The IBJ Podcast

IBJ Media
  • 4.6 (48)
  • BUSINESS NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The IBJ Podcast

A weekly take on business news in central Indiana. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    The risks tariffs pose to Indiana’s manufacturing-heavy economy

    Podcast listeners might remember about three months ago when regular guest Pete the Planner predicted that President Donald Trump’s plans for tariffs could have a pronounced effect on some elements of Indiana’s economy. Trump wasted little time once his second term began last month, imposing or thratening to impose a barrage of tariffs on many of America’s trading partners—and in particular Canada, Mexico and China, who are among Indiana’s top six importers of goods. For example, on Feb. 1, Trump said he would implement a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% additional tarif on imports from China. On Feb. 3, he agreed to a 30-day pause on tariffs against Mexico and Canada. On Feb. 9, Trump said he would impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. Those tariffs aren’t set to go into effect until March 12. However, as IBJ has learned from Indiana companies in the last several weeks, simply the threat of tariffs against a trading partner can be disruptive for American companies.All of IBJ's reporters have been working on stories about tariffs, but we left the big picture to the newest addition to our reporting bullpen—someone who is uniquely qualified to investigate the interplay of tariffs and manufacturing. You might already be familiar with Daniel Lee, a longtime Indiana business journalist who also has significant experience in the state’s manufacturing sector. He’s making his debut on the IBJ Podcast this week to first give us a broad-based assessment of the risks posed by tariffs and then provide some specific examples of companies dealing with vulnerability to the effects of tariffs. That includes one major firm that largely has been able to inoculate itself against tariffs on important goods.

    32 min

  2. FEB 9

    With billions at stake, hyperscale data centers become charged issue in Indiana

    You don’t need to be too technically savvy to pick up on the charged atmosphere surrounding large-scale data centers. Various technology-heavy industries need data centers as a kind of way station and storage point for all the electronic information they generate and process. As technology evolves at a breakneck speed, the size of these centers grows. In October, the financial firm Blackstone forecast that over the next five years, the United States will see $1 trillion in data center investments. Indiana really wasn’t on the map of the big tech firms, at least in terms of building centers, until very recently. In the last 14 months, seven data center projects have been announced for the state representing more than $15 billion in potential investment. Some Indiana legislators see them as huge economic development opportunities. Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, has said, quote, “I want every data center that we can get in the state of Indiana.” But the sudden surge in announced centers has generated a lot of concern as well about their drain on Indiana utilities and, in some cases, their water-intensive cooling systems. Indiana lawmakers are considering a spate of bills regarding data centers in the current legislative session. IBJ technology reporter Susan Orr is our guest this week on the IBJ Podcast to get us current on the demand for data centers and how that’s manifesting in Indiana.

    33 min
  3. A preschool, a church, a pickleball palace—tracking the transformations of Indy’s vacant Marsh supermarkets

    FEB 3

    A preschool, a church, a pickleball palace—tracking the transformations of Indy’s vacant Marsh supermarkets

    Founded in central Indiana, Marsh Supermarkets Inc. at its peak operated well over 100 stores, with a critical mass in the nine-county Indianapolis metro area. In 2017—11 years after a private equity firm took ownership—just 63 stores remained. Marsh declared bankruptcy in May 2017. From those 63 stores, Marsh closed the majority and sold 26 to Kroger and Needlers.That left a lot of cavernous retail real estate on the market in the Indianapolis area, often occupying sites in shopping centers reserved for huge anchor tenants. But today you’d be hard-pressed to find more than a few vacant Marshes in the nine-county area. The vast majority are accounted for with new tenants or entirely new developments. And the range of solutions found for these sites is breathtaking. One Marsh became a preschool. Another became a church. A pickleball palace. A trampoline park. A headquarters for an IndyCar team. At least a couple spaces were split in two, making room for more specialized grocery stores.After hearing news last week about the site of a former Beech Grove Marsh being redeveloped for a plumbing trade school, IBJ Podcast host Mason King called longtime local retail real estate broker Bill French. After 41 years, French has seen it all, and he has kept detailed records on how former Marsh spaces have been recast, revamped or replaced. Consider this week’s edition of the podcast a tour, as French explains the unique challenges of remaking a signature supermarket space. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.

    33 min
  4. The latest on downtown soccer stadium, $78M Fever facility and Simon hotel/concert venue

    JAN 27

    The latest on downtown soccer stadium, $78M Fever facility and Simon hotel/concert venue

    It’s time to unpack the latest developments in Mayor Joe Hogsett’s plan to establish a Major League Soccer team in downtown Indianapolis. Among other things, the team needs a stadium to play in. The city earmarked about 16 acres in the southeast quadrant of the Mile Square and held discussions with MLS officials. We were left with a cliffhanger: Can the city get state approval for the taxing district that would help pay for the stadium? That’s where we’ll kick off this week’s edition of the IBJ Podcast, but we’re going to cover much more ground in this sector of the Mile Square. That includes the newly announced, $78 million practice and training facility for the Indiana Fever, which will be developed less than a soccer pitch away from the prospective stadium site. In the other direction, the Fever facility will be catercorner to the campus containing Commission Row, Bicentennial Unity Plaza and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of the Fever and the Indiana Pacers. A block to the west of Gainbridge is the future site of a $312 million development that will include a high-end hotel and a 4,000-seat concert venue. The next step in the development process for that project has already begun. What do many of these latest developments in the southeast quadrant of the Mile Square have in common? Real estate developer Herb Simon and his family, who own a majority stake in the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever. In this week’s edition of the podcast, IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey walks us through all of the latest developments—or in some cases the lack of obvious progress—in this burgeoning sports, entertainment and hospitality sector of downtown. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.

