Allegion, a global provider of security products for homes or businesses, with its Americas headquarters in Carmel, Ind., won the Mission41K Talent Champion Award during TechPoint’s 24th annual Mira Awards gala honoring the best of tech in Indiana.

WATCH VIDEO: Allegion Senior Director, Software Product Delivery, IT Americas Bruce Tansy accepts the Mission41K Talent Champion Award.

In late 2021, TechPoint launched Mission41K, a collaborative call to action for companies across all sectors to innovate and adopt leading strategies to inclusively grow Indiana’s tech and tech-enabled workforce by 41,000 net new workers by 2030.   

Growing Indiana’s tech talent is vital to the state’s future economic success and the well-being of Hoosiers. Getting there will take no small effort, Indiana needs organizations of all size to step up, innovate, and collaborate.  In a word, Indiana needs champions to lead the way in showing what is possible and how to get there.  

More than 100 Indiana companies have taken the Mission41K Pledge to work together toward the Mission41K goals. Six of those early adapters were recognized this year as Mira Mission41K Champion Finalists: Allegion, Eli Lilly and Company, FIRST Indiana Robotics, the Indiana Office of Technology, IU Health, M2N | Minority Moves Network and UKG.  

A cross-sector panel of judges reviewed the nominations and data for these extraordinary companies, and one stood out from its peers for the breadth, depth, and commitment to the goals and strategies of Mission41K: the inaugural Mission41K Talent Champion, Allegion.   

For more than a century, Allegion has focused on security products for homes and businesses. Its door, access, and security products are in households and businesses around the globe. Technology is driving its future product development and reshaping Allegion’s talent needs. 

TechPoint Senior Vice President, Talent, Strategy, and Partnerships Dennis Trinkle said while most may think of Allegion primarily as a manufacturer, it has launched Allegion Ventures and taken other steps to ensure it is a leader in the Industry 4.0 space regarding security connectivity and analytics.

Based in Ireland, the company’s North Americas headquarters are in Carmel, where it employs more than 1,600 Hoosiers.

As a highly innovative manufacturer, Allegion knows that tech talent is key to its continued growth. Its strategies to do that in a challenging economy and amidst Baby Boomer retirement pools perfectly aligns with Mission41K.  Specific Mission41K strategic actions taken by Allegion in 2022 include:  

  • Adopting skills-based recruiting and hiring, including removing degree requirements for hiring information technology roles,
  • Increasing effectiveness of diverse recruiting, 
  • Participating in adult apprenticeship, identifying five roles to pilot adult apprenticeship across IT,  
  • Participating in TechPoint’s Xtern program, and 
  • Participating in TechPoint’s Leadership Academy. 

Allegion understands the short- and long-term value of investing in new talent strategies, and it is putting its investments where the impact will be. In 2021, Allegion committed $13 million to expand its local manufacturing and engineering operations in the Indianapolis area, creating up to 325 “high-wage,” high-skill jobs by the end of 2026.

At the time of the jobs announcement, Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers said “Allegion is a prime example of how companies continue to innovate and set a new technology standard within an established industry, like the lock and security field. The energy this growth brings to central Indiana will help reaffirm Indiana’s strong reputation as a great state for high-growth innovation and the best workforce in America.”   

Allegion also continued hosting “MFG Day” programs, which are nationwide opportunities to drive interest in the technical and technological skills required for modern manufacturing jobs among youth.   

Trinkle said Allegion earned its champion status in a highly competitive field.

“Indiana is known as a state that collaborates to overcome big challenges, and we were not disappointed in the response to Mission41K,” Trinkle said. “It wasn’t an easy call to choose only one company for this inaugural award, but Allegion’s sheer focus and early adoption stood out. It was the only company to hit every mark we laid out.” 

See All Award Winners from the 2023 Mira Awards Gala.

TechPoint, the nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s digital innovation economy, honored the state’s top successes and innovations during the 24th annual Mira Awards gala with presenting sponsors UKG, Salesforce and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

A total of 18 award winners and honorees were chosen from the 141 outstanding people, companies and products that were selected as nominees for their achievements during the 2022 calendar year.

Fifty-two independent, volunteer judges spent more than 850 total hours evaluating applications, interviewing nominees, and selecting this year’s winners. Judges included an impressive roster of company founders, CEOs and presidents, CTOs, CIOs, engineers and other industry professionals.

TechPoint’s Mira Awards are named after the first of the brilliant variable stars to be discovered—the Mira Star. It is also the Latin root meaning “worthy of admiration, wonderful, marvelous.” The awards represent the best of tech in Indiana each year.