Targeted Industries

Indiana’s I-74 Business Corridor, in partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Association and Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD), published the Interstate 74 Regional Agriculture Strategy in 2023.

 

The document and work plan serve as a new roadmap to guide the region’s businesses, farmers, entrepreneurs, and leaders to create a stronger agricultural economy to meet the needs of today and prepare for the changes of tomorrow.

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Indiana’s enviable network of interstate highways and its central location have made logistics one of the most prominent industries in the state. Distribution operations also do very well here in the “Crossroads of America”.

 

With such proximity to the FedEx hub in Indianapolis, DHL in Cincinnati and UPS in Louisville, businesses located anywhere along the I-74 Corridor can have their shipments expedited to carriers in less than three hours. Nearby rail service and air cargo facilities also offer additional options for getting raw materials in and finished products out to markets fast.

 

More than a third of U.S. consumer markets are located within a day’s drive. The CSX mainline runs parallel to I-74, connecting businesses here to deep water ports on the east coast, expanding that reach to the rest of the world.

 

With several industrial parks – some with shovel-ready sites – thousands of available acres and more than 50 existing structures, the I-74 Business Corridor has plenty of room for distribution operations of any size. Finding the workers they need won’t be a problem with a workforce of more than 3 million within a 90-minute drive.

 

Ivy Tech’s campuses in Lawrenceburg and Batesville offer certificate and Associate degree programs in Supply Chain Management and Logistics and a training program for truck drivers: logistics and distribution operations will find no shortage of well-qualified workers here.

Food processors will find all the ingredients they need to succeed here along the I-74 Corridor. More than 80 percent of Indiana land is devoted to agriculture, putting all the grain, dairy, pork and beef, poultry and eggs food processors need just a short drive away.

 

There’s plenty of water here, too. Much of the corridor sits atop the Teays Aquifer system, which offers more than enough clean, high-quality water to meet the demands of food processors and beverage makers. Food processing and packaging are energy-intensive businesses. Throughout the corridor, these and other food-related industries enjoy abundant and affordable gas and electricity – well more than enough to meet their needs.

 

Food-related businesses locating here will find a regional, well-prepared workforce more than three million strong. Locally, our high schools, technical training centers and Ivy Tech College are producing workers with the skills the food industry needs.

 

Access to consumer markets is another key ingredient for success in the food industry. No matter where you are in the I-74 Corridor, you’ll find easy and fast access to more than 115 million hungry consumers within a day’s drive.

Southeastern Indiana is an ideal location for glass and plastics manufacturers and their supply chain partners.

 

Home to industry leaders like Anchor Glass in Greendale and Precision Concepts in Lawrenceburg, we boast a thriving business environment, robust infrastructure and proximity to key markets that make it a strategic choice for companies in the glass and plastics sectors.

 

The integration of glass and ceramics with agri-business, such as the historic Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg and Greendale, creates opportunities for innovation, particularly in food packaging. 

Indiana workers make things. It’s in our blood. In fact, manufacturing is, by far, the largest industry sector in the state due primarily to our Midwestern work ethic. The I-74 Corridor is lined with some of the most sophisticated and demanding manufacturers in the world.

 

Communities throughout the I-74 corridor have been working hard to create 80 miles of opportunity that provide a straight-line connection between our schools and local manufacturers. Students here receive hands-on training in precision machining, welding, engineering, drafting, computer numerical controlled (CNC) operations and other skills in high-demand at regional training centers including:

• Southeastern Career Center in Ripley County
• Whitewater Career Center in Fayette County
• Blue River Career Programs in Shelby County
• Ripley County Engineering Academy

IVY Tech’s campuses in Batesville, Lawrenceburg, and Shelbyville are also preparing workers with the skills businesses need with certificate and Associate degree programs in areas such as:

• Advanced Automation and Robotics Technology
• Automotive Technology
• Industrial Technology
• Computer Science and Informatics

With a workforce of more than 3 million within a 90-minute drive, manufacturers here have access to a huge workforce ready to meet their needs. Those with specialized training and other labor needs can receive on-site custom training and workforce assessment assistance to help them get up to speed fast.

 

Several major companies including Honda Manufacturing of Indiana and Hill-Rom – a leading provider of medical technologies – have already discovered the unparalleled benefits that the I-74 Business Corridor has to offer.