PARIS (June 21, 2017) – Governor Eric J. Holcomb concluded his first international economic development trade mission today after visiting France to strengthen Indiana’s global business ties and advance the state’s aviation, aerospace and defense industries.
This week, the Governor and Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger led a delegation of Hoosier business leaders, government officials and economic development professionals to the 2017 International Paris Air Show, which is the largest aerospace event in the world. Indiana is home to more than 80 aerospace firms, and the aviation and defense industries employ approximately 57,000 Hoosiers.
“Indiana was front and center at the Paris Air Show this year,” said Governor Holcomb. “As a top state for aerospace manufacturing, this was a great opportunity to showcase our pro-growth business climate to a global audience of industry and government leaders. I’ve said I want to take Indiana to the world and bring the world to Indiana, and the meetings and connections made here at the air show are helping us to do just that.”
Governor Holcomb and members of the delegation met with leading executives of global firms in the industry, including companies interested in locating operations in Indiana as well as those with existing Indiana connections, such as:
- AAR Corporation, a global aftermarket solutions firm that employs more than 5,000 people in over 20 countries. The company’s full-service facility at the Indianapolis International Airport provides services such as maintenance, repair and flight control to major airliners.
- Arconic, which was formerly part of Alcoa, has Indiana operations in La Porte, which produces castings for aerospace and gas turbine engines, and Lafayette, which manufactures aerospace components and other products. In 2014, the company announced plans to construct a $100 million, 320,000-square-foot facility in La Porte to produce nickel-based superalloy jet engine parts, creating up to 329 new jobs by 2019.
- Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company and manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems, which operates a hangar at the Gary/Chicago International Airport, supporting an estimated 12,000 direct and indirect jobs in Indiana.
- GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, which opened a new, $100 million jet engine facility in Lafayette in 2015 to assemble the new LEAP engine from CFM International – a 50/50 joint company of GE and Safran.
- Raytheon, a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions, which employs more than 1,500 Hoosiers across two locations in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.
- Rolls-Royce, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom and has been operating in Indiana for more than 100 years. On Monday, the company, along with the state and Purdue University, announced a new, $24 million partnership to establish the nation’s most advanced turbine lab for compact gas turbine engines at Purdue University.
- Praxair, the largest industrial gases company in North and South America. The company has operations in Indianapolis and Burns Harbor as well as multiple welding supply stores around the state.
- Safran, a partner of CFM International, which produces the new, next generation LEAP engine. The France-based company is also the parent of MorphoTrust USA in Fort Wayne, which provides tech-enabled security and identity solutions.
- Thyssenkrupp, which is based in Germany and operates in 78 countries. The company supports more than 470 subsidiaries, including Thyssenkrupp Presta in Terre Haute, which manufactures automotive steering systems.
While in Paris, the delegation also met with executives of France-based companies with Indiana operations, including Bollore Group, the parent company of BlueIndy; Faurecia, an automotive supplier that employs approximately 1,800 Hoosiers; and Michelin, which employs more than 1,200 associates at its BF Goodrich Tire manufacturing plant in Allen County.
Indiana is home to more than 800 foreign-owned business facilities, which employ 170,800 Hoosiers, ranking number 14 in the nation for jobs supported by foreign-owned firms. In 2016, Indiana exported nearly $9 billion of goods to Europe, accounting for 25 percent of the state’s total exports.
This concludes Governor Holcomb’s first international trade mission. He traveled to Hungary where he met with top government officials, including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Minister of National Economy Mihály Varga, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, to discuss economic cooperation between Indiana and Hungary. While in France, Governor Holcomb attended the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race to strengthen Indiana’s automotive and motorsports sectors and debuted the state’s exhibit at the International Paris Air Show, showcasing the state’s aviation, aerospace and defense industry.
About IEDC
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) leads the state of Indiana’s economic development efforts, helping businesses launch, grow and locate in the state. Governed by a 15-member board chaired by Governor Eric J. Holcomb, the IEDC manages many initiatives, including performance-based tax credits, workforce training grants, innovation and entrepreneurship resources, public infrastructure assistance, and talent attraction and retention efforts. For more information about the IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.
