WINCHESTER, Indiana (January 27, 2006) ? A policy that assigns top priority to Indiana?s small towns was made public today with an announcement by Governor Mitch Daniels that the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) will open a mail processing center in Winchester, creating about 60 jobs. The governor was joined by Rep. Bill Davis, R-Portland, and BMV Commissioner Joel Silverman in making the announcement.

?I?ve ordered the IEDC and each agency of state government to wherever and whenever possible place new investment in small towns. More announcements like this are coming,? said Daniels.

There are many jobs, whether in the public or private sectors, that are well suited for smaller communities, which have a stable workforce and low costs.

?Sixty jobs doesn?t mean much in Indianapolis or Ft. Wayne, but it can bring significant new life to a place the size of Winchester. Every chance we get, whether governmental or with private firms we are recruiting, we will examine small town options,? said Daniels.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation closed a number of projects to bring more jobs to rural areas of the state in 2005. The governor also has emphasized the importance of ?clean coal? power plants and biofuels facilities which produce ethanol and biodiesel fuels. Currently, plans have been announced for five ethanol and three biodiesel facilities in Indiana, including AS Alliances in Linden, and Integrity Biofuels in Morristown.

The BMV?s mail center branch will be located at 309 W. South Street in Winchester and is expected to open in June. The BMV is consolidating mail operations to improve speed and efficiency.

?This is the most positive news about economic development that we have heard about in Randolph County for sometime,? said Davis. ?It speaks to the effort put forth by the community and is a tribute to the confidence the governor and BMV have in the quality of workers in East Central Indiana.?

The BMV?s internet and mail transaction business doubled the last quarter of 2005 as compared to a similar time period in 2004, said Silverman. He said that as demand for mail operations grows, a second location could be necessary.

?More and more Hoosiers are registering their vehicles online, so there is a clear need for an effective mail processing operation that enables us to meet the demands of the 21st century,? said Silverman.