Inside INdiana Business Television Podcast

Indiana sports are delivering another record year, with a state bid fund helping generate more than $1 billion in economic impact since 2023 and women's volleyball emerging as the next opportunity for growth. Indiana Sports Corp. President Patrick Talty talks with Gerry Dick about the Indy Showcase, a new women's college volleyball event coming to Indianapolis next August, the investment behind the city's push to become a women's sports capital, and efforts to secure major events as competition intensifies among cities seeking the same opportunities. IBJ editor and assistant publisher Lesley Weidenbener examines Democratic gains in statewide and suburban races, the loss of the Republican House supermajority, and voters' rejection of northeast Indiana casino proposals, while the program also covers an economic forecast that puts Indiana ahead of national growth in 2027, driven by life sciences investment and higher-paying jobs. Also featured: Holy Cross College researchers investigate lead dust beneath church stained glass windows and potential risks to children; new medical training and research facilities, energy manufacturing projects and college arenas take shape across the state; and Lilac Blonde founders Abby and Andrew Vitale explain how their women's footwear and clothing business surpassed $10 million in total sales while using artificial intelligence to guide inventory decisions and support continued expansion.

South Bend's data center debate is colliding with a $135 million downtown technology project as northern Indiana attracts new investment and jobs. Mayor James Mueller explains why the city wants large data centers to pay their own way, protect neighborhoods and direct new resources back into the community. From downtown South Bend, Inside Indiana Business host Gerry Dick examines Colfax Corner, a research and innovation development linking the University of Notre Dame with private industry and projected to bring about 400 jobs downtown. Regional reporter Eniola Longe reports on Elkhart's next $120 million River District development phase and the debut of the Dynasty Sports Film Festival. In Fort Wayne, U.S. Sen. Jim Banks' fifth annual defense summit brings military and business leaders together as Indiana's defense sector gains ground. The report examines Lockheed Martin's acquisition of Ultra Maritime and its sonobuoy manufacturing operation in Columbia City, along with concerns over capacity on U.S. 30. State officials report $2.5 billion in committed defense capital investment since 2020. Business of Health reporter Kylie Veleta covers BioCrossroads' discussions of artificial intelligence in drug manufacturing, and Evansville startup Anu's $500,000 federal grant to expand automated indoor growing systems. Emily Hawthorne opens The Sensory Shoppe in Greenwood, giving children with sensory needs room to try products before buying them. Also covered: Bloomington's recruitment of new residents, a renewable natural gas facility in Greensburg, drone testing in Terre Haute, Indiana University's semiconductor research partnership with imec, a federal grant for Burns Harbor, a new Wabash River boathouse and Marian University's $500 million fundraising milestone.

Bloomington's $52 million convention center expansion is nearing completion, more than doubling its meeting and event space ahead of a January opening. Inside Indiana Business host Gerry Dick reports from south central Indiana as IBJ Media's Innovate Indiana series examines growth across the 11-county Uplands region. Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson connects Indiana University's football-driven tourism gains, the Trades District and research commercialization to the city's growth plans. The first phase of the Hopewell redevelopment calls for 98 owner-occupied homes on the former hospital site. Susan Borries Reed, the new president and CEO of the Bloomington Economic Development Corp., outlines efforts to prepare sites and attract businesses. Kyle Werner, deputy technical director at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, discusses roughly $5 billion in fiscal 2026 contract obligations and hundreds of millions of dollars committed to construction through 2035. Nearby WestGate@Crane Technology Park is projected to attract more than $2.7 billion in investment and over 3,700 net new jobs within eight years. Bloomington-based Terran Robotics is using artificial intelligence and cable-driven robots to build homes from clay, sand and straw. A one-bedroom home under construction illustrates how the company is combining automated labor with traditional adobe materials to pursue lower housing costs. Also covered: Haynes International's $172 million expansion in Kokomo, Mallow Run Winery's planned December closure, virtual reality and AI at the BioCrossroads Life Sciences Summit, and a potential Sullivan County nuclear power project involving Amazon, X-energy and American Electric Power.

