Indiana Scores Silver Shovel Award

Indiana has been recognized by Area Development magazine for its job creation and investment initiatives. The publication has awarded the state a 2016 Silver Shovel Award.

Indiana is one of 16 recipients of the award, which is given to states based on the number of high-valued added jobs per capita, amount of investment, number of new facilities and industry diversity. The publication says states are only compared to those in their population tier; Indiana joins Arizona, Missouri and Wisconsin in the five to eight million tier.

"The states and communities receiving 2016 Shovel Awards not only have the right combination of factors to attract and retain business, they also display a pro-business attitude and marketing savvy," said Geraldine Gambale, editor of Area Development. "They deserve to be recognized for winning high-impact economic development projects."

Only six states received the Gold Shovel Award: California, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, Nevada and Utah.