BSU program is ranked 17th

Ball State University’s online master’s of business administration program tied for 17th in this year’s list of best online programs from U.S. News & World Report.

The honor marked the eighth straight year in which the program has ranked among the top 20 out of 324 eligible.

“The Ball State online MBA and bachelor’s programs in business provide students with a high quality, flexible degree at a competitive cost,” said Miller College of Business dean Stephen Ferris in a press release. “We are proud that our efforts are once again being recognized by U.S. News & World Report.”

BSU’s online bachelor’s programs for business (11th) and general management (17th) also ranked among the top 20.



Abatement finalized

Berne City Council recently finalized a 10-year super tax abatement for EP Graphics, the Berne Witness reported.

The company plans to install a new press at an expected cost of $3.65 million. It will get a 100% tax abatement for the first five years with a gradual phase-in over the next five.

The new equipment is expected to help add five new jobs for a total of 130 employees.

Council had approved a declaratory resolution establishing the property as a revitalization area last month, a step toward granting the abatement.

The Witness notes that EP Graphics hopes to have the new press running in early 2021 though the entirety of the project is expected to take until the end of 2022.



Named to board

Mercer Health CEO Lisa Klenke has been named to the Ohio Hospital Association Board of Trustees, The Daily Standard (Celina, Ohio) reported.

The association represents the state’s 240 hospitals and 14 health systems. The board is made up of four officers, the OHA president and CEO and 13 trustees.

In her role as a board member, Klenke, a Coldwater, Ohio, resident, will be involved in policy and strategic direction for Ohio hospitals.



Partnering on truck

Motherson Sumi and Daimler Indian Commercial Vehicles have partnered to customize a refrigerated truck for the transport of coronavirus vaccine.

The company, which operates MSSL Wiring in Portland, developed the refrigerated container that is mounted on a BharatBenz truck made by Daimler. It can store vaccines as cold as negative-20 degrees and the temperature can be monitored throughout the delivery process.

“Our product enables temperature control and tamper monitoring which are critical to ensure effective distribution of the COVID vaccine across India,” said Motherson Sumi chairman Vivek Chaand Sehgal in a press release.



New airline coming

Sun Country Airlines will be coming to Indianapolis International Airport this spring.

Beginning May 28, Sun Country will offer non-stop flights from Indianapolis to Minneapolis-St. Paul twice a week. It will add non-stop flights to Orlando beginning Sept. 2.

“Now travelers headed to Minneapolis will have more nonstop options out of Indy, and an additional option in the fall to Orlando — which is Indy’s number-one vacation destination,” Indianapolis Airport Authority Mario Rodriguez said in a press release. “These flights tie in perfectly for those ready for a summer vacation.”

The company, which is based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, currently offers flights on 86 routes in the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.



Purdue to showcase

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization will host the 2021 Purdue Technology Showcase Feb. 10 and 11. It will be a virtual event.

The schedule includes diagnostics, therapeutics, food and agriculture, and medical device and health care on Feb. 10, and computer technology and cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and smart sensors and chemistry and chemical processing Feb. 11.

“This year we decided to include technologies from our peer in-state institutions alongside Purdue to shine a light on the exciting innovation occurring across the state of Indiana,” said Brooke Beier, vice president of the school’s office of technology commercialization, in a press release. “The virtual showcase will reach audiences around the world and will connect commercialization partners with incredible innovators and technologies.”



CVS establishes

CVS announced Thursday that it has established a $5 million CVS Health Foundation Health Care Careers Scholarship program. It is collaborating with the United Negro College Fund on the project.

Scholarships will go to Black and Latinx students pursuing an academic career in health care. It is part of the company’s $600 million, five-year commitment to address racial inequity.

"This scholarship will feed a robust pipeline of under-represented students, which will in turn strengthen the pool of talented college graduates ready for today's and tomorrow's workplace," said CVS senior vice president and chief diversity officer David Casey. "Enabling students to excel in the workforce — particularly people of color and those facing financial barriers — advances our commitment to social justice and equity and will have a lasting impact.”



Revenue down

Comcast reported Thursday that its fourth-quarter earnings were down by 2.4% as compared to the previous year.

The company’s revenue was $27.7 billion during the final three months of 2020, down from $28.4 billion the previous year. Its annual revenue was down 4.9% during 2020.

“Outstanding performance at cable drove very strong fourth quarter results for our company,” said Comcast chairman and CEO Brian L. Roberts in a press release. “Our theme parks in Orlando and Osaka reached breakeven; and encouragingly, Sky returned to customer growth in all three of its markets, bringing our total customer relationships and overall revenue in Europe essentially back to 2019 levels.”