Indiana's export trade totals $70 billion, and the Colts are expanding the state's reach in Europe. Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon explains why games that count, rather than exhibitions, are central to building an international fan base. Host Gerry Dick talks with Martin Baier, president and CEO of the International Center, about foreign investment, sports diplomacy and the business value of global connections. Indianapolis International Airport executive director and CEO Mario Rodriguez outlines how pharmaceuticals and nonstop flights are strengthening Indiana's ties with Ireland. Visit Bloomington executive director Mike McAfee details a $52 million convention center expansion with more than 20 meeting and event rooms and a 26,000-square-foot exhibit hall. The National FFA Convention and Expo is expected to generate $40 million in central Indiana economic activity. Ginovus CEO Larry Gigerich discusses community opposition to data centers and why companies need to build trust with their neighbors. Eli Lilly and Company proposes more than $19 million for emergency response in Lebanon, including 12 new firefighters. Business of Health reporter Kylie Veleta details an Indiana University School of Medicine study backed by a $7 million National Institutes of Health grant. Nearly 200 primary care clinicians, including 65 in Indiana, will learn to evaluate young children for autism, with a focus on improving access in rural communities. Indiana first lady Maureen Braun shares lessons from opening Finishing Touches in Jasper in 1978, including why passion needs a business plan. In Lebanon, second-generation owners Bob and Kathy Donaldson celebrate 60 years of Donaldson's Finer Chocolates, where family recipes, employee training and customer relationships keep the business going.

Indiana's One Health Research Institute is breaking ground in Indianapolis, bringing Purdue University and Elanco Animal Health together to accelerate discoveries in animal, human, plant and environmental health. Gerry Dick reports from Elanco's headquarters on the White River, where CEO Jeff Simmons describes his vision for the One Health Innovation District. The effort is designed to connect university research, companies and entrepreneurs, giving emerging technologies a route from the lab to the marketplace. In northwest Indiana, Doral Renewables President and CEO Nick Cohen discusses the completion of Mammoth Solar, a $1.5 billion development generating 1,300 megawatts of power for an estimated 275,000 homes. He explains how local farmers can raise livestock and crops alongside solar panels while earning income from leased land. Business of Health reporter Kylie Veleta examines Indianapolis startup BiomEdit's conditional USDA license for an engineered probiotic intended to protect broiler chickens against necrotic enteritis. Three major poultry producers are testing the non-antibiotic product in flocks totaling more than 35 million birds. The company plans to market it as Optavant once it receives full licensure. Other headlines include Hammond's bid for a Chicago Bears stadium, Sweetwater's nearly $37 million Fort Wayne expansion, progress on Indiana University's IU LAB bioscience accelerator, major fundraising at Grace College and Franklin College, and new Southwest Airlines nonstop routes from Indianapolis. The World Food Championships also return to the Indiana State Fairgrounds, where reigning dessert champion Cindy Hawkins prepares to defend her title against an international field. Inside Indiana Business is presented by Elevate Ventures, Indiana University, LiUNA and the Indiana Association of Realtors.

Upwards of $4 billion in development is in the works for downtown Indianapolis. On this edition of Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick, explore the projects reshaping the city—from the Signia Hotel and Circle Centre Mall’s transformation into Traction Yards to new investments around Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Downtown Indianapolis Alliance CEO Taylor Schaffer discusses growth, sports tourism, public safety perceptions, and the future of downtown. In Evansville, the $60 million Vault on Main development brings 161 apartments and new commercial space to the city’s core. Evansville Regional Economic Partnership CEO Lloyd Winnecke explains its significance for the region. Plus, Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. provides an update on efforts to bring the Chicago Bears’ stadium to Indiana. Also featured: agricultural growth along the I-74 corridor, Ball State’s Village revitalization, Indiana’s bid to host the U.S. Space Academy, and fuel costs facing Hoosier farmers. Then, Purdue researchers pursue a possible clue to Amelia Earhart’s disappearance. And in the Business of Health, meet Steve Gilbert, an 81-year-old living with Parkinson’s who credits Rock Steady Boxing with helping him prepare for his eighth marathon.

Indiana farm costs are surging as harvest begins, with diesel near $7 a gallon, fertilizer and seed expenses climbing, and August flooding adding another layer of uncertainty for growers across the state. Don Lamb, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, explains where pressure is greatest in the farm economy and why commodity producers are especially exposed when input costs rise faster than crop prices. The report also looks at DataOne's proposed $7.5 billion data center at Frankfort's Logix Innovation Campus, a project expected to create about 200 jobs if approved. In southwest Indiana, the I-69 Ohio River Crossing reaches a major milestone as work on the Indiana approach bridges is completed, clearing the way for the future interstate bridge between Evansville and Henderson, Kentucky. Indianapolis leaders also continue discussions with Major League Soccer while reconsidering where a downtown stadium could be built. The Business of Health examines Telix Pharmaceuticals' planned acquisition of ITM and what the deal means for central Indiana's growing radiopharmaceutical sector. Eli Lilly and Company also breaks ground on a $6.5 billion Houston manufacturing site as part of its broader U.S. production expansion. Other stories include a new Community Health Network behavioral health hospital, Amazon expansion, Buc-ee's plans for Greenwood, and the conversion of an 1872 Indianapolis church into a cafe and community space.

