Holcomb: Economic Development Deals Will Bounce Back
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana Governor Eric Holcomb says while the impact of the coronavirus is severe, and getting worse, the state is positioned to pick up where it left off with economic development efforts once the pandemic ends. Holcomb says his office and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. have been in contact with multiple companies around the globe that are investing or interested in coming to Indiana to reassure them during the ongoing crisis.
“The message to us is we are going to get through this. This is a pandemic, by definition this is a global crisis,” said Holcomb. “They are looking for places on the other side of this for stability and certainty and continuity and that’s what our calling cards were going into this storm and that’s what ours will be coming out of it.”
Holcomb talked about the state’s response to the pandemic and the impact on Hoosier business on this weekend’s edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.
The IEDC says 2019 was a record year for capital investment and foreign direct investment in Indiana, with 296 companies committing to investing a combined $8.4 billion and creating more than 27,000 jobs.
Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger says 2020 began with the state tracking ahead of projections for jobs and investment this year, but the pandemic will have an obvious impact, at least in the short term.
As an example, last month Texas-based Lehigh Hanson Inc. said it is delaying the start of a $600 million expansion of its Lehigh Cement Co. plant in Mitchell in Lawrence County, due to uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.