Greater Indianapolis Foreign Trade Zone

What Greater Indianapolis Foreign Trade Zone does

INzone (legal name "INzone," DBA Greater Indianapolis Foreign Trade Zone) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization that administers Foreign-Trade Zone #72 on behalf of the Indianapolis Airport Authority, which was awarded the federal Grant of Authority to establish the zone in 1981. The organization serves companies operating in a 41-county Central Indiana service area surrounding Indianapolis International Airport, providing free feasibility studies (up to $2,500 for distribution, up to $5,000 for manufacturing), bi-annual compliance audits, federal FTZ application sponsorship, and NAFTZ membership coverage for active operators. INzone employs 1-10 staff, has no proprietary technology platforms, and is funded through its IAA parent rather than through user fees. Its customer-facing segments are import-export companies, manufacturers, distributors, and foreign-owned businesses evaluating U.S. market entry, with go-to-market conducted directly via the inzone.org website, direct outreach, and partnerships with Local Economic Development Organizations. The economic context in which it operates is significant: Indiana attracted $44.8 billion in foreign direct investment from 2017-2024 and is home to over 1,050 foreign-owned businesses, and over half of all FTZ activity in Indiana is pharmaceutical. INzone's strategic positioning rests on a federally granted regulatory monopoly over its zone, Indiana's status as one of only five states with 100% Alternative Site Framework coverage, and the structural cost advantage of a free, IAA-funded service model.

Name

Greater Indianapolis Foreign Trade Zone

Legal name

INzone

Website

https://inzone.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

INzone is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that administers Foreign-Trade Zone #72 for Central Indiana under the Indianapolis Airport Authority, providing free feasibility studies, compliance audits, and application services to import-export, manufacturing, and distribution companies across a 41-county service area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foreign-Trade Zone Administration Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

akta.pro primary industry

Duty Optimization & Special Programs (Drawback, FTZ, Bonded Warehouses, Inward/Outward Processing) (TLACAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trade Compliance Program Management & Internal Controls (Policies, Training, SOPs) (TLACAGAI), Product Regulatory Compliance for Cross-Border Trade (e.g., FDA, USDA, CPSC, CE/REACH/RoHS) (TLACAGAH)

Keywords

• Foreign trade zone administration
• International trade services
• Customs duty deferral
• Import export consulting
• Trade compliance advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Nonprofit Administration Services: INzone is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that administers FTZ #72 on behalf of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. Services are provided free of charge to companies in Central Indiana, including free feasibility studies, compliance audits, and application assistance. The organization is funded through its parent organization rather than direct revenue generation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

INzone administers Foreign-Trade Zone #72 for Central Indiana, enabling businesses to defer, reduce, or eliminate U.S. Customs duties on imported goods. It provides free feasibility studies, compliance audits, application assistance, NAFTZ membership, and confidential advisory services to import-export, manufacturing, distribution, and foreign-owned businesses across a 41-county service area.

Product overview

INzone is a 501(c)6 nonprofit organization that administers the Central Indiana Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ #72) on behalf of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. The organization offers a suite of services including FTZ administration, free feasibility studies (up to $5,000 for manufacturing operations), application processing guidance, compliance audit support, confidential assistance, and NAFTZ membership for active operators. These core services are supplemented by educational resources including an interactive logistics map and multilingual marketing materials. Companies in the 41-county Central Indiana service area can access these services to obtain FTZ designation, reduce import duties, defer customs payments, and streamline international trade operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FTZ #72 Administration Services Core administration of Foreign-Trade Zone #72 covering 41 counties in Central Indiana, enabling qualifying businesses to defer, reduce, or eliminate U.S. Customs duties on imported goods.
• FTZ Feasibility Study Free, confidential analysis evaluating whether a business would benefit from participating in FTZ #72, including assessment of duty savings, logistics impact, and compliance considerations.
• FTZ Application Assistance Guided support for businesses applying to operate within FTZ #72, including preparation of activation applications and coordination with the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board.
• FTZ Compliance Audit Free audit support to help member businesses maintain FTZ regulatory compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection requirements.
• NAFTZ Membership Enrollment Free assistance enrolling member businesses in the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ) to access broader trade advocacy and educational resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Merchandise Processing Fees capped at $634.62 per weekly entry
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indianapolis Airport AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981INzone is a nonprofit subsidiary of the Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA), created to manage local FTZ operations. In 1981, IAA was awarded the Grant of Authority to establish FTZ #72. IAA serves as the Grantee, with INzone administering the program on their behalf.
• National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ)minorOthersINzone pays for active FTZ operators to become members of NAFTZ, the world's largest community of FTZ professionals, providing access to industry resources and networking.
• U.S. Department of Commerce (FTZ Board)coreOthersThe federal FTZ Board under the U.S. Department of Commerce grants authority for FTZ designation and oversees the program nationally. INzone administers FTZ #72 under this regulatory framework.
• U.S. Customs & Border ProtectioncoreOthersCBP supervises all FTZ activity and must approve site activation, ongoing operations, and manufacturing activities. Companies must work with CBP to implement Customs procedures and pass security inspections.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) FTZ: Massport administers the Massachusetts FTZ program (FTZ #27), serving the Greater Boston/New England region. Like INzone, it is a port-authority-administered FTZ providing designation, application support, and trade-compliance services to regional manufacturers and distributors.
• Port New York & New Jersey Foreign-Trade Zone: The Port NY/NJ operates FTZ #49, the largest FTZ in the U.S. by value. It is a direct peer in function—sponsoring and administering FTZ sites for manufacturers, distributors, and logistics operators—serving a comparable enterprise customer base across multiple industries.
• Port Houston Foreign Trade Zone: Port Houston administers FTZ #84, one of the largest and most active FTZs in the U.S. It is a direct peer to INzone, offering the same function—FTZ administration and trade-compliance support—but at a much larger scale and centered on the Port of Houston.
• Port of Los Angeles Foreign-Trade Zone: The Port of Los Angeles operates FTZ #50, one of the largest FTZs on the West Coast. Like INzone, it is a port-authority-administered zone providing FTZ designation, application processing, and compliance services to manufacturers and distributors in its service area.
• Greater Miami Foreign Trade Zone: Miami-Dade County's FTZ administrator (FTZ #32) provides the same designation, application sponsorship, and compliance services as INzone, focused on South Florida's import/export economy. It is a direct regional peer with similar economic-development mission and customer mix.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones: NAFTZ is the industry trade association representing all U.S. FTZ grantees, operators, and users. INzone is a NAFTZ member and pays for its operators' NAFTZ dues. NAFTZ is the closest umbrella/industry-body peer for advocacy, education, and standards across the FTZ ecosystem.
• Descartes Systems Group: Descartes is a global logistics and trade-compliance technology provider offering denied-party screening, tariff classification, and customs documentation software. It is an adjacent tech-enabled