Where will Indiana’s next wave of investment and jobs come from? On this episode of Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick, Hoosier business leaders gather in Washington, D.C., for the Indiana Chamber’s annual DC Insider event to discuss the state’s economic future. Hear from Senators Todd Young and Jim Banks on opportunities in artificial intelligence, microelectronics and defense investment, including what could be ahead for Naval Support Activity Crane. Congressman Frank Mrvan discusses Northwest Indiana’s momentum, South Shore rail investments, the steel industry and the Chicago Bears’ possible move to Hammond—and what a stadium project could mean for jobs and development. In the Business of Health, Riley Children’s Health introduces an 11-bed pediatric medical behavioral health unit designed to treat children with medical and psychiatric needs at the same time. Learn how the new unit aims to help families find care closer to home. Plus, Marian University prepares for a leadership transition after Dan Elsner’s transformative tenure, General Motors invests in Bedford, Givaudan plans a $215 million production facility in West Harrison, and Indiana’s creative economy looks for new opportunities to grow. We also go inside Shake Up Cocktails, a growing business bringing the flavor and nostalgia of the fair to customers across five states. Subscribe for more Indiana business news, economic development updates and conversations with leaders across the state.

Ball State's nearly $200 million redevelopment of The Village aims to turn the district beside its Muncie campus into a hub for arts, housing and business. Ball State University President Geoff Mearns talks with Gerry Dick about the 97-room Cantio Hotel, a new performing arts center with a 425-seat main stage and the Center for Innovation and Collaboration, which connects students with regional businesses. He explains how planned apartments and new amenities could help retain graduates and attract employers to East Central Indiana. Also covered: Taylor University's Main Street Mile initiative in Upland passes the halfway mark of a five-year plan backed by more than $100 million in investment. Indiana hosts a Midwest-Japan business summit as the state looks beyond traditional manufacturing to attract investment in life sciences, semiconductors and advanced technology. Marian University President Dan Elsener outlines the Crossroads Academic Medical Institute, a partnership with Purdue University and 10 health care organizations designed to recruit, train and retain workers. With 71 of Indiana's 92 counties short on health care professionals, the effort puts rural and underserved communities at the center of a statewide approach. Other headlines include plans for a nuclear microreactor at Crane, Shein's automated distribution campus in Lebanon and Zimmer Biomet's headquarters donation to Grace College. Back in Muncie, the coverage follows a proposed cultural corridor connecting downtown, Minnetrista Museum and Gardens and Ball State, along with the Ball Brothers Foundation's century of community investment.

Southeast Indiana growth is accelerating as River Ridge Commerce Center, Redwire and Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville drive major investment in logistics, advanced manufacturing, space research and energy. From the Ohio River, the program looks at a region shifting from an economy long defined by traditional manufacturing toward a broader mix of logistics, technology and new investment. Lance Allison, CEO of One Southern Indiana, says Clark, Floyd and Scott counties have attracted $3 billion in capital investment over the past three years, while quality of life projects such as Origin Park are becoming part of the region's competitive strategy. A $25 million federal grant for Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville will expand cargo operations and increase heavy-lift capacity. At Redwire's new 30,000-square-foot Georgetown facility, researchers work with NASA and pharmaceutical partners on microgravity projects, including higher-quality seed crystals and 3D bioprinted human tissue. Redwire's SpaceMD venture is focused on health, medical and biotech work tied to space research. River Ridge Commerce Center is also central to the region's energy story. CS PowerTech, a Canadian Solar subsidiary, has opened a nearly 1 million-square-foot solar cell facility backed by a $1 billion investment and expected to create 1,200 jobs at full capacity. The plant is using heterojunction technology designed to increase energy production. Also covered: Lilly's planned acquisition of Merida Biosciences, Purdue Fort Wayne's new music industry building, Harry & Izzy's expansion into Arizona, and other statewide business headlines.