Conexus Indiana Archives - Page 2 of 9 - CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership

Conexus Indiana names two to Board of Directors and promotes Snellenberger to Vice President of Partnerships

Courtney Kerr2025-11-17T14:20:50-05:00September 5, 2025|

Marty Brown, President of Kem Krest and Jeffrey Rhoads, Vice President for Research at the University of Notre Dame, have joined the 22-member Conexus Indiana Board of Directors. “These appointments bring valuable expertise and fresh perspectives to our board at a critical time for Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics sectors,” said Jay Wirts, Conexus Indiana president and CEO. “Marty and Jeff are insightful leaders with proven track records in their respective fields. I look forward to seeing how they work alongside our existing board members to help the industry achieve its aggressive goals.” New Board Members Marty Brown brings substantial commercial leadership and strategic experience to his role as President at Kem Krest, a certified minority-owned supply chain optimization firm headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. Appointed President in January 2025, he leads the company’s growth strategy, talent development and operational oversight. His [...]

Conexus Indiana releases “Future Ready” report identifying the critical manufacturing subsectors and roles driving Indiana’s economic growth

Courtney Kerr2026-05-29T11:26:19-04:00August 6, 2025|

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Nearly $13 million awarded for statewide career apprenticeship initiative

Courtney Kerr2025-07-09T09:55:23-04:00July 9, 2025|

FuFunds for Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway support regional implementation, Industry Talent Associations, and employer and student engagement The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation has awarded nearly $13 million in funding to eight Indiana organizations working to develop a new pathway for high school and adult students to learn about and train for in-demand careers and help Indiana businesses find and train employees. The first cohort of high school students will begin apprenticeship programs in the new Indiana Career Apprenticeship Pathway (INCAP) in the fall of 2026. They will split their time between the workplace and the classroom, with at least 50% of their training taking place on the job to help ensure they are gaining in-demand skills and employers are realizing a return on investment. The students will be paid by their employers and work year-round. Programs for adults will be available [...]

AV Freight Readiness Assessment: How Indiana can lead in automated freight transportation

Courtney Kerr2026-05-29T11:19:14-04:00June 17, 2025|

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Conexus Indiana names 2025 Rising 30 cohort of emerging industry leaders

Courtney Kerr2025-05-16T09:42:50-04:00May 15, 2025|

Conexus Indiana today announced its fifth annual Rising 30 class, recognizing outstanding young professionals making significant early-career contributions to Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics (AML) sectors. The Rising 30 program, presented by Purdue University, continues Conexus Indiana’s commitment to strengthening and promoting Indiana’s vital manufacturing and logistics ecosystem. These honorees represent exceptional talent under the age of 30 who are already reshaping Indiana’s largest industry sector and will lead it into the next era of innovation. Selected for their remarkable achievements and forward-thinking approaches, this year’s cohort embodies the bright future of Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics industries. “When I visit our manufacturing facilities across Indiana, I’m always struck by the ingenuity of our young talent,” said Jay Wirts, President and CEO of Conexus Indiana. “These Rising 30 honorees aren’t just building products—they’re building the future of Hoosier manufacturing and ensuring [...]

Conexus Indiana welcomes Jay Wirts as President and CEO

Courtney Kerr2025-04-03T11:35:06-04:00March 28, 2025|

Following a national search, Conexus Indiana, a statewide organization dedicated to strengthening Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries, today announced the appointment of Jay Wirts as its new president and CEO. Wirts brings more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in the advanced manufacturing sector, with a track record of driving business growth and operational excellence. Wirts most recently served as executive vice president of Smart Infrastructure Solutions at Belden, where he managed a $1.2 billion global business that designs and manufactures broadband and network infrastructure. Throughout his career, Wirts has demonstrated exceptional leadership in developing innovative customer solutions, strengthening supply chains and fostering talent pipelines. “Jay’s extensive experience and passion for advancing industrial innovation make him an ideal leader for Conexus Indiana,” said Scott Brand, chair of the Conexus Indiana Board of Directors and president and COO [...]

Conexus Indiana presents Manufacturing Innovation Award at TechPoint’s 26th annual Mira Awards

Courtney Kerr2025-02-28T11:22:20-05:00February 28, 2025|

Conexus Indiana, in partnership with TechPoint, has named Arcamed of Indianapolis as the recipient of the second annual Manufacturing Innovation Award. The award was announced at the 26th annual Mira Awards gala, commonly known as “The Oscars of Indiana Tech,” at the Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts on February 27. The Conexus Indiana Manufacturing Innovation Award recognizes industrial firms that have taken an exceptional leap into the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) through cutting-edge technology adoption. The 2025 finalists were selected from a group of statewide applicants operating in and serving diverse manufacturing subsectors, including precision parts, fasteners, furniture, medical devices, aerospace and automotive. Collectively, the six firms deployed a broad range of advanced manufacturing technologies like robotics, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), industrial internet of things and machine vision to [...]

Conexus launches strategic plan to grow Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries

Courtney Kerr2025-03-04T15:45:01-05:00February 4, 2025|

Conexus Indiana, a non-profit dedicated to advancing Indiana’s position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and logistics (AML), has unveiled its six-year strategic plan, Conexus 2031: Empowering Bold Industry Transformation, to address key challenges and capitalize on opportunities within Indiana’s AML sectors, which are vital to the state’s economic health.Employing more than 840,000 workers and contributing $151 billion to the state’s GDP, these industries account for 25% of all Indiana jobs and 37% of economic output—well above national averages. This outsized impact underscores the importance of maintaining Indiana’s competitive edge through strategic investment in modernization, advanced technology and workforce development.The creation of Conexus 2031 was shaped by robust industry research, including a recent report from TEConomy Partners and Conexus Indiana, Assessing Indiana’s Progress in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which examines the complex dimensions of productivity, digitization and Industry 4.0 technology adoption and [...]

Central Indiana Corporate Partnership announces senior leadership appointments across BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana and TechPoint

Ronnetta Spalding2024-12-19T00:27:36-05:00December 12, 2024|

INDIANAPOLIS – The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), alongside its branded initiatives BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana and TechPoint, today announces the appointment of three senior leaders who will play pivotal roles in shaping the future of Indiana’s life sciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics and technology sectors. Douglas Kiehl, Patrick “PJ” McGrew and Casey Osterkamp joined BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana and TechPoint, respectively, in senior leadership roles on December 10. “As we ensure the strength of Indiana’s advanced industries, these strategic hires underscore our commitment to building a thriving, innovative economy,” said Melina Kennedy, CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership. “Doug, PJ and Casey each bring a depth of expertise that will help us tackle workforce challenges, advance technological adoption and foster cross-sector collaboration. Together, they will elevate our efforts to position Indiana as a global leader in innovation and talent [...]

Over $1 million in grants to start building new apprenticeship pathway

Ronnetta Spalding2025-01-07T11:48:01-05:00November 12, 2024|

Grants from the Fairbanks Foundation to fund formation of industry “talent associations” as critical step for new pathway’s goal of welcoming students as early as 2025-2026 school year INDIANAPOLIS – A new professional education and training pathway for Hoosiers rooted in a youth apprenticeship experience starting in high school is one step closer to reality. Today, the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation announced over $1 million in grants to fund the next steps of the CEMETS iLab Indiana strategic plan to build a new path that could welcome students in at least one occupation as early as the 2025-2026 school year. The Fairbanks Foundation is awarding grants to two Indiana organizations to launch industry “talent associations,” which are organizations that enable employers within their industry to speak with one voice when it comes to their talent needs. The talent associations will [...]

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