Manufacturing Scorecard Shows Continued Strength
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Ball State University Center for Business and Economic Research has released its 2019 Manufacturing Scorecard. The annual report found that Indiana continues to be a strong manufacturing state, and is the leading state for employment in the sector and the global reach of its goods.
The report also indicates that Indiana is a powerful logistics state, reflecting the geographic placement of the state and the demand for transportation of goods into and out of the state.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, CBER director Michael Hicks said there are several ways the state may be able to leverage the results of the study.
"We know we have a very robust tax climate and that always needs being sustained, we know we have a very strong global reach so the state ought to be very concerned about the effect of the trade war on the health of the industry- both the logistics and manufacturing industry. We know that we have improved worker benefit costs, they’ve been reduced, probably through the Healthy Indiana Plan, but our weak area remains human capital. Indiana can pull no better than a “C” in that and I think that probably explains difficulty manufacturers have at least anecdotally, in finding the workers that they say they need to remain vibrant and profitable,” he said.
The report also identified three areas of weakness that remain, which are: sector diversification, productivity and innovation and human capital.
To view the full report, click here.
Hicks says the state can leverage the finding of the report to help sustain success in the manufacturing industry.