Holcomb Rolls Out Indiana ‘Welcome Mat’ During European Trip

By Casey Smith,Indiana Capital Chronicle

October 10, 2022

Gov. Eric Holcomb returned Friday from a weeklong economic development trip to Germany and Switzerland, which he said was an opportunity to attract more manufacturing jobs and other investment to Indiana.

The Republican governor led a nine-person delegation to Europe to build on business discussions surrounding medical device manufacturing in Indiana, as well as the state’s role in the global energy transition. The group included Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers and members of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

“Europe is one of Indiana’s top trading and foreign investment partners, accounting for nearly half of the 1,050 global businesses operating here,” Holcomb said in a statement Monday. “Our global partnerships extend far beyond the numbers. Germany and Switzerland in particular, have been long-standing partners and friends of Indiana for many decades. As we face new global events and economic challenges, these international partnerships are more important than ever, and I look forward to working with our German and Swiss friends to advance disruption and innovation in tomorrow’s economy.”

While in Germany, Holcomb met with representatives from some of the 138 German-owned businesses with facilities in Indiana and hosted an energy-focused, industry roundtable with the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany.

The Indiana delegation then traveled to Switzerland to meet with Swiss business officials, including those at Novartis, Medartis and Roche, to talk about expanding research and development in Indiana’s pharmaceutical and orthopedic industry. Roche — the parent company of Roche Diagnostics — employs about 3,000 people at its facility on Indianapolis’ north side.

The trip was paid for through private donations to the Indiana Economic Development Foundation.

Holcomb told reporters in a Zoom call last week that his objective on any international trip is “to create more opportunities for Hoosiers.”

“And that can happen from investments — from Indiana companies investing abroad in the countries we visit, or from the countries we visit to invest, or invest more, in Indiana. And on that front, there is no substitute for being present in-person,” he said.

Businesses around the world “are looking to make sure there are fewer interruptions — or disruptions,” to their growth, Holcomb continued, emphasizing that Indiana is “a very attractive place” to do business, given that the state is a “place of stability and certainty and predictability and continuity.”

Still, the governor has been criticized by some of the state’s largest employers — including Eli Lilly and Cummins — after he sgined a near-total abortion ban in August. The companies said the ban could inhibit business growth and make it harder to retain skilled workers.

But the governor maintained Thursday Indiana is “accommodating and welcoming.”

“A lot of our employers are hiring the best talent in the world,” Holcomb said. “There is a blinking, neon Hoosier welcome light on, and I spread that message everywhere I go.”

The governor’s travel marks his 13th international trip as governor and his third visit to both Germany and Switzerland. It also comes on the heels of a separate privately-funded economic development trip last month in Taiwan and South Korea that focused largely on semiconductors.
Holcomb and other state leaders have in recent months pushed to bolster domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips in Indiana.

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.