Hurco grows by selling overseas

"Even with the U.S. auto industry under pressure and the North American manufacturing market experiencing relatively slow expansion, Indianapolis-based Hurco Cos. Inc. is on a tear," reports Anthony Schoettle in The Indianapolis Business Journal.

"The maker of metal- and machine-cutting tools and software has stayed ahead of the curve by growing aggressively overseas while keeping a lid on expansion costs...."

"Hurco—which was founded in 1969—made its first forays into the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy as far back as the 1980s. In the last decade, the company moved into parts of Asia. Slowly, the strategy began to pay dividends.

"In 2006, sales in Europe and Asia accounted for 66 percent of Hurco’s revenue, with a compounded annual growth rate there of 25 percent over the last three years. Hurco, industry experts said, has managed to outpace industry growth in every market it’s in."

Read the rest here.

Cyprus and Canada arrive at Portage, Indiana

The first two ships of the 2007 international shipping season have arrived at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor/Portage.

The Cyprus-flagged (flag, left) Isolda, captained by Z. Ksiezopolski, arrived overnight carrying 8,148 metric tons of steel coils from Ijmuiden, Holland. Built in 1999, the 653-foot vessel stopped in Cleveland before coming to the Port of Indiana and will next travel to Milwaukee to discharge its remaining cargo before going to load grain at Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Isolda made four trips to the port last year.

The steel coils were offloaded by port stevedore Federal Marine Terminals for general distribution in the region. About 40 local workers from the International Longshoremen's Association Local 1969 and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 will unload the ship today in about 10 to 12 hours depending on weather.

The Canadian-flagged (flag, right) Algo Marine arrived at 8 a.m. today bringing 27,000 tons of potash from Canada to Frick Services, a fertilizer and dry bulk distribution company located at the port. The self-unloading vessel will take about 14 hours to unload depending on the weather.

Every year, from the end of March through December, the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway - "the fourth coast of the United States" - opens its international waterway to ships calling on U.S. and Canadian ports throughout the Great Lakes.

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor/Portage is a 600-acre port and maritime industrial park located on Lake Michigan just 20 miles from Chicago. The port has 12 ship berths and 25 tenant companies within its boundaries.

The Ports of Indiana operates three ports, including two on the Ohio River in Jeffersonville and Mount Vernon. Overall, Indiana's three-port system handled $1.89 billion of cargo in 2006, including $820 million in total shipments at the Lake Michigan port.

SOURCE: Ports of Indiana

Requiescit in pace

Kurt Vonnegut has died.

See AP report.


UPDATE:
And, for a fun five minutes, go here and click to give a listen as Vonnegut reads from Slaughterhouse-Five.


UPDATE 2:
Nice set of features in the New York Times.

Darn!

Kurt Vonnegut will NOT be coming to Indy this month after all.

According to a report on the website of The Indianapolis Star this afternoon:

"The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library announced today that renowned author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. will not give the 2007 McFadden Memorial Lecture as scheduled. Vonnegut is recovering from a recent fall and is unable to travel.

"Instead, his son Mark will deliver his father's speech at the April 28 event at Clowes Hall. Additionally, there will be a recorded reading by Vonnegut of an excerpt from Slaughterhouse-Five, his classic work about the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, during World War II.

"The lecture is part of the community-wide celebration 'The Year of Vonnegut', honoring the life, literature and heritage of the city's [German-American] native son.

"The library's announcement of the lecture change came at the same time as an announcement by Mayor Bart Peterson that Slaughterhouse-Five has been selected as this year's 'One Book, One City' title."

British firm asks for tax breaks in Greenwood

According to the Indianapolis Business Journal, quoting The Daily Journal of Franklin, Keronite International Ltd., a British company with technology for putting hard surfaces on metals, has asked Greenwood for tax incentives to establish a plant with 29 jobs. The plant would be located at Interstate 65 and Rocklane Road.

German company files plan for Tipton plant

According to a report in the Kokomo Tribune:

A site plan for a 700,000-square-foot facility for a transmission manufacturing plant has been filed with the Tipton County Plan Commission at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Ind. 28.

The site plan was filed by the Tipton County Economic Development Foundation and Getrag, a German manufacturing company that is expected to produce dual clutch transmissions for Daimler-Chrysler.

The submitted plan covers approximately 228 acres.

