Business View Civil & Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 11

92 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 within the community as well.” Outside of the military, the tech sector is quickly gaining momentum in the city. Lawrence is one of the top tech firm areas in all of Marion County, and they were awarded the 2020 Rising Tech City MIRA award, which represents Indiana’s best in technology each year. Murphy boasts, “That’s something we are really proud to hang our hat on. It was in part because we have a cluster of nearly 30 tech businesses on the old retired military base who co-operate to share ideas and creative space. It has been a really successful initiative for the city.” One of the city’s newest tech businesses in Lawrence is DroneDek, a start-up company that will be producing docking stations for drone delivery for businesses like FedEx, UPS, USPS, and Amazon. Collier explains, “It will be beta- tested here next spring, for drones to actually fly the products in and drop them here to the residents. That’s a pretty fascinating project that area and want an outdoor space to spend time and get some work done, or just spend some recreation time outdoors.” Though Fort Harrison is inactive, Lawrence still retains a large military presence. The city’s largest employer is Defense Finance and Accounting Services Centre, which employs thousands of people. The building, named after Major General Emmett J. Bean, is the 3rd largest federal government building behind only the Pentagon and Ronald Reagan Library. The city is also a stop for active- duty military, as the home of an Army Navy Marine Corps reserve center, which routinely sees 1,200 reservists participate in drills there each month, and an Army National Guard Armory. Lawrence is also the location of an Army & Air Force Exchange Service and Commissary. “We have active duty military in and out of here all the time,” Salsbery notes, “and we have a relatively large retired military contingent here