resource Center® (TRC), a specialty pharmacy designed to treat oncology patients.

Site Selection, a leading national economic development trade magazine, has named Indy Partnership one of the top 10 economic development groups in the country and will feature the organization in the May issue. Indy Partnership President and CEO Ron Gifford accepted the “Top 10” award today in Asheville, NC, at the national meeting of the Industrial Asset Management Council.

Governor Mitch Daniels and Mayor Greg Ballard joined executives from Dow AgroSciences today to announce the company will significantly expand its global headquarters here, creating up to 577 new jobs by 2015. The agriculture-based firm will invest more than $340 million to construct additions of its global headquarters over the next five years, with the first phase being a 14,000 square-foot greenhouse and a 175,000 square-foot research and development facility at its corporate campus on the city's northwest side. Dow AgroSciences anticipates the greenhouse construction to be complete by the end of the year while the R&D facility is expected to open in early 2012, with other building projects coming according to a multi-year timeline. "R&D leadership in the life sciences is a dream of every state in the Union," said Daniels. "Here in Indiana, it's not a dream, but a vibrant reality, and Dow AgroSciences' steady growth is a major reason why. This expansion makes Indiana a true world capital of agricultural science." Dow AgroSciences, a global agricultural company providing agrochemical and biotechnology solutions, continues to expand its workforce including both scientific and commercial positions. Salaries reflect the high-technology focus of the company, with example pay ranges of $65,000 - $90,000 annually. "Indiana has cultivated a pro-business environment, with leaders in both the public and private sector being very committed to expanding the life sciences and building critical mass in related industries," said Antonio Galindez, president and chief executive officer of Dow AgroSciences. "This makes for the perfect setting for our ambitious growth plans. Central Indiana also offers outstanding infrastructure and quality of life which are important components of attracting top talent. We thank city and state leaders for their support of our expansion efforts." Dow AgroSciences was created in 1989 as DowElanco, a joint venture between the agricultural products business of The Dow Chemical Company and the Elanco Plant Sciences business of Eli Lilly and Company. In 1997, Dow acquired 100 percent ownership of the business and changed the name to Dow AgroSciences. In its 20 years of operation, the company has grown to employ more than 1,200 associates at its Indiana headquarters and 5,400 globally.

The town of Fishers, Ind., scores highest in terms of livability, safety, education, and economic performance. When Mario Massillamany and his parents left Sri Lanka in 1983, they landed in Indianapolis and eventually settled some 20 miles away in Fishers, Ind., a bustling community with ornamental street lamps, a train station, and clear roads during the snow season. Over the years, the fast-growing town attracted many young families, added new homes, and improved its recreational and entertainment amenities. Residents can drive from one end of town to the other in about a quarter of an hour, finding grocery stores, restaurants, and hospitals within minutes. Massillamany, 32, returned to Fishers after attending law school in Colorado and moved with his wife to the Brooks Chase subdivision, home to many newlyweds and first-time homebuyers. "Everything here is so new and close," he says. Most important, he adds, Fishers' excellent school system will be a great asset for his son, now 20 months old. Fishers emerged as America's best affordable suburb in Bloomberg BusinessWeek's 2010 report. Affordability is among the most important factors when selecting a place to raise a family, but it is far from the only consideration. In too many regions, low prices also translate to substandard services, poor schools, and high crime rates.

A consumer product manufacturing company says it plans to expand operations in Franklin. Rexam says it will add up to 46 jobs by the end of the year. The London-based company currently employs more than 100 in Franklin.

Indiana University President Michael McRobbie announced a $1.1 billion fund-raising campaign Tuesday that will help pay for costs to merge and grow IUPUI's and Clarian Health's campuses, creating one of the largest life-sciences campuses in the world.