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Ginovus and IU Public Policy Institute embark on Economic Impact Study for the French Lick Parkway Coalition An independent objective analysis conducted by Ginovus and the IU Public Policy Institute was featured in the press release, “Mid-States Corridor 3F option forecast to generate up to $150 million, potentially generate up to 700 jobs and create […]

Tariffs Are Poised to Have a Big Impact in 2019 W hen running a business, you’ll always run into circumstances that you can’t control — those non-negotiable expenses that come with operating a company. Some of these factors you can plan for; others can arise from seemingly out of nowhere and have a huge impact […]

Last-Mile Warehouses are Revolutionizing E-Commerce T hen it comes time to open, relocate or expand your business, how do you choose the right location and mitigate the risk associated with the decision? It’s more involved than choosing a city or signing a lease. Strategic site selection involves research, due diligence, and planning, and its importance […]

Reshaping Economic Development Policies from the Governor’s Office T he 2018 elections caused a spirited debate on job creation, the economy and the direction our country will take to maintain economic prosperity. Although the election tended to focus on federal offices and President Trump’s effect on the national political discourse, several important gubernatorial elections were also […]

How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Way We Do Business W hen technology moves forward, it creates a ripple effect. Technological advances change the way we live, the way we communicate, and especially the way we work. The biggest technology game-changer to watch in 2019 is artificial intelligence (AI). One Technology; Many Industries One of the […]

Chad Sweeney Becomes New Associate Member in the Site Selectors Guild T he Site Selectors Guild announced on January 29th, 2019 the addition of nine new members to its exclusive roster. Chad Sweeney, Sr. Principal at Ginovus, is one of the five new associate members. “We are thrilled to see this outstanding recognition of Chad’s experience […]

Is the Rapid Expansion of Co-Working Spaces Sustainable Long-Term? T he American workforce is changing. According to NPR, one in every five workers is a contract worker. Experts predict that in a decade, over half of the workforce could be made up of freelancers. Couple this trend with the fact that providers of co-work spaces continue to […]

Ginovus Names Lily Hay to Lead Marketing Fishers, Ind.—Ginovus announces that Lily Hay has joined the company as Principal. Hay brings 18 years of marketing experience to her new role, in which she provides strategic communications expertise to the company’s growth efforts regionally and throughout the country. In collaboration with the Ginovus leadership team, Hay […]

Is a “Homelessness” Tax Coming to Your City? UPDATE 11/08/2018 – During the mid-terms this past Tuesday, voters approved new tax measures to help resolve homelessness in both San Francisco and Mountain View, CA. Want to know more? Read further to learn more about these and other recent initiatives taken by communities to tackle this very serious issue. In virtually any metropolitan […]

Economic Development Incentives Reporting Getting Tougher IT certainly seems as if the last few years of incentives compliance reporting has started to get a bit more intense. As we work with states and communities all throughout the United States, there seems to be a transference from easy, user-friendly compliance reporting to much more stringent requirements. […]

Generation Z; The New Workforce A new generation has officially entered the workforce. Just when employers thought they figured out Millennials, Generation Z has joined the working world and will likely change the American workforce as we know it. Employers need to be well-informed in preparation for hiring individuals from Generation Z. Here’s what companies […]

World Trade Center Indianapolis A fter an extensive application and approval process lasting more than a year, The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) has approved the license that will allow Indianapolis to establish a local World Trade Center organization. Prior to the approval, Indianapolis had been the fourth largest metropolitan area in the US without […]

The Importance of Innovation Districts I n today’s technology driven world, innovation districts are growing in their importance.  Some public policy leaders believe that innovation districts are only for life sciences or information technology companies, but this could not be further from the truth.  Innovation districts are attractive to many types of businesses because it […]

Property Tax Abatement Basics P roperty tax implications can have a significant impact on how and where a company chooses to grow.  Economic tools such as property tax abatement can enable the company to offset some of its operational costs, and to apply those tax savings towards further investment and innovation.  Property tax abatement is […]

Considering WorkShare Unemployment Insurance Ginovus’ headquarters is located in Indiana, one of 18 states that does not have a WorkShare program.   This topic is being considered in the 2018 legislative session however, and because the economy is humming along pretty well, adoption of such programming may not be this year’s legislative priority.  As history reminds […]

Indiana’s Next Level Jobs Training Initiative D eveloping a highly skilled Indiana workforce through education and training initiatives, such as the recently approved Next Level Jobs, continues to be a top priority for Governor Holcomb’s administration. Per the Governor’s agenda, more than 1 million jobs will need to be filled in Indiana over the next […]

