Indy Business Bulletin

BlueIndy Calls It Quits in Indy
BlueIndy is pulling the plug on its Indianapolis operations. The electric
car-sharing service will end service in May, saying on its website “the
service did not reach the level of activity required to be economically
viable here.”

Indy Startup Lands Incentives for New Location
An Indianapolis startup that produces and delivers fresh baby food is
receiving assistance from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. Café Baby,
which earlier this month announced plans to move into a new location on the
city’s northeast side, will also add 15 jobs by the end of 2023.

Indiana Unemployment Flat for November
Indiana’s unemployment rates remained unchanged at 3.2 percent in November.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says unemployment the
November rate remained below the national rate of 3.5 percent.

Alcoa Sued Over Retiree Benefits
Pennsylvania-based Alcoa Corp. (NYSE: AA) faces a lawsuit in the Southern
District of Indiana from the United Steelworkers in protest of Alcoa
terminating life insurance benefits for about 8,900 retirees. The retirees
were informed by letter on December 4 that the company would eliminate life
insurance coverage effective Dec. 31 of this year.

Whitestown Approves EID for Commuter Shuttle Service
With the industry growth in Whitestown, the town wants to make sure it can
get enough workers to fill the jobs. To help with transportation costs, the
Whitestown Town Council this week passed an ordinance to create an Economic
Improvement District to help fund commuter transportation service.

Lilly Launches Worldwide Migraine Study
Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. has launched a long-term study to look
at the effectiveness of its migraine medication, Emgality, in a real-world
setting instead of a formal clinical trial. The company says the objective
of the study is to evaluate how the medication works compared to other
preventative treatments for migraines.

Lilly Campaign Details Insulin Cost-Saving Program
Having drawn criticism in the past from consumers, advocacy groups and
lawmakers over the price of insulin, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. is
taking a proactive approach to inform the public about cost-saving options.
Chief Executive Officer Dave Ricks penned an open letter today in several
major newspapers, encouraging anyone who needs help paying for their monthly
prescription of Lilly insulin to call the Lilly Diabetes Solution Center.

IPL Seeks a Variety of Power Generating Technologies
With Indianapolis Power & Light Co. planning to retire two coal-fired
generating plant, the utility is now looking for replacement technology to
generate electricity. IPL, a subsidiary of AES Corp. (NYSE: AES), will
Friday issue a Request for Proposals to find replacement generation
capacity.

IU Names Search Committee to Replace Glass
Indiana University President Michael McRobbie has appointed a 14-member
committee that will launch a nationwide search for a new director of
intercollegiate athletics. The move follows the announcement this week from
Fred Glass that he will be stepping down from the position at the end of the
current academic year.

Caesars Southern Indiana Now Open
The new $90 million Caesars Southern Indiana has opened its doors in
Harrison County, replacing the 21-year-old riverboat casino operated as
Horseshoe Southern Indiana. It took crews 18 months to build the new
110,000-square-foot facility in Elizabeth that combines dining, retail and
entertainment.

Role Expanding for New Indiana Destination Group
When the Indiana General Assembly voted to create the Indiana Destination
Development Corp., it was described as a public-private sector corporation
that would replace the Indiana Office of Tourism Development and breathe new
life into the state’s tourism attraction efforts. And while tourism will
remain a focus of the new group, its mission is expanding to include a
stated priority of Governor Eric Holcomb: telling the Indiana story. IDDC
Chief Executive Officer Elaine Bedel says branding and promoting the state
can translate into real economic impact.

Notre Dame Receives $25M Gift to Create Data Institute
The University of Notre Dame has received a $25 million gift from an alumnus
to establish the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society. Notre Dame says
the institute will focus on emerging trends in data science and business
analytics.

November Revenue Beats Estimates
Indiana revenue exceeded the most recent projections in November. The
Indiana State Budget Agency says General Fund revenues totaled more than
$1.1 billion last month, which is 5% higher than the April revenue forecast
and 6.9% higher than the same month last year.