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News Room

Bloomington record label celebrates two Grammy wins for one of its bands

 

Feb 13, 2012

Bloomington record label JAGJAGUWAR is celebrating two Grammy wins for one of its bands. Wisconsin-based Bon Iver won Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album during last night's ceremony in Los Angeles. JAGJAGUWAR represents 27 active musicians. The label was established in 1996.

More information at http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=52174#middle.

Bloomington Welcomes New Crane Naval Base Commander

 

Feb 7, 2012

On January 19th, community leaders from Bloomington welcomed Colonel and Mrs. Alan Pratt at a reception in their honor at the Monroe County Convention Center. Indiana University co-hosted the reception with its partner organizations, Ivy Tech-Bloomington, The Greater Bloomington Chamber, the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation and Mr. Lee Marchant, chair of the Growing Crane Committee.  The event was a great opportunity to demonstrate Bloomington’s support for Crane’s national security mission.  The event also serves as a reminder of the number of jobs and innovative work, both on the base and through contractors, that Crane supports in our community.

Bloomington Launches Tech Talent Attraction Tool

 

Feb 6, 2012

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA (February 6, 2012) – The Bloomington Technology Partnership (BTP) announced today the launch of a new web-based social media and talent attraction portal designed to promote Bloomington’s emerging technology community and assist Bloomington technology employers with filling open jobs. The portal development was partially funded by the City of Bloomington and is the top priority of the Bloomington Technology Partnership, a collaborative initiative aimed at growing Bloomington’s technology industry. The portal can be accessed at http://bloomingtontech.com.

The concept for the web portal was created by consulting firm Career Investments, LLC, in response to specific local tech sector needs identified by the BTP and members of Bloomington’s local tech community in areas of defense, eLearning, IT, software development and web-based applications, among others. Studio Cypher, LLC, a Bloomington-based games and web design company, designed and developed the portal.

“The Bloomington Technology Partnership web portal is a milestone for connecting the area’s thriving technology companies with local and regional talent,” said Ron Walker, President of Bloomington Economic Development Corporation. “Our hope is that the web portal will strengthen the local tech community by fostering new relationships and capitalizing on existing networks from the thousands of talented technologists already employed here.”

Features of the portal include a dedicated job board for Bloomington area technology companies, current online conversations between tech firms, profiles of Bloomington technology employers, news posts and videos highlighting the community.

“The BTP website provides a vital resource to our Indiana technology community,” said Ari Vidali, CEO of Envisage Technologies and member of the BTP Advisory Committee. “The site links ideas, talent and innovative companies. With it, we can share experiences, explore ideas and collaborate to strengthen the foundation of our rapidly growing technology sector.”

“Strengthening our local tech sector is the reason the Bloomington Technology Partnership was formed,” said Danise Alano-Martin, the City’s Director of Economic and Sustainable Development, “and the new BTP website does double duty toward meeting that goal. Not only is it an interactive utility for local tech businesses, but it also helps convey the message to the world that Bloomington, Indiana is an exciting place to start and grow technology companies and to have a fulfilling career in technology.”

Technology companies in the Bloomington area and non-tech businesses with technology-related job openings can post their open positions to the site’s job board. More than a dozen companies have taken advantage of the job board and many others have expressed interest. In addition to the portal, the BTP promotes tech events and job openings through a highly active group on LinkedIn and via its Twitter account that has seen a 50% increase in followers in five months.

The web portal also has social media features to kick-start conversation and meetings in the community. An events calendar highlights local tech gatherings and conferences, and a community conversation page allows visitors to view area blogs and a Twitter feed featuring local tech companies. The website also profiles area tech companies with their organization’s history, current location, and contact information.

“I’m gratified to see the depth and breadth of technology businesses and opportunities in Bloomington,” said Deb Allmayer, Human Resources Officer for the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology, Indiana University. “We are always looking for potential partners, and I know we will explore that in the future.”

“To compete with other tech centers for top talent, we need to reveal the career opportunities, interesting companies and vital social communities that welcome and nurture technologists in Bloomington,” said Jim McKean, Partner in Career Investments. “By aggregating job openings, company profiles, interesting blogs and the tech-relevant social network conversations in one portal, we can reveal the community for what it really is.’Aggregate and reveal' – that is the strategy behind this portal.”

For more information about the Bloomington Tech Partnership or the web portal, contact info@bloomingtontech.com or visit the website at http://bloomingtontech.com.

BioCrossroads Report: From Hearts to Hips - Indiana's Leadership in Medical Devices

 

Feb 1, 2012

In a report released by BioCrossroads, the medical devices industry is identified as one of Indiana’s most valuable economic assets employing over 20,000 people, and generating more than $10 billion of annual economic output.  The first of its kind report, From Hearts to Hips: Indiana’s Leadership in Medical Devices was written by BioCrossroads and FaegreBD Consulting to provide an overview of the sector and identify challenges on the horizon. 

BEDC Welcomes New Addition to Staff

 

Jan 13, 2012

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA (January 13, 2012) – The Bloomington Economic Development Corporation announced today the hiring of Dana Palazzo as Project Manager for the BEDC, a new position within the organization effective January 3, 2012. 

 

“We’re thrilled Dana accepted our offer to join us full-time,” expressed Ron Walker, President of the BEDC.  “Dana has impressed us all with her strong work ethic and ability to communicate effectively with multiple constituencies while she worked with us in a part-time role for the past several months,” stated Walker. 

 

As a project manager, Ms. Palazzo will assist the President and Vice President in carrying out the BEDC’s economic development projects, including site selection responses, prospect information requests, product development, shovel ready designation activities, and coordination of several initiatives aimed at helping Monroe County businesses thrive.

 

"I think the BEDC is an excellent organization and I am excited to join the staff full-time,” said Palazzo. “Bloomington is such a vibrant city, and I feel passionate about our mission to attract and retain quality jobs in the area," stated Palazzo.

 

Palazzo, originally from Youngstown, Ohio, graduated from the University of Tampa in 2008 where she received her B.A. in government and world affairs. She has previously held the positions of Membership Coordinator and hYPe Coordinator/Administrative Assistant with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, respectively. 

 

About the BEDC

The BEDC is a not-for-profit, public-private partnership dedicated to the retention, development and attraction of quality jobs in Monroe County.  The BEDC is led by a partnership of private industry leaders, the City of Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College–Bloomington.  For more information click here www.comparebloomington.us.