by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle
July 15, 2026
Newly installed Indiana Commerce Secretary Chuck Goodrich says that he will continue leading Gaylor Electric, one of the nation’s largest non-union electrical construction firms, in addition to his state leadership job.
“We spent six weeks before announcing I would become the secretary of commerce literally separating duties,” Goodrich told reporters Tuesday, during an introductory news conference. “I’ll remain the CEO of Gaylor, and I will be the secretary of commerce.”
“Now, how we do that is we have screenings at Gaylor Electric, and we have screenings at the state, and so we have people in charge of making sure that there’s no issue between the business of the state and business of Gaylor,” the former state lawmaker said.
In his new role, Goodrich oversees Indiana’s commerce vertical, which includes the Indiana Economic Development Corp., Indiana Destination Development Corp., the Department of Workforce Development and other entities.
“Today isn’t just about introducing a new secretary; it’s about introducing a shared direction and shared purpose,” Goodrich said. “Our job is simple. We should ask ourselves one question, and that is: how do we create more opportunities for every Hoosier?”
His guiding principles, he said, will be to grow talent, business and the state of Indiana.
Gov. Mike Braun lauded Goodrich’s business experience.
“Chuck is uniquely prepared because he’s signed the front side of a paycheck,” the governor said. “… I’m proud to have him serve as my partner in economic development.”
Goodrich donated $25,000 to Braun’s gubernatorial campaign in 2024.
He began working at Indianapolis-based Gaylor as an intern, returned after a stint away and climbed the ranks, according to the company’s website. He became president in 2014 and added CEO to his title in 2016, but has served exclusively as CEO since 2024.
Gaylor has promised to invest millions of dollars into Indiana — and create more than a hundred jobs — in exchange for tax credits, according to a pair of contracts signed in 2019 and available on the IEDC’s transparency portal.
Goodrich said the firm may continue to compete for state incentives.
“Indiana has incentivized businesses to grow … high-paying jobs in high demand. If Gaylor is developing jobs in high demand, they will submit just like everybody else,” he said.
The company has also designed and built “some of the largest” data centers around the country, according to a data center-specific webpage.
An increasing number of Hoosier communities are moving to ban or pause data center development. Asked for his perspective on such local moves, Goodrich emphasized the importance of working with local partners.
“We believe that the secretary of commerce or the department has to reach out to the local regions and work with them on what’s the benefit for the location and what are the consequences,” he said. “But I can tell you that … we’re going to focus on growing talent, growing businesses, and growing Indiana.”
It’s not Goodrich’s first time in state government. He represented Noblesville for six years in the Indiana House until late 2024, departing after an unsuccessful Republican primary race against U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz for Congress. He loaned about $4.6 million of his own money to the campaign, according to federal campaign reports.
He served in 2017 as chair of the non-union National Associated Builders and Contractors, which was a major supporter of the “right-to-work” law Indiana enacted in 2012. He now serves on Indiana’s Region 5 Workforce Development Board.
