Hoosiers can’t seem to get enough craft beer these days. With popularity increasing, breweries are popping up all over the state and are topping the tech and manufacturing markets in terms of growing capital. With craft beer sales growing 20% in 2013 ($14.3 billion), breweries and distilleries have drawn considerable attention across the nation.

The Indianapolis Business Journal and Conexus Indiana recently hosted The State of Manufacturing and Logistics: High Tech Is Here … Is Indiana Ready? At the event, Dr. Michael J. Hicks of Ball State University unveiled the annual Manufacturing and Logistics National Report, which grades the health of manufacturing across the country by evaluating the following categories in each state.

If you are like me, then you assume that software piracy only affects software development companies and the software industry. You don't associate it with manufacturing, much less think about it negatively impacting the manufacturing industry as a whole. I was therefore surprised when I saw a recent study completed by Harvard Business School (HBS) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) which discussed the impact that stolen software has on U.S. manufacturing.

Let’s face it. Fifty-two inches into the snowiest winter in Indianapolis history, challenges extend beyond avoiding deep potholes or figuring out who can watch the kids on yet another snow day. These extreme conditions have thrown a kink into the first quarter of operations for U.S. manufacturers.

As Governor Pence and members of the Indiana State legislature continue to tackle the issue of personal property taxes, the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute recently released a report detailing both major and insignificant impacts of the tax. Specifically, the report claims that taxes on equipment have little effect on decisions for businesses to relocate to other states.

Over the past few years, bringing manufacturing back to the United States - or onshoring - has been a hot topic in the manufacturing industry. With increasing wages, currency costs and transportation costs, many companies that previously offshored their manufacturing processes to China (and other low-cost countries) have had to reevaluate that decision.

The Indiana Manufacturers Association's (IMA) Legislative Briefing, held January 15, 2014, highlighted the success of the manufacturing industry in Indiana. Currently, manufacturing is leading the state in several  categories including: direct employment, gross state product, wages and benefits.

Washington’s newly touted “Hub” initiative seeks to rejuvenate American manufacturing and restore lost jobs to an industry which has experienced significant losses in recent years. President Obama first called on Congress in his 2013 State of the Union to create a network of manufacturing hubs across the nation. And he once again called for them in yesterday's address.

During his 2014 State of the State address, Governor Mike Pence emphasized his intentions of reforming the corporate tax structure throughout Indiana, specifically within the realms of corporate tax and business personal property tax. In conjunction with Pence’s focus on resolving these issues, the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee recently passed Senate Bill 1 by a vote of 7-2.

The skills gap in the manufacturing industry is a hot topic right now. With the manufacturing industry being so vital to Indiana's economy, the skills gap has now gotten the attention of the Indiana legislature. State Representative Wendy McNamara has announced plans to author legislation that would create a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Diploma as an alternative to the Academic Honors or Core 40 Diplomas currently offered to high school students.