Slate Auto, Buc-ee's in Greenwood, IN and the Obama Center's Indiana Impact

Slate Auto's Warsaw EV truck plant is drawing comparisons to Indiana's next great manufacturing era, with 180,000 pre-orders, a sub-$25,000 price tag, and a projected $40 billion economic impact over 20 years. Conexus Indiana President and CEO Jay Wirts breaks down what the startup's rise signals for the state's manufacturing workforce and the growing role of AI on the factory floor. Also covered: Buc-ee's is eyeing its first Indiana location in Greenwood, and Wally's is set to open its largest travel center to date in Whitestown. In Johnson County, Endress+Hauser marks a $50 million campus expansion. Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott says a proposed $7 billion data center deal may collapse before month's end, even as the city remains in contention for a potential Chicago Bears stadium. South Bend-based Envel Facade spent five years fabricating the monumental lettering on the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, and the company says the project is already generating new inquiries. Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, now five years old, reports more than $36 million in monthly revenue and has a $135 million Lake County Convention Center under construction next door. Plus, IU student entrepreneurs behind 9 AM Club, a health-conscious vodka cocktail, are expanding from one flavor to four this summer and moving into eight-pack cartons to compete in the national ready-to-drink market. Indiana's BioHeartland brand made its national debut at the BIO Conference in San Diego, positioning the state against established life sciences hubs.