Hill-Rom selects Batesville as site of Innovation Center

Hillenbrand Industries Inc. on April 17 announced that its Hill-Rom subsidiary has selected Batesville, Ind., as home to its new globally focused Innovation Center. The center will house Hill-Rom teams focused on research & development and new product ideation. Along with the opening of the center, Hill-Rom anticipates adding as many as 80 new jobs to be Indiana-based. The new positions will be added primarily in the engineering and marketing areas.

"Hill-Rom is one of the most recognized and revered names in health care, yet we must constantly innovate to maintain this reputation," said Peter Soderberg, president and CEO of Hill-Rom and Hillenbrand Industries. "We have previously announced a significant increase in our corporate spending on R&D to insure we bring to market products and services that meet unmet needs and make a difference in health care ... for both patients and their caregivers. We considered several sites for this expansion project, but in the final analysis, we recognized the strength of building right here where our headquarters is located and our heritage is strong. We see Batesville and the state of Indiana as good partners for our future and that made our choice easy."

Governor Mitch Daniels also recognizes the value of this commitment by Hill-Rom and traveled to Batesville on April 17 to help announce the project. "This is another good economic win for southeastern Indiana, which has been a strong participant in our economic comeback," he said.

To encourage expansion in Indiana, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has announced Hill-Rom as the recipient of up to $2 million in tax credits over a period of 10 years and $173,000 in training grants. In exchange for these grants, Hill-Rom has agreed to meet certain employment measures including the creation of the new jobs and maintaining a specified percentage of its employment base in Indiana. The city of Batesville also will provide the company with property tax abatement worth $74,049.

Soderberg emphasized that the company's focus on innovation is consistent with the responsibilities of all companies seeking to be leaders in the medical technology area. He explained, "Hill-Rom's innovation efforts need to be global in scope, and occur both in the U.S. and off-shore. Because Indiana offers a strong and supportive base for businesses like Hill-Rom, and because our largest factory and our world-renowned customer visitation program are centered in Batesville, we have decided to make this region our global innovation headquarters."

Gus Hillenbrand, a predecessor of Soderberg as Hillenbrand CEO and a long- time board member of Hillenbrand Industries Inc., assisted with the announcement of the initiative. He said, "As a lifelong Batesville resident, I am excited that Peter and his team have chosen to have Hill-Rom continue to invest in Batesville and in our state of Indiana, and particularly delighted that our most innovative and dynamic ideas will have a base right here. This decision is the right one for our business and the right one for our community."

The Innovation Center project will include a complete renovation of an existing structure on State Route 46 in Batesville that had been used as corporate offices. The new space will become a hub for research and development teams focused on design and development of modules and other platforms for medical equipment and technology solutions for the medical industry. The redesign of the space will create an environment conducive to inter-disciplinary teams collaborating to create the kind of integrated, dynamic patient-focused solutions that have been a cornerstone of Hill-Rom's product lines.

About Hillenbrand Industries
Hillenbrand Industries is organized into two operating companies serving the health care and funeral services industries.

Hill-Rom is a leading worldwide manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the health care industry, including patient support systems, non-invasive therapeutic products for a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions, medical equipment rentals, and workflow information technology solutions. Hill-Rom's comprehensive product and service offerings are used by health care providers across the health care continuum in hospitals, extended care facilities and home care settings to enhance the safety and quality of patient care.

Batesville Casket Company is a leader in the North American death care industry through the sale of funeral services products, including burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers and urns, selection room display fixturing, and other personalization and memorialization products.