Reason to be excited (09/04/07)

Mayor Bruce Hosier has reason to be excited about his upcoming trip to Japan as part of a trade mission for the state of Indiana.

And so do the rest of us.

Hosier won't just be representing Portland and Jay County but all of east central Indiana.

He was tapped for the mission by Energize-ECI, a non-profit organization based in Muncie that's funded by the Ball Brothers Foundation.

Energize-ECI will be footing the bill for Hosier's part of the trip; no tax dollars are involved.

That Hosier was selected speaks well for how the city and the current administration are viewed regionally in the area of economic development.

Trade missions by state officials to Indiana date back to the administration of Gov. Robert D. Orr, and they were viewed with skepticism when they began.

Today, one only has to look at the Indiana industrial landscape to see how important such contacts can be. Numerous Japanese-based manufacturing firms - including our own FCC (Indiana) - now call the Hoosier state home.

This year's mission is being led by Gov. Mitch Daniels and is timed to overlap with the 2007 Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference in Tokyo.

And the community is proud to have Mayor Hosier as part of Indiana's team. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]