Workplace Flexibility I n the past, the issue of workplace flexibility was largely a topic discussed in the context of work-life balance as it relates to young professionals and their prospect of having children.  It was mainly focused on how working parents, particularly mothers, would manage the challenge of pursuing a career and a growing […]

Illinois and Its New EDGE E arlier this year, Illinois made national headlines as political battle lines were drawn over the State’s budgetary woes.  Many called into question the State’s solvency, and some even predicted an unprecedented bankruptcy due to a lack of much-needed pension reform.  As a result of the political and fiscal turmoil, […]

Selecting the Right Site Selection Partner When businesses are ready to launch mission critical projects and initiatives, it is vital for them to pick the right partner to help with the process.  In today’s world, organizations must focus on their core business.  As a result, most companies rely on outside expertise to help them accomplish […]

Empty Malls, Retail Bloodbath…..Or Not? W hen I was very young, one of the highlights of the year was my beloved Mamaw taking me to the L.S. Ayres store in downtown Indianapolis for a bit of back-to-school shopping.  The Ayres store, long-since closed, was a sight to behold…several floors of various colorful items and a […]

Workforce Challenges I t is no secret that one of the biggest challenges facing businesses today is the lack of a skilled labor force. Perhaps more accurately stated, the challenge is a huge mismatch in the jobs that are available compared to the workforce that is able to fill those jobs. The jobs that are […]

Tax Increment Financing: A Critically Important Tool in Economic Development T ax Increment Financing or TIF, is one of the most utilized and controversial economic development tools across the United States.  In its most common form, TIF is a tool that allows governmental entities to borrow against an area’s future tax revenues to make present […]

Job Creation Tax Credits J ob creation tax credits are commonly used by states as an economic development incentive to encourage employment opportunities in industry sectors government entities are interested in expanding.  Employers receive these funds based on creating and filling job openings.  In return, the state and/or local government expects it will receive income […]

How Do We Solve the Crisis of Long-Term Unemployment T he United States continues to struggle with helping people who have been chronically unemployed (including the homeless, ex-offenders and military veterans) for a lengthy period of time.  It is important to the future of our society and economy that we implement innovative ways to address […]

Making Data Driven Site Selection Decisions: Location Modeling W hen determining the best location to consolidate, expand or locate facilities, a company has several important variables to consider and evaluate. A failure to prioritize and thoroughly research critical issues can lead to a poor site selection decision that will have long term ramifications for an […]

New Administration. New Policies. T he election is over and while I will not pontificate on personal political views, the reality is that there is a new administration that will undoubtedly bring about new policies and perspective that will impact economic development efforts nationally, regionally and locally. Our team has spent considerable time contemplating how […]

Today’s Students are Tomorrow’s Workforce Ask most economic development professionals or government leaders what one factor is most critical to economic growth and business attraction.  You will likely find that workforce quality and availability are at or near the top of the list.  As a result, state and local governments, with few exceptions, direct resources […]

2017 Legislative Preview At Ginovus, we monitor state legislatures for economic development policy changes in order to advise our clients with the most-up-to-date information affecting business climate, incentives, and ultimately, a location decision.  Please find below a legislative preview of several states that are expected to make economic development policy changes in the next year. […]

Trump and Carrier Corp: The Deal That Saved 1,000 U.S. Jobs Top Site Selectors Interviewed on the Implications of the Carrier DealDecember 2, 2016 In early 2016, Carrier announced its intention to move 1,400 jobs from Indianapolis to Mexico and savings around $64 million a year in as a result.  Donald Trump used the movement […]

Equity Investment Credits and Their Effect on Economic Development Economic development professionals are constantly evaluating projects to determine whether meaningful incentives may be available for a company’s relocation or expansion.  As a result, a particular focus is often placed on large corporate projects with the highest levels of job creation, capital investment, and opportunities for […]

Diversification for Survival: How the Automotive Industry Rebounds     Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant celebrates Job One, the official start of production of the all-new 2015 F-150. Photo by Sam Varnhagen   The risk mitigating benefit of diversification is an axiom that spans a multitude of applications.  From investing and finance to energy policy […]

Structuring Incentives to Maximize Value and Minimize Risk In evaluating incentives as part of a site selection decision, a great deal of attention is spent negotiating the aggregate dollar amount of the incentives committed to the project.  Less attention is often given to the equally important topic of structuring a potential incentive award to maximize […]

Food Processing and Manufacturing – Trends Dictate Location Choices Site selectors look at a number of factors when analyzing and evaluating potential locations for clients and this includes clients in the food processing and manufacturing industry. One of those areas examined includes The Tax Foundation State Tax Climate Index. The Tax Foundation State Tax Climate […]