Indianapolis – Governor Pence today commended the nine schools in Indiana that have received the 2016 National Blue Ribbon Schools designation from the United States Department of Education.

“Every day, Indiana teachers pour their hearts and time into educating the next generation of Hoosiers, and their efforts constitute one of the most important missions we undertake as a state,” said Governor Pence. “I applaud the educators, administrators, students, families and communities at every school in Indiana where great things are happening, and today I want to extend special congratulations to these nine schools that have earned the prestigious National Blue Ribbon designation. They should be proud of their excellent achievements.”

The following schools in Indiana have achieved the National Blue Ribbon School status:

• Brown Elementary School in Brownsburg, IN
• Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, IN
• Geist Elementary School in Fishers, IN
• Lexington Elementary School in Lexington, IN
• Northpoint Elementary School in Granger, IN
• South Ripley Junior High School in Versailles, IN
• Union Elementary School in Zionsville, IN
• West Clay Elementary School in Carmel, IN
• Weston Elementary School in Greenfield, IN

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes outstanding public and non-public schools and celebrates some of the most skilled and effective educators in the country. These nine Indiana schools will be among the 329 public and private schools that will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington D.C. in November. More information on the Blue Ribbon Schools program can be found here.

Brownsburg – Avept, a distributor of powersports and automotive parts, announced plans today to locate its new distribution center here, creating up to 118 new jobs by 2019.

“As the Crossroads of America, Indiana is the perfect base for delivering products to customers across the country,” said Governor Mike Pence. “From our central location to our world-class airports, interstates, railroads and waterways, Indiana is a state that works for logistics. As a company with bold job creation plans, Avept will be right at home in the business-friendly Hoosier state, where companies have now added more than 158,000 new jobs since 2013.”

The El Dorado Hills, California-based company will invest $6.32 million to purchase, renovate and equip a 100,000-square-foot facility at 1210 E. Northfield Drive in Brownsburg. As its second distribution center and first facility outside California, Avept’s Indiana operations will allow the company to deliver products to its clients three-to-four days faster than it can solely from its California facility. In addition to distribution, the Indiana facility will also house sales, customer service and product development operations. Equipment installation is currently underway at the facility, with plans to launch operations this fall.

Avept, which currently employs 40 associates at its headquarters and distribution facility in California, is currently hiring for warehouse management and customer service positions. Interested applicants may apply by sending a resume to jobs@avept.com.

“Indiana is a state that is business friendly and Brownsburg and surrounding areas offer our employees a great quality of life,” said Nathan Klejwa, president of Avept. “As the Crossroads of America, Indiana’s central geography will lower our delivery costs and get products into customers’ hands in half the time.”

Founded in 2005, Avept works with small service and repair shops to supply them with parts for all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, cars and trucks. Last year the company shipped more than half a million parts across the nation, which is a 40 percent increase from 2014. Through a highly-automated system, the company will initially distribute more than 10,000 different automotive, powersports and motorcycle components from its Indiana facility to customers throughout the Midwest. With a planned ramp-up in operations, the company has a goal to distribute 100,000 different components from its Indiana facility within the next two years.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Avept Inc. up to $595,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $55,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The town of Brownsburg approved additional incentives at the request of the Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership.

“The town of Brownsburg is excited to welcome Avept Inc. into our community,” said Ashley Bacsu, president of the Brownsburg Town Council. “The product they sell and distribute fits perfectly with the business network that has been established in Brownsburg. Avept’s name and reputation puts them in the same category as many of the strong organizations that call Brownsburg home, and we’re proud to continue strengthening that reputation for us and for the Avept organization.”

Avept is the fifth company this year to announce that it has selected Hendricks County for its growing operations. Earlier this month, national retailer Kohl’s made news that it had begun renovations on a 937,000-square-foot distribution center in Plainfield, with plans to create 300 new full-time jobs. The state’s logistics industry has earned an A grade from Conexus Indiana and Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research for the past five years.