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Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) has been awarded a three-year contract for $9,577,447 million for its multi-layered microelectronics (ME) workforce initiative. The project, funded through the Department of Defense (DoD)’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program, supports the National Defense Industrial Strategy’s priorities of enhancing Supply Chain Resilience and Workforce Readiness. ROI’s multi-year approach may extend the project for two additional years for a five-year contract value of $15,017,577.

Over the life of the award, ROI will collaborate with K-12 schools, postsecondary colleges and universities, employer partners, and other institutions to develop and enhance the region’s ME ecosystem and expertise through a Rural Indiana Workforce Development for Microelectronics project.

Through vertically aligned and integrated activities, ROI and its partners will promote microelectronics-related careers, accelerate students and workers into and through training and development pipelines, and inspire the next generation of industrial skilled professionals. Examples of deployed activities across the 11 counties of the Indiana Uplands will include K-12 microelectronics education and career awareness outreach, Ivy Tech postsecondary certifications, youth apprenticeship programming with ME industry partners, and the development of an ME regional education and training hub.

ROI’s IBAS award supports the goals of the National Imperative for Industrial Skills (NIIS) initiative to promote the prestige of manufacturing and industrial careers, accelerate training development pipelines, and elevate U.S. manufacturing to world-leading status. Since its launch in 2020, DoD has supported more than 50 public-private NIIS projects across the country to reignite U.S. industrial modernization, boost manufacturing and engineering skills and workforce development, and strengthen economic, defense, and national security capabilities.

ROI’s ME education and workforce initiative builds on the region’s growing leadership and prominence in microelectronics. Since 2021, the Indiana Uplands has seen significant investments to enhance the region’s ecosystem as a national leader for ME research, development, testing, and packaging, including:

• Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, a premier federal laboratory, continues to add DoD-wide contract authority, attracting significant talent and interest in partnerships with industry to provide science, technology, research, and comprehensive support for complex military systems. Today, 65% percent of NSWC Crane’s 3,900 employees and 2,500 contractors are scientists, engineers, and technicians, with a 60% growth in PhDs over the last five years.

• Just beyond the gates of Naval Support Activity Crane, along Interstate 69, is WestGate@Crane>, a 750-acre research technology park that has grown to 50 tenants spanning from Fortune 500 firms to startups producing cutting-edge technology and research in microelectronics, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and hypersonics. Design has also begun for a trusted advanced packaging multi-company ME manufacturing campus at WestGate@Crane, which will speed the re-shoring of U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and create high-tech jobs with average salaries of more than $100K/year.

• The Indiana Uplands is home to the Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Commons (SCMC) Hub, one of eight CHIPS and Science Act-funded regional innovation hubs. Led by the Applied Research Institute, SCMC was awarded $32.9 million for microelectronics prototyping and workforce development and is focusing initially on secure edge/IOT computing, 5g/6g technology, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, electromagnetic warfare, and commercial leap-ahead technologies.

• In June, Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame established The Indiana Research Consortium, a first-of-its-kind joint research effort to drive innovations and advancements in areas critical to U.S. national security and NSWC Crane, including microelectronics, hypersonics, energetics, and cyber-physical systems.

• In the last year, Indiana University and Purdue University have both announced multi-year ME, AI, and cybersecurity investments in facilities, equipment, faculty and initiatives in collaboration with NSWC Crane. These investments will accelerate innovative solutions to security challenges and boost the growth of the Indiana and U.S. microelectronics industry.

• ROI is facilitating K-12 school district curriculum alignment efforts with Indiana’s Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) network. Led by Purdue University, funded by the Department of Defense, supported by financial matching from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and managed by NSWC Crane, SCALE is a public-private academic partnership of 22 universities and 48 partners within the defense industry and government to help prepare students for ME careers in the defense sector. The SCALE workforce development program includes unique courses, mentoring, internships, research projects, scholarships, and job placement.

