Posted on Sunday, 28th March 2010 by Laura Hernandez
Indiana is known as the “crossroads of America,” and an initiative called Conexus Indiana is hoping to help the state capitalize on that nickname.
On Monday, Conexus Indiana officials visited Evansville to talk about their new strategic plan for strengthening the state’s logistics and advanced manufacturing industries. The news conference, held at Shoe Carnival’s distribution center in northern Vanderburgh County, was one of several similar events planned around the state.
The goal of the plan is to make Indiana “a logistics magnet and America’s destination,” said Kerry Stemler, president of KM Stemler General Contractors in New Albany, Ind. Stemler is a member of the 36-person executive committee that helped create the plan.
The plan proposes three areas of focus: improving the state’s transportation infrastructure, working with legislators on public policy issues; and improving workforce development.
Key components of the 127-page plan include:
¿ Promoting Indiana’s airports as an alternative to the Chicago area, which often suffers from bottlenecks. Some of Indiana’s airports, including the Evansville Regional Airport, don’t handle much freight traffic, said David Holt, vice president of operations and business development for Conexus Indiana.
“We need to figure out how to expand that,” Holt said.
¿ Providing interstate or interstate-type access to more Indiana communities, particularly in Southwestern Indiana. Extending I-69 to Evansville will help, Holt said, but access will still be an issue for other communities, including Jasper, Ind.
¿ Developing two or three large intermodal or multimodal facilities — places where freight containers can be transferred from trains, for example, to trucks.
¿ Supporting the construction and redesign of river and lake locks.
¿ Making sure the state’s workforce is adequately qualified for jobs in the logistics industry.
Work has begun on several of these initiatives.
Yet to come is Phase 2, in which Conexus Indiana will present a public policy plan to state and federal legislators; recommend ways to improve infrastructure financing; and set long-term goals and tactics.
Shoe Carnival is not represented on the committee that generated the plan, but company executives say they concur with its message.
Transportation issues are especially important to Shoe Carnival, said President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Lemond, because efficient transportation saves the company money.
Kerry Jackson, the company’s executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, agreed.
“They’ve got some great ideas and that’s why we want to support them.”
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