FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Indiana Economic Development Corporation

State Slates Workshops to Help Affected Businesses

INDIANAPOLIS (June 20, 2008) - Experts from federal and state government agencies will host a series of workshops next week aimed at helping businesses rebound following June's historic flooding and severe weather.

T he Indiana Economic Development Corporation's Small Business Development Center network along with representatives from the state's departments of insurance, revenue and workforce development will team up with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration to host the "back to business" workshops designed to help business leaders navigate state and federal business assistance programs.

"It's important we provide every tool available to businesses to help them recover and return to profitable operation as quickly as possible," said Nathan Feltman, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. "The businesses directly affected are obvious candidates for assistance; however, it is also important to lend support to those businesses that may be indirectly affected by the floods through loss of suppliers and customers."

The first round of "back to business" workshops are scheduled for the following dates and locations.

Monday June 23 (4 to 6 p.m.)
Terre Haute Holiday Inn
3325 US Highway 41
Terre Haute

Tuesday June 24 (5 to 8 p.m.)
Franklin College
Dietz Building
101 Branigin Boulevard
Franklin

Wednesday June 25 (5 to 8 p.m.)
1st Presbyterian Church
Keller Hall
240 East Washington Street
Martinsville

Thursday June 26 (4 to 6 p.m.)
Columbus Learning Center
4555 Central Avenue
Columbus

The workshops are free to attend and no reservations are required. Additional workshops and locations will be added early next week.

For more information, contact Lisa Spalding, associate state director for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation's Small Business Development Center network, at 317.234.2077.

About IEDC
Created by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Daniels. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Nathan Feltman serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC. Since Daniels created the IEDC, the state has posted three consecutive years of record-breaking job creation. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.

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Indiana Economic Development Corporation
Media Contact:
Mitch Frazier (IEDC) - 317.232.8873 or MFrazier@iedc.in.gov