“The Indiana Uplands continues to be laser-focused on growing upon its significant capabilities and capacity as an innovation hub,” said ROI President and CEO Tina Peterson. “The IBAS investment offers additional evidence that this region is positioned to leverage its often-unparalleled expertise in advanced technologies to not only bring opportunity to our region and our state but also to support national imperatives. NSWC Crane’s legacy expertise in microelectronics and semiconductors coupled with that of Indiana’s three research universities has allowed this region and its partners across the state to step forward expeditiously and lead at a time of critical importance.”

Peterson added that ROI is committed to doing its part to ensure that our defense partners have the talent necessary to deliver upon their opportunities and potential. “We are grateful to the DoD for providing the resources through this program to accelerate the development of an ME workforce prepared to succeed in these technical, high-wage professions,” she said. “Both the size of the sector in the region and the scale of its mission requires a continuous and growing focus on talent development, retention, and attraction.”

The Indiana Uplands region is home to Naval Support Activity Crane, the third-largest Naval Installation in the world and the 11th-largest single-site employer in Indiana. For every ten jobs at NSA Crane through its tenants Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane) and Crane Army Ammunition Activities (CAAA), another six jobs exist in defense-related industry and activities throughout the region.

The region’s robust defense cluster represents a multi-faceted private enterprise with activities of the federal government reinforced and supported by an innovation ecosystem of defense contracting companies. The defense sector in Indiana Uplands focuses on engineering, technology, storage, production, and demilitarization services. Building on the strengths of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane), research and development focused on advanced technologies that include microelectronics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and hypersonics.

NSA Crane, NSWC Crane, and regional defense contractors have a combined economic impact of over $3 billion annually for the Uplands region.

“We are thrilled IBAS is investing in the region through this partnership with ROI,” said Jenna Dix, Director of Engagement with NSWC Crane. “This initiative is a great complement to other activities in the state around microelectronics and is exactly what is needed to continue Indiana’s leadership in this critical technology area.”

About Regional Opportunity Initiatives:

ROI advances economic and community prosperity in the 11 counties of the Indiana Uplands (Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen, and Washington counties) and is growing potential and possibility through a focus on advanced industry sectors, regionalism, transformative school and workforce redesign, and placemaking strategies. More information can be found at www.regionalopportunityinc.org and www.inuplands.org.

About NSWC Crane:

NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions, and Electromagnetic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi-spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today’s Warfighter. More information can be found at www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NSWC-Crane/.

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By Jerry Curry, Staff Writer

An Indiana-based agricultural cooperative, Premier Ag provides local communities with energy products and crop management services and is building a new facility to do it in. Energy products they provide include propane, diesel and gas. Essentially, they are an energy and agronomy company. Agronomy is a branch of agriculture that deals with field crop production and soil management.

I recently spoke to Scott Sharp, vice president of crop nutrient & operations for Premier about the new facility being built in Campbellsburg, Indiana. Sharp said the site will consolidate the Salem and Mitchell faculties. No one will lose their jobs. The new location is 3801 North Saltillo Rd., Campbellsburg and should be ready in early spring.

There will be three separate buildings on the 15-acre plot building site. The south building will have seed and chemicals; its dimensions are 80 ft x 340 ft. The west building will have dry fertilizer and chemicals and will be 100 ft x 140 ft and house up to 4500 tons of fertilizer. The last building will house the offices and shops and will be 80 ft x 165 ft.

Approximately 15 full time employees will work out of this location and more part-time people in the peak seasons. As a safety barrier there will be three levels of confinements in case of spills. Premier Ag services Washington, Lawrence and Monroe counties. Annual sales are $700 million. The main office is located in Seymour, with locations in Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and Ohio. For more information, visit https://premierag.com/.

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Graeter’s Ice Cream, a 154-year-old, family-owned craft ice cream company, has again partnered with The Cure Starts Nowcompleting the annual Cones for the Cure campaign – an 11-day event that offers guests a unique way to support The Cure Starts Now and pediatric brain cancer research. This record-breaking year, Graeter’s will donate $290,000 all thanks to guest support, company donations, and ice cream sales of the seasonal favorite, Elena’s Blueberry Pie ice cream.

