Skillman receives manufacturing award

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Indiana Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman said our state is making great strides weathering our nation's financial troubles.

The Lieutenant Governor was speaking on Purdue's campus at the annual Advanced Manufacturing Summit.

She was the keynote speaker, and the title of her speech was "Recession of Opportunity."

Skillman talked about the growth Indiana has seen on the manufacturing front. She also said a lot of work had to be done to ease financial worries.

"Of course, even we have taken many hits to maintain our fiscal strength, so it has not been easy. It is not a fun thing to shrink state government expenditures proportionately to that revenue, but this is exactly why we do the work that we do," said Skillman.

In addition to being the keynote speaker, the Lieutenant Governor also received the "Excellence in Manufacturing Innovation" award for her work across the state.

Skillman said she was totally caught off guard.

"I was stunned. I am so happy to help in any way that I can with manufacturing that has had a tough time over the past 18 months. But to receive this honor, for simply doing one's job, was going a bit above and beyond," said Skillman.

The award has a new look this year: the base is made of limestone, quarried in Skillman's hometown of Bedford.