    42 min

  5. JAN 20

    Pete the Planner on Trump's second term, rising inflation and the impact of the LA wildfires on housing

    The official release date of this episode is Jan. 20, which not coincidentally is Inauguration Day. President Trump will outline his vision for second term, but we already have a sense of what to expect in terms of economic policy. Four of the biggest themes are prioritizing tax cuts, decreasing regulation in several major industries, increasing tariffs on imported goods from trading partners Mexico, Canada and China, and cracking down on illegal immigration. And in fact, podcast host Mason King discussed a few of these in an episode after the election in November with IBJ finance columnist Pete Dunn. What’s interesting is how quickly some of Pete’s predictions have come true in just two months. At the same, some of the market-moving elements of the economy have shifted enough in two months that Pete is open to a second look. And then there’s the event with huge economic implications that few could have predicted: the devastating wildfires that have wiped out parts of Los Angeles and its immediate environs. So Pete is back this week to discuss what we can expect to see in at least the next year or two in a free-wheeling conversation hitting rising inflation, stubbornly high costs for consumer goods, the meandering stock market, mass deportations and what could be the biggest economic story of 2025—the impact of the LA fires on the housing industry. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.

    31 min

  6. JAN 13

    Inside the mind of a rising Indy apartment developer

    After five years leading apartment development for Indianapolis-based real estate firm Birge & Held, Jarod Brown decided he wanted a business with his name on the door. So he struck out on his own in late 2022 and soon hung his shingle for Brown Capital Group on an historic building in Broad Ripple. As a developer, he hit the ground running with an impressive set of established relationships and a strong track record in central Indiana. He currently is working on several major apartment projects in various stages of development in the Indy area, including The Grounds, a 236-unit project at 22nd and Central; The Row, a three-building complex by the Monon Trail at 22nd Street; Rosedale Hills Apartments, a 132-unit project on the south side of Indianapolis; and The Grove, a 188-unit complex in Whitestown.For his firm’s headquarters, Brown bought the former Broad Ripple Library building at 6219 Guilford Ave. The 76-year-old building is currently under renovation for BCG’s offices, as well as for co-working space the firm plans to offer. Interviewing Brown in the old children’s reading room, IBJ Podcast host Mason King took this opportunity to learn more about a bread-and-butter element of IBJ’s news coverage: real estate development. Brown gives an insider’s view of the most important elements of his strategy, the vital task that dominates his time, and the whole process of creating apartment projects from identifying desirable land to swinging open the doors to tenants. And Brown sees his headquarters as an investment in the future of Broad Ripple Village, which he believes has its best years ahead of it. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.

    43 min

  7. JAN 6

    Dave Lindquist previews can't-miss entertainment in 2025

    2024 was a big year for entertainment in Indianapolis. Taylor Swift came to town for three concerts of course. But major sports events including NBA All-Star Weekend, the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials and Indianapolis 500 included multiple concerts and arts events. Even celebrations around the eclipse featured music and the arts.   So will 2025 be a letdown? IBJ Editor Lesley Weidenbener sat down with IBJ’s arts and entertainment reporter Dave Lindquist to find out what’s on the docket this year in entertainment. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.

    29 min

  8. 12/16/2024

    Mission of Indy furniture maker ‘is about building other people up’

    Indy-based Furniture maker Purposeful Design LLC—which lives under the umbrella of the nonprofit Sagamore Institute—works with local relief organizations to recruit people who have struggled with addiction, homelessness, incarceration and other obstacles to self-sufficiency. As apprentices and craftspeople, the workers learn skills that can help them find employment, as well as workplace habits that will help them keep their jobs and advance. The numbers indicate Purposeful Design is working. Officials expect revenue of $2.7 million in 2024, and its sales typically cover 85% of the cost of doing business. The rest comes from grants and charitable gifts that are used to invest in machinery or other needs that make the operation more efficient. Over 11 years, more than 240 people have been employed and trained by Purposeful Design. Some sign on for six-month apprenticeships and move on to other jobs; some stay longer. For this week’s edition of the IBJ Podcast, host Mason King first interviews Dewey Titus, a former addict who has been with Purposeful Design for five years and now is the supervisor of its metal shop. The impact has been profound: "I went from being alone and homeless and then in five years having my family come together," Titus said. Then we hear from Brady Roberts, vice president of sales and marketing, about the organization’s origin story and mission. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.

    37 min
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4.6
out of 5
48 Ratings

About

A weekly take on business news in central Indiana. The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Taft.

Information

  • Creator
    IBJ Media
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    The IBJ Podcast

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