Hoosiers win new jobs

This month our jobs announcements were diverse, ranging from motorsports marketing to medical laboratory testing. I participated in two announcements with the state's Economic Development Corporation. Just Marketing International, a global motorsports marketer, expanded their Zionsville headquarters. They invested more than $3 million and created 45 new jobs. In Columbus, Techtop LHP created 62 new jobs and invested $7.3 million. Watch for even more jobs to come to Hoosiers in June

Indiana continues its

economic progress

Sharing the progress we are making in winning new job deals for Hoosiers is always a pleasure. Since 2005, our partnership with the state's economic development corporation has led to 544 business deals-business that have committed to create nearly 67,000 jobs and invested more than $15.5 billion in Indiana.

This month, I traveled to share those numbers with the Clinton County Chamber of Commerce, Evansville Rotary, the Kokomo Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Kokomo's Women's Council. At each stop, I enjoyed meeting with our local partners and hearing about their challenges and successes. I look forward to visiting again with even more good news.

Warrick County celebrates groundbreaking on State Road 66

I was also in Warrick County to help break ground on a new stretch of State Road 66. When finished, the new four-lane corridor will improve access between Vanderburgh and Spencer Counties, and help manage the growth this area of the state has witnessed in recent years. Thanks to the state's fully-funded transportation program, Major Moves, we have the money in the bank to build a bigger and better State Road 66 now -- $39.5 million to be exact.

Governor Daniels and I believe that a solid public infrastructure system opens up endless possibilities for economic development. With a thriving transportation system in place, more businesses will choose to invest and grow in Indiana, and Hoosiers will see more big wins.

State tourism wins big with Super Bowl 2012 and LIVE Indiana

And no win could be bigger or more anticipated than hosting the 2012 Super Bowl. This was big news for football fans, and all Hoosiers can enjoy the $365 million estimated economic impact the game will have on our state. I was at Harshman Middle School in Indianapolis to celebrate the announcement. It was wonderful moment in our state's history as we enjoyed the national spotlight and recognition.

Meanwhile, we have been working to shine a spotlight on our tourism industry statewide. I launched the "Live Indiana" summer online promotion with the state's Office of Tourism Development. The promotion focuses on three areas: outdoor recreation, motorcycle rides, and college towns. I encourage you to check out the Web site at LiveIndiana.net. Visitors to the site have an opportunity to blog about their experiences and share travel advice. They also can win travel-related prizes by playing online games and quizzes.

Our Office of Tourism Development is devoted to growing and enhancing the state's tourism industry. The industry brings almost $10 billion a year to our state, and employs more than 260,000 Hoosiers -- which, by the way is an increase of almost 170,000 jobs since 2002.

I hope you enjoyed this snapshot look back at the month of May in Indiana. Despite some of the worst storms the state has ever seen, June will be just as successful. As I travel to affected areas, the storms have been a challenge for many Hoosiers. But Hoosiers are resilient and Indiana is moving forward. You can view the latest storm updates by visiting Emergency.in.gov.