The site plan includes three buildings and two access roads off of Ind. 28. The production facility would be an estimated 490,000 square feet; and include a 33,750 square foot technology; and a 175,000 square foot building that could be used for shipping and receiving, Ken de la Bastide of the Kokomo Tribune reports.

Former corporate exec explores anti-Americanism in talk at Purdue

Former AT&T executive Dick Martin (left) will discuss anti-Americanism overseas and will challenge business leaders to accept their share of responsibility during a lecture on Thursday (12 April) at Purdue University in West Lafayette.

The lecture, sponsored by the Purdue Center for International Business and Research (CIBER), the Krannert School of Management and the Department of Communication, will be from 2:30-3:45 p.m. in Rawls Hall, Room 3082.

Martin will discuss his book Rebuilding Brand America: What We Must Do To Restore Our Reputation and Safeguard the Future of American Business Abroad, which explores anti-Americanism from its causes and earliest manifestations to current efforts at its mitigation.

MORE: here.

Guantanamo Bay: The Struggle for Human Rights

James Yee, Former US Army Muslim Chaplain, will speak on "Guantanamo Bay: The Struggle for Human Rights" at 5 p.m. Thursday (12 April) in Wynne Courtroom of the Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis, 530 West New York Street, Indianapolis.

Yee is a former US Army Chaplain and graduate of West Point who served as the Muslim Chaplain for the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After being officially recognized twice for outstanding performance, Captain Yee was arrested and imprisoned in a Naval brig for 76 days in September 2003 while being falsely accused of spying, espionage, and aiding the alleged Taliban and Al-Qaeda prisoners.

Yee's gripping account of his Guantanamo experience and struggle for justice has been recently published and is entitled For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire.

For more information contact Tori Calvert, (317) 635-4059 ext. 233.

Yanomamo Warfare and the Struggle for Political Security

Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon (left), known worldwide for his pioneering work in the Amazon rainforest, will speak Friday (13 April) at the University of Indianapolis.

Chagnon was one of the first outsiders ever to spend time with the isolated Yanomamo people of Venezuela and Brazil. His 1968 book Yanomamo: The Fierce People, detailing their hallucinogenic rituals and brutal ax fights, has been a staple of reading lists for generations of anthropology students.

The lecture, “Yanomamo Warfare and the Struggle for Political Security,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in UIndy’s Ransburg Auditorium, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis. Presented through the Blanche E. Penrod Anthropology Lecture Series, the event is free and open to the public.

In the four decades since their way of life was first revealed to the broader world, the Yanomamo increasingly have been threatened by commercial and political interests and the encroachment of modern culture. Chagnon, now retired as a professor emeritus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, is at work on a new book. Though his success has brought him both admirers and critics, he remains one of the most recognized names in his field.

For more information: Christopher Schmidt of the Department of Anthropology,317:788-2103.

IU conducts research in Japan

Human behavior can be observed and accurately analyzed by a complex sensor network, a system that could ultimately benefit public transportation, homeland security and crime prevention, reports a research team at the Indiana University School of Informatics and two universities in Japan.

The researchers evaluated a distributed sensor network they deployed in the JR Kyoto subway station in Japan as part of the Digital City Surveillance Project. Their study appears in the April-June issue of IEEE Multimedia.

They blanketed the station with a sensor network of 28 wide-view cameras, and developed a system that "learned" from a station operator to recognize what people were doing in the concourse. The system then audibly told operators about events like overcrowding so operators could respond promptly.

SOURCE: IU Media Relations

Indian street theater group comes to West Lafayette

The Indian street theater performance group Jana Natya Manch will present an interactive storytelling session, movie screening and several street plays on global politics today (7 April) and tomorrow (8 April) in West Lafayette.

The group's visit is sponsored by Purdue University's College of Liberal Arts and the Discovery Learning Center, which is housed in Discovery Park. All of the events are free and open to the public.

Jana Natya Manch, also known as the People's Theatre Group and Janam, is made up of self-trained actors and has participated in more than 7,500 performances of 100 street and proscenium plays in India. The performances and plays will be in Hindi and translated into English.

"Street theater has historically served as a performative space for raising critical political and sociocultural issues," said Mohan Jyoti Dutta, associate professor of communication and the event's organizer. "In its performance, Jana Natya Manch, one of the pioneering theater activist groups in India, raises questions of political relevance through art. Historically, street theater has played an important role in Indian politics in serving as a platform for those who have otherwise been silenced. As a genre, it demonstrates the ways in which art can be mobilized for social change."

