Day 4 Video
Blog: No Better Birthday Gift than Jobs and Investment in Indiana
No Better Birthday Gift than Jobs and Investment in Indiana
September 26, 2011
Our delegation has a great rhythm going, and we’re moving full speed ahead on a lot of key initiatives. Today’s full schedule included meetings at the Midwest U.S.- Japan Conference, then we traveled to Koito Manufacturing, and Sony.
Once again, I met with my American and Japanese colleagues to further discuss the status of our states. Tomorrow, I will be delivering my remarks to the conference crowd of about 300 on Indiana’s relationship with Japan, and why we’re the best state to do business. However, we heard from governors of several other states, including Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa, as they tried to pitch their state to the crowd of Japanese officials and business people.
At the end of today’s session we heard from the U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos. He discussed in great detail the importance of working together in these times of economic uncertainty. He told us not only is this important among the states but between the U.S. and Japan as well.
This strong relationship building will only assist in helping with everyone’s number one priority of creating jobs. It’s important for Indiana to continue building those strong relationships, so as companies are ready to build and grow, they’ll choose Indiana.
Speaking of jobs and those companies who do business with us, this afternoon I met with executives from Koito and Sony.
Koito Manufacturing owns North American Lighting which specializes in automobile lights. They are currently in the process of building a plant in Warrick County close to Evansville. They broke ground in June. This new factory will create 42 new jobs with a $16.4 million investment.
After meeting with the CEO, Mr. Takashi Ohtake, he assured me of his confidence and commitment to Indiana. We all discussed the potential for future expansion in Indiana. It’s safe to say North American Lighting will be a business partner of ours for many years.
After a brief meaningful meeting with Koito it was off to Sony. Sony does business in Terre Haute employing around 1,100 people. They have been a mainstay for the city since the early 1980s. In the last few years they have consolidated some of their other factories into the Terre Haute facility. They are now the main hub for their Blu-ray DVD manufacturing.
We began our Sony visit by getting a tour of their showroom, also known as the “The Square.” They showed us many of their advances in 3D. We saw every technology from TV, to movies, and they took our photograph in 3D. They also showed us their version of the iPad called The Tablet as well as speakers that played at 360 degrees. Finally, they gave us a sneak preview of the 3D Spiderman movie coming out next summer. Needless to say, it was quite impressive. After the tour, I met with company chairman, Mr. Chubachi. He was very positive about the company’s relationship with Indiana. We were also able to discuss the potential for growth in our state, and I hope our continued economic success will help to persuade him.
It was a full day but yet another successful one. We are continuing to strengthen our relationships with companies who do business at home and spread the good word about the Hoosier state.
Did I mention it was my birthday today? You know a woman never tells her age, but Virgil in my office surprised me and had all 300 people sing Happy Birthday to me at the conference dinner. They also brought out a cake with candles. It will be a birthday I never forget.
Now, I must get ready for tomorrow’s address to the entire conference.P.S. I received birthday flowers from the Chairman of Sony. How many Hoosiers can say that?
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