Hopefully, you've heard that Indianapolis International Airport now offers daily nonstop flights to both Los Angeles and San Francisco. This development is fantastic news for West Coast travelers coming to Indiana, as well as nonstop connectivity for Hoosiers to L.A. and San Francisco. But what you might not know is how the new San Francisco flight actually came to fruition, and what it says about Indiana's collaborative business spirit and ability to get things done.
The business community told Governor Pence that nonstop flights were needed to connect Indiana to West Coast investment capital, human capital and also because the Bay Area is a major airline connection hub for Asia destinations. In fact, I was one of those Indy-to-San Francisco commuters for my first few months as Indiana Secretary of Commerce and I can tell you firsthand what a huge asset these flights represent for bringing more business to Indiana. When business leaders told Governor Pence that nonstop San Francisco flights were crucial for Indiana's economic development, he listened, and then he challenged the IEDC to get it done.
The IEDC directly approached all necessary parties and quickly assembled a team between the airlines, the Indianapolis Airport Authority and key private sector business interests to inaugurate nonstop service between Indianapolis and the Bay Area. What I experienced not only impressed me, but reaffirmed my conviction that Indiana is one of the best states in the nation for working together (public and private sector) to create solutions that benefit everyone at the table.
A result that might have taken another state years, if at all, came together in a matter of weeks. It was all due to Indiana's ability to reach a common goal that not only worked for private sector players, but for the state of Indiana as well. Having been born and raised in Indiana, growing an Indiana company and later overseeing its California operations, and then returning to the Hoosier state to work in the public sector, I can see the contrast between the two states even more starkly. In California, the added costs, red tape, and frankly even setting up that sort of meeting might have substantially delayed reaching a similar solution, or possibly derailed it entirely.
Indiana is unique. There aren't too many states that can get everyone together, arrive at a consensus, craft a solution that the entire group feels good about, and solve the problem so quickly. Sometimes we forget just how unique we are in Indiana as a state that truly works at the speed of business to minimize obstacles that get in the way of economic development. The new nonstop daily flights from Indy to L.A. and to San Francisco are an incredible reminder of just how well we work together in the Hoosier state to get things done.
It's a fantastic example of this distinctive Hoosier value of working together like family to make things better, and another reason Indiana is a state that works for business.
Victor Smith Indiana Secretary of Commerce