The interactive storytelling session, "Whose Side Are You On?" will introduce the audience to the mechanics of street theater. The session begins at 1:30 p.m. today (7 April) in Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education, Room 2280, and will be followed by the workshop, "Street as Stage."

The street performance, "Yeh Dil Mange More Guruji," will take place on the Memorial Mall at 4:30 p.m. The first day's events will close with a film screening of "The Play Goes On" at 6:30 p.m. in Matthew Hall, Room 210. A question-and-answer session will follow.

Two more street plays - "Who Bol Uthi (And She Spoke Up)" and "Nahi Qabool (Unacceptable)" - will be performed beginning at 11 a.m. tomorrow (8 April) on Memorial Mall.

During the workshop, Moloyashree Hashmi and Sudhanva Deshpande, two of India's best-known street theater activists, will talk about street theater in India, its history and its role in cultural and political change.

Hashmi conducts the Theatre Practicum at Delhi University, and Deshpande is an actor, director, playwright and teacher who writes regularly on theater, cinema and politics. He has been published in a number of journals, including The Drama Review, XCP: Cross-Cultural Poetics, Seagull Theatre Quarterly, Theatre India and Economic and Political Weekly. He is a managing editor with LeftWord Books in New Delhi.

Information from Purdue News Service.

Roche expands

Roche Group has spent $600 million to buy full ownership of BioVeris Corp. of Gaithersburg, Md., gaining control of BioVeris' diagnostic technology, reports The Indianapolis Business Journal.

The Swiss company's U.S. subsidiary, Indianapolis-based Roche Diagnostics, had licensed the electrochemiluminescence technology in machines it sold to hospitals and commercial laboratories--but was limited to diagnosing human diseases.

The acquisition, which is expected to close in the third quarter, allows Roche Diagnostics to expand sales of the equipment for veterinary applications as well as to human drug discovery and clinical trials.

International Film Festival Lineup Announced

The lineup has been announced: 191 films representing 45 nations will screen at the 2007 Indianapolis International Film Festival.

See the list alphabetically.

See the list by nation of origin.

Workshop on Darfur at Marian College

Concerned about the crisis in Sundan? Consider attending a "Workshop on Darfur" from 6:30-9 p.m. Monday (16 April) in the Allison Mansion on the campus of Marian College, 3200 Cold Spring Road, Indianapolis.

It's sponsored by The Franciscan Center for Global Studies (FCGS) at Marian, and co-sponsored by Catholic Relief Services, American Jewish World Service, Citizens for Global Solutions, Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council, Archdiocese of Indianapolis, and Indiana Coalition to Save Darfur.

Designed as a forum for expert discussion that will emphasize audience participation, education, and—most important—taking action, this workshop is for anyone who is concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Featured speakers:

Scott LeFevre (left), Catholic Relief Services, Darfur specialist; Joshua Bloom (second from left), American Jewish World Service, Darfur field organizer; Julia Fitzpatrick (third from left), Citizens for Global Solutions, Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow; Anita Sharma (right), ENOUGH, Executive Director."

Serbian Treats Headlined in "The Indianapolis Star"

Easter is in the offing, and The Indianapolis Star has a tasty feature with recipes for a Serbian-style holiday celebration online here, at least briefly.

More permanently, get a copy of St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church's new cookbook, "Indy Serbs' 500 Favorite Recipes", for $10 at the church at 7855 Marsh Road, Indianapolis.

Barbara Flynn to head IU's CIBER

Indiana University Kelley School of Business Dean Daniel Smith has named Barbara Flynn (right), professor of operations management at Kelley's Indianapolis campus, as the new director of the IU Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER).

CIBER creates business research and study opportunities for Indiana University faculty and students, allowing the university's graduates and partners to better compete in today's global economy. As faculty director, Flynn will provide strategic guidance to the center's research initiative, faculty development programs and grant development efforts.

Flynn is a recent addition to the Kelley Indianapolis faculty, coming to Kelley from Wake Forest University in 2006. At Wake Forest, she was the Sisel Fellow of Operations Management at the Babcock Graduate School of Management and also served as a past president of the Atlanta-based Decision Sciences Institute.

source: IU Media Relations

Darfur to Indiana

"As many as 300 people originally from Darfur are living in Fort Wayne, with others scattered across smaller Indiana cities like Elkhart, South Bend and Goshen. Together, they form one of the largest concentrations of Darfuri in the United States."

