Over the past year, it's been my privilege to join Governor Pence on several international trade missions to promote Indiana to companies around the world. Our travels have taken us to places like Germany, Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom - all to great success. The 2014 numbers speak for themselves: International firms committed to invest more than $1.28 billion in our state and create upwards of 2,600 jobs. That contributed to a record year in Indiana economic development, with a staggering 285 companies making plans to invest $4.38 billion in their Indiana operations and create 25,317 new jobs in the coming years.
Last week, Governor Pence and I traveled to Israel to strengthen Israeli-Hoosier ties as both friends and economic partners. Israel is a culturally and politically unique country, and we believe that the common ground shared between us will only lead to a stronger relationship in the future. While Indiana is slightly smaller in population than Israel (6.5 million compared to 8 million), our economies each produce around $300 billion in GDP and trade in key areas such as life sciences, technology and advanced manufacturing. In 2013, Indiana's exports to Israel topped $57 million, which represents a 61 percent increase over the last decade.
More than 70 Indiana companies do business in Israel: Biomet, Eli Lilly, Magnavox, Alcoa and ITT Aerospace, to name a few. Israeli businesses in Indiana include ACS Motion Control in Carmel, ICL Performance Products in Hammond and Taditel and Keter Holdings in Anderson. Governor Pence and I had a chance to meet with many of those companies while in Israel. Executives at Keter Holdings—you might know this company better by its subsidiary Resin Products in Alexandria and Anderson, Indiana—told us how well their Indiana operations are doing. And after meeting with Taditel executives in Tel Aviv, they told us the commitment they made to Indiana in 2003 with their location in Anderson has never been stronger.
But our bond with Israel doesn’t end there. Indiana and Israeli universities have shared agricultural research grants since the 1970s, and the Binational Science Foundation has provided more than $3.5 million in grants to universities throughout Indiana since 1996. Governor Pence met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the first day of our trade mission, discussing ways to advance the futures of Indiana and Israel together through partnership and cooperation. This high-profile meeting shows that Indiana’s on the map as a strong international force for growth.
Indiana and Israel are both emerging as regional economic powerhouses, having built business environments so strong that people are traveling around the world to see them firsthand. With all the bonds we share, it’s exciting to see business and cultural relationships between Hoosiers and Israelis continue to grow.