TERRE HAUTE Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — State economists predict 2020 will be a strong year for business.
The announcement came Tuesday during the annual Groundhog Day Economic Forecast hosted by the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce.
Jim Stanton of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation said projections are based partly on businesses currently in the state, as well as ones looking to come to Indiana.
“At this point a lot of the companies seem to be the higher scale higher wage advanced manufacturing type jobs and so we are excited about that possibility,” Stanton said. “Hopefully the average wage of those job commitments will continue to rise.”
At the event state officials spoke on how Terre Haute and the Indianapolis area are big influences on the state’s economy as a whole.
“Location has always been Terre Haute’s strength. The I-70 corridor cutting through here is just critical for the continued growth of Terre Haute.”
Clabber Girl, who has been in the Wabash Valley since the mid-19th century, stood out as a major influencer on the local economy. B&G Foods, which purchased the company last year, made a statement that it plans on keeping the company in Terre Haute.
President of B&G Foods, Ken Romanzi said geographically, Terre Haute is appealing.
“We ship everything from here to the rest of our warehouses around the country,” Romanzi said. “So it’s a terrific hub and a big attraction for the area.”
Overall the feeling for Indiana’s economy was hopeful, and expectations ran high for the year to come.