Defender Direct continues eye-popping growth

DJIA 12,431.6 -46.3 / S&P 500 1,357.1 -5.1 / NASDAQ 2,351.2 -6.9 Tonight: Dry, not as cold. Low 15. Tomorrow: Increasing clouds, wintry mix late. High 35.
	Wednesday, January 30, 2008
	Defender Direct continues eye-popping growth Defender Direct, the Indianapolis company that announced this morning that it will add 1,100 jobs, has been on a torrid growth streak. Founded in 1998, the security-systems company ranked second last year on IBJ's list of fastest-growing private companies. Defender Direct is the nation's largest ADT home-security dealer. From the state, Defender Direct received as much as $6 million in tax credits and up to $345,000 in training grants, depending on how many jobs are created.   Teamsters hope to organize Towne Air drivers Displeasure with Towne Air Freight LLC's plan to make its truck drivers independent contractors has sparked drivers in Indianapolis to call for a vote to join Local 135 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The vote is anticipated in early February. Headquartered in South Bend and owned by the New York private-equity firm Charterhouse Group, Towne specializes in ground transportation legs of air shipments.
	Senate passes illegal worker bill The state must crack down on companies hiring illegal immigrants because the federal government is not doing so, lawmakers said yesterday as the Senate passed a contentious immigration bill. The GOP-led Senate voted 37-11 for the proposal, which would affect only workers hired after Sept. 30, 2009. The bill would set up a three-tier punishment system for employers who knowingly hire illegal workers after that date. With three violations in 10 years, a company could lose its business license.   Honda quarterly profit jumps 38 percent Honda, Japan's second-biggest automaker, reported a 38.1-percent jump in profit for the October-December quarter today, thanks to booming sales in the United States, Europe and Asia outside Japan. Honda, which sells nearly half of its vehicles in North America, revised upward its annual profit forecast, appearing to shrug off the looming worries about a U.S. recession and a stronger yen, which erodes exporters' profits.   Blog: Pacers fans cry foul Indiana Pacers fans' discontent is rising as fast as home-game attendance at Conseco Fieldhouse is falling. The team's home attendance ranks last in the National Basketball Association this year, and now business executives are abandoning the team. Some of the executives are demanding changes in player and front-office personnel. To weigh in, go to IBJ's new sports business blog, The Score. From IBJ staff and Associated Press-Compiled by Norm Heikens Tornado hits west-side apartment complex The National Weather Service says a tornado is responsible for the damage at a far west-side apartment complex last night. Many units were damaged at Waterfront Pointe Apartments, 3015 Rolling Dunes Drive, near Crawfordsville Road and Interstate 465. Several cars also were damaged by debris. Officials initially were uncertain whether the damage was caused by a tornado or strong straight-line winds. Fox 59 will have the latest at 10 p.m. Severe storms blow through Indiana A line of severe storms brought strong winds, snow, sleet and ice to several Indiana counties overnight. Two people were killed near Evansville in Posey County when a mobile home overturned. The storms left thousands of Hoosiers without power. In central Indiana, winds gusted as high as 80 mph.
	Senate passes key bills The Indiana Senate passed several bills yesterday. One cracks down on Indiana businesses that hire illegal immigrants. Another makes it easier for siblings in foster care to visit one another. Retail project outgrowth of Wal-Mart opening Centre Properties LLC will spend more than $75 million to develop Centre West, a retail project on 48 acres near 46th Street and Lafayette Road. The project involves two buildings that are under construction and another 100,000 square feet of planned retail space. The development was prompted by a Wal-Mart Supercenter, which opened last week, and a Garden Ridge home decor store scheduled to open in February. Both of those stores are adjacent to the new development.
	When making a hiring decision, how much weight do you give to the information you get from references supplied by the prospective employee? Sign up today for IBJ's Real Estate Weekly E-mail Alert. This once-a week e-mail focuses on real estate, both commercial and residential, including news about deals, people, meetings, trends, projects and more. If you have any connection to real estate, you'll want to read IBJ's new Real Estate Weekly. Sign up today for your free subscription.
	Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Manage Subscriptions We respect your right to privacy - click here to view our policy. Copyright © IBJ Media Corp. 2007. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Reproduction or use without permission of editorial or graphic content in any manner is strictly prohibited. Reprint orders: To request reprint permission contact IBJ's managing editor. Phone: 317-634-6200 - E-mail: managingeditor@ibj.com This email was sent by: IBJ Corporation 41 East Washington Street, Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN, 46204-3592, United States of America  *The Dow Jones Indexes(SM) are compiled, calculated and distributed by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use. All content of The Dow Jones Indexes(SM) Copyright © 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.