The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the state’s economy all year long, but the state’s Secretary of Commerce is offering Hoosiers some hope about the future.

Jim Schellinger tells Inside Indiana Business that believe it or not, state is tracking to have a record year for job commitments down the road.

“In addition to what’s happening, were are a banner year,” he said. “In fact, all the numbers we track, whether it be jobs, cut backs, or wages we;re having a record year. We have had some companies put things on hold because of the COVID virus, but in general a lot of it has to with what we are as a state.”

Schellinger said the commitment in northern Indiana to expanded the South Shore Rail Line as well as a commitment of 150 jobs from Midwest Truck and Auto Parts in Merrillville are indicative of the fact that companies still want to invest in Indiana in spite of the pandemic.

Schellinger called the northwestern 13 counties in the state the “poster child for regionalism.” He added that they still have standing job commitments from companies in virtually every region of the state.

So far in 2020, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation’s central Indiana region, made up officially of 33 counties, has accounted for projects totaling commitments of $3 billion in capital investment and 16,735 new jobs.