All 56 Graeter’s retail stores participated in this year’s fundraising effort, with many stores setting new individual records. The Cure Starts Now’s Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, Keith Desserich shares, “Graeter’s has been an incredible partner for The Cure Starts Now for more than 15 years. This year’s campaign hit a major milestone, raising over $2 million over the duration of our partnership together. We are proud to have Graeter’s as part of The Cure Starts Now family, helping continue the fight for the Homerun Cure® for cancer.” 

In addition to Cones for the Cure, Graeter’s also donates a portion of the proceeds from every pint of their seasonal ice cream flavor, Elena’s Blueberry Pie to The Cure Starts Now. The campaign continues to surpass donation goals year after year, demonstrating the community’s love for this beloved charity and Elena’s Blueberry Pie ice cream.

“Ice cream is a family-centric business, and it’s our privilege to help families through the good times and the bad,” shares Chip Graeter, 4^th generation Graeter’s family member. “The Cones for the Cure annual event allows us to have a positive impact in the community and with the families we serve. This year’s donation not only surpassed previous years but has led to more than $2 million in donations from the Cones for the Cure event over the 16 years. This has always been a great showing of families supporting families.”

With the funds from the Cones for the Cure campaign, The Cure Starts Now will be able to fund up to 20 new research projects and trials. Since 2011, with the support from Graeter’s, their efforts have resulted in the doubling of expected survival times. The Cure Starts Now was started in Cincinnati but now has more than 50 locations worldwide and an army of over 1,000 families united to fight pediatric brain cancer.               

New this year, Graeter’s created limited-edition ice cream pies made with Elena’s Blueberry Pie ice cream as well as special “Bones for the Cure” Bark’n Blueberry dog treats for furry friends.

About Graeter’s Ice Cream

Graeter’s Ice Cream, celebrating its 154^th anniversary, produces craft ice cream using French Pots®, a small batch, artisanal method of production dating back over a century. Graeter’s has won the hearts of ice cream enthusiasts across the country as well as the respect of the nation’s most influential foodies. Tasted among 13 national brands, Graeter’s was voted the #1 Vanilla Ice Cream by MyRecipes.com in 2019. Famous for their signature chocolate chips, the Cincinnati-based company remains family-owned and operated and continues to handcraft ice cream 2 1⁄2 gallons at a time. Today, Graeter’s currently has 56 retail stores and ships over 300,000 pints annually for online mail-order sales and corporate gifting. Graeter’s can also be found in more than 3,000 grocery stores in 46 states. Visit www.graeters.com for more information.

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About The Cure Starts Now

The Cure Starts Now was started in honor of 6-year-old Cincinnati girl, Elena Desserich and her battle with DIPG. With 50 chapters worldwide, The Cure Starts Now has quickly gained acclaim as one of the fastest growing cancer research charities and one of the first ones to advocate a homerun strategy for cancer research. Many experts believe that the lessons we learn from fighting pediatric brain cancer may in fact provide us the critical first step in winning the battle against all forms of cancer, both pediatric and adult. Since 2007, The Cure Starts Now has funded over $34 million in DIPG/DMG and Homerun Cure™ cancer research and support at institutions globally.

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The National Federation of Independent Businesses recently awarded 269 members of the 118th Congress as "Guardians of Small Business.

The organization noted that "these lawmakers voted with small business on key issues 70% or more of the time."

Lawmakers from Indiana included the following:

• Senator Todd Young (IN)
• Senator Mike Braun (IN)
• Representative Rudy Yakym (IN-2)
• Representative Jim Banks (IN-3)
• Representative Jim Baird (IN-4)
• Representative Victoria Spartz (IN-5)
• Representative Greg Pence (IN-6)
• Representative Larry Bucshon (IN-8)
• Representative Erin Houchin (IN-9)