Tag Archives: andre lacy

Indiana Business Leader Andre Lacy Leaves Legacy at Indiana Chamber

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People know the name Andre Lacy – and for good reason. Lacy’s name has adorned the business school at Butler University the last few years, but his career as an accomplished business owner and philanthropist in his hometown of Indianapolis is legendary.

Yesterday’s Indianapolis Star captured Lacy’s impact following his sudden death from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident while he was in southern Africa.

“It’s a very sad day for us. Andre was a personal mentor and a dear friend to the Indiana Chamber,” offers Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar.

Lacy’s involvement with the Chamber stretches back decades. He joined the organization’s board of directors in 1984 and his family’s wholesale distribution company, LDI Ltd., has been a member of the Chamber since 1941.

Lacy was chairman of the board of directors in 2008. During his time at the helm, he encouraged the organization to continue improving, enhanced good governance practices and pushed the organization to elevate its public policy efforts to an even higher level.

He was also chosen as a Chamber Volunteer of the Year in 2008. Lacy was quoted in BizVoice® on the importance of business in the lives of Hoosiers: “Business is not a dirty word. Business is the means for you to pay your mortgage. It is the means that you can take a vacation. It is the means that you can pay for your children’s education … and sometimes to splurge. Business is the big engine (for all that).”

Read the full story in BizVoice® from that time.

Additionally, Lacy was instrumental with the Chamber’s political action committee, Indiana Business for Responsive Government (IBRG), helping establish a matching grant program. He was also well known for his involvement with the Indiana State Fair and many other philanthropic endeavors in the Indianapolis area.

“Andre was one of a kind. His determination, spirit and will to help the business community was on another level – and he showed that same passion in giving back to his community and state,” Brinegar states.

Andre Lacy

Andre Lacy receives his Volunteer of the Year award in 2008 from Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar.

IBJ: Changes at Speedway Help Businesses, Bottom Line

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The Indianapolis Business Journal’s blog, The Score, posted an interesting piece today, contending the many changes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have things moving in the right direction. Among those, its focus on giving more value and opportunity to its corporate partners is targeted as a momentum shifter. What’s more, it mentions that our former chairman, Andre Lacy, is now playing a prominent role on the Speedway’s board.

We’re excited to see IMS racing toward a bright future — not just because it’s an Indiana Chamber member, but because it’s such an instrumental figure in the history and future of our great state. IBJ writes:

Tony George is no longer head of the operation. But he is on the board. This is a board that has in recent years decided to significantly expand itself beyond familial borders.

Shortly after George was replaced by Belskus in 2009, several board members were added to the mix, notably LDI Chairman Andre B. Lacy and former Anthem Chief Financial Officer Michael L. Smith. Before that move, the board was largely run by Mari Hulman George, her three daughters, and son, Tony.

Indiana Pacers President Jim Morris and Central Indiana Corporate Partnership CEO Mark Miles, who chaired the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee and is former CEO of the ATP Tour, were added this year, as was Belskus.

When I asked Lacy why he had been added to the board overseeing the Speedway, he deadpanned: “Everybody needs a boss.”

It was clear, the inner circle had been broadened by a new thinking—and a new level of checks and balances.

At first, Belskus seemed awkward in public and uncomfortable with the media. Quickly it became apparent he was serious about following the new board’s primary objectives: Cut expenses and raise revenue…

Last year, Belskus hung corporate signage along pit lane. This year, he made the bold move to sell wall space in turns three and four to Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka and Shell Oil Co. It was the first time such ads were hung at the Brickyard.

Also this year, NTB, a national car service and retail outlet, will have signage in the grass at turn one and signage will be hung on the back of existing video boards. Also firsts at the vaunted Speedway.

IMS’ opening up of areas previously off-limits to advertisers has created a swell of interest among marketers. In addition to Fuzzy’s, Speedway officials signed new deals this year with Continental Tire, Nissan, Visit Florida, First National Bank of Omaha, 5-Hour Energy, Farmers Insurance, Nationwide and Banana Boat.

Belskus told IBJ he expects a strong double-digit increase in sponsorship sales this May at the track and a possible 10-percent plus increase in total revenue for this year’s Indianapolis 500 over last year.

IMS Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Mike Redlick said “there’s been a change in philosophy” at the track. At the heart of the change, said Speedway executives, is creating an event that is more friendly toward the track’s corporate partners.

Chamber Takes Historic Stance With Daniels Endorsement

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The Indiana Chamber has been filling this business advocacy role for a long time — officially since 1922 and for a couple of decades before that. Dealing with political figures has always been a part of the mix, particularly at election time since 1986 with the creation of the Indiana Business for Responsive Government political action committee and its active status in General Assembly races.

So, a first-ever endorsement for governor is a big deal. Mitch Daniels earned that distinction today because of his "record of accomplishment, particularly in the areas of job creation, innovation and sound financial management."

Andre Lacy, Chamber chairman of the board of directors for 2008, offers that it’s all Hoosiers who will benefit from four more years: "A job allows employees to pay their mortgage, send their children to school and take care of their families. That’s why keeping a positive economic climate for business is so vital."

Read the full release here.

Note: Research shows we made an "unofficial" endorsement in 1972 when the Chamber wrote a letter to its members touting the excellent qualifications of both candidates — Democrat Matt Welsh and eventual winner Otis Bowen.

Lacy: Hoosiers Benefit When Legislators Work Together

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Our Chairman of the Board, Andre Lacy, provides convincing commentary for Inside INdiana Business outlining how true bipartisanship is necessary for successful governing.

We recommend you take a look at the column in its entirety, but here are some highlights and examples he offers:

In 1999, Indiana moved to the forefront of K-12 education standards and accountability measures. A key driver was the General Assembly working in a bipartisan fashion to create Indiana’s Education Roundtable. This group of education and business community leaders was able to come together (leaving politics at the door) to monitor and refine standards that remain highly regarded by national experts. It took additional bipartisan legislative support to make these initiatives a reality.

In 2002, the governor teamed with legislative leaders of both parties to help craft comprehensive tax reform that provided property tax relief and made Indiana much more competitive as a business location through (among other substantial changes) the elimination of the inventory tax. That started a series of legislative sessions that featured cooperation across the aisles and passage of important economic development initiatives such as telecommunications and further tax reforms. The results have been substantial new investment and thousands of new jobs.

Lacy: Right-to-Work Would Benefit Workers, Taxpayers

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Our Chairman of the Board, Andre Lacy, offers convincing commentary for Inside INdiana Business outlining how Right-to-Work laws would truly benefit Indiana.

We recommend you take a look at the column in its entirety, but here are some highlights:

In a 2002 study entitled “The Effect of Right-to-Work Laws on Economic Development,” economist William T. Wilson of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy compared Michigan’s economic performance to right-to-work states. Wilson found that during the 30 years between 1970 and 2000, RTW states created jobs nearly twice as fast as did Michigan. While poverty rates dropped dramatically during these 30 years, Michigan was one of seven states (all lacking right-to-work laws) that witnessed an increase in the percentage of residents living in poverty. Finally, the study showed that right-to-work states created 1.43 million manufacturing jobs, while non-right-to-work states lost 2.18 million manufacturing jobs during the same three decades …

There are practical reasons for Indiana to adopt a right-to-work law. First, Hoosiers agree with it. An overwhelming majority – 71 percent – favored or strongly favored right to work in a 2007 statewide survey conducted for the Chamber’s Indiana Business for Responsive Government. There is also the broader moral question of whether a Hoosier breadwinner should be forced to join and/or pay dues to a labor organization to get or keep a job.