This is an excerpt from an exceptional article in Monday's New York Times about the ability of the Hoosier Heartland to welcome yet another set of scarred refugees. Here's another snippet:

"'Cities like New York are not attractive for our beginners, too busy,' said Nourain Basheir, 41, one of the first Darfuri to settle in Fort Wayne in 1996. 'This community welcomed us cheerfully and respectfully. They understand our people.'

"Despite Indiana’s reputation among Americans as a monolithic slice of the country, in parts of Africa it is known — mostly by word of mouth — as diverse, welcoming and affordable."

After Darfur, Starting Anew in the Midwest
By SUSAN SAULNY
The New York Times
Published: April 2, 2007
"In Indiana, people fleeing the violence of Darfur find an unlikely new home that is diverse and welcoming."

Read the rest here.


UPDATE:
Almost a month after The New York Times writes about all the people from Darfur living in Fort Wayne, The Indianapolis Star finally notices. See 29 April 2007 -- at least as long as the paper leaves the link active!

April's "Ethnic Hoosier" is Posted

The April edition of the Nationalities Council's monthly newsletter, "The Ethnic Hoosier", has been posted to the NCI website.

A Constitution for Iraq?

Feisal Istrabadi (right), Deputy Permanent Representative of the Iraqi Mission to the United Nations, will talk about "Crafting a Constitution for Iraq" from 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday (2 April) in Wynne Courtroom of Indiana University School of Law at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

For more information, contact Nandini Mascarenhas (International Law Society).

Feisal Istrabadi is Deputy Permanent Representative of the Iraqi Mission to the United Nations, which position he has held since 2004. In 2004 he was also appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at the Iraqi Ministry for Foreign Affairs. As a legal advisor to the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. al-Istrabadi negotiated U.N. Security Council Resolution 1546 (June 2004). He was also a principal legal drafter of the Law of Administration of the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period, i.e. the transitional constitution of the country (2003-2004) and author of the bill of Fundamental Rights. Before engaging in the reconstruction of Iraq, Mr. al-Istrabadi had been a practicing barrister in the United States for 15 years, with approximately 70 jury and bench civil trials in federal and State courts, and numerous administrative hearings. He is a Senior Fellow for Legal Reform and Development in the Arab World, the International Human Rights Law Institute, College of Law, DePaul University, Chicago. Ambassador Istrabadi holds a JD degree from Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington and a Master of Laws degree from Northwestern University. Sponsored by the International Law Society.

Tibetan Monks to Construct Sand Mandala of Compassion

The "Creation of Sand Mandala of Compassion" by a group of eight Tibetan monks from Gomang Monastery begins 19 April in Room 115 of University College at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

Thursday (19 April): 9 a.m. Opening Ceremony, 2-4:30 p.m., 7:30-9 p.m.
Friday (20 April): 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1:30-3 p.m., 5-7 p.m.
Sunday (22 April): Noon-3 p.m.
Monday (23 April): 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m., 1-9 p.m.
Tuesday (24 April): 3-9 p.m.
Wednesday (25 April): 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Closing Ceremony at 3 p.m.

Sponsored by IUPUI: Campus & Community Life, Center on Philanthropy, Democracy Plaza, Department of Anthropology, Department of English, Department of Geography, Department of Philosophy, Department of Sociology, Department of World Languages & Cultures, General Studies Student Council, Indiana Center for Intercultural Communication, Institute for American Thought, International Studies Program, International Tibet Independence Movement, School of Education, SPEA Student Council, and Undergraduate Student Government.

At 7 p.m. Saturday (21 April), the eight monks will present a "Cultural Pageant of Tibet" in the Fellowship Hall of Saint Luke's United Methodist Church, 100 West 86th Street, Indianapolis, featuring Harmonic Overtone Chanting, Traditional Instruments, Richly Brocaded Costumes, Sacred Dances, Yak Dance, Monastic Debates, and Tibet Slide Show.

The suggested donation for this event: $10 Adults; $7 Students; $5 Children.

It's sponsored by Spiritual Life Center of Saint Luke's United Methodist Church and the International Tibet Independence Movement.
Information, Larry Gerstein, President, International Tibet Independence Movement.