When the IEDC recently established a new office in Los Angeles, it bridged the gap between the Midwest and the West Coast. This strategic expansion into high-tech investments is expected to help make Indiana the epicenter of the silicon heartland.  

 

“Indiana is strategically focused on creating the economy of the future here, and we are uniquely positioned to lead globally in high-tech sectors,” said Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers. “Compared to traditional high-tech markets along the West Coast, Indiana offers a low-tax, reduced regulation environment with a robust pipeline of STEM specialists and a quality of life that employers and employees alike can enjoy.”

 

Jillian Ochs has been named west coast business expansion specialist for the IEDC. She will represent Indiana to entrepreneurs, innovators and enterprise businesses in California, proactively increasing the state’s brand awareness in the West Coast market and working to secure high-tech, future-focused business investments in Indiana. 

Ann Lathrop, IEDC chief strategy officer, also believes the west coast office will be an important location to expand business relations for Indiana. “California is too rich a target not to go after,” she said. 

In her new role, Ochs will focus on increasing investment and innovation opportunities with California-based companies as well as domestic and international companies active in the California market. Throughout her IEDC engagement this year, Ochs will seek to advance Indiana's future-focused sectors, including tech, life sciences, semiconductor design and fabrication, and energy, as well as the sectors' R&D and supply chains. 

“I completely believe that she will be very successful, and we’ll be talking about an extension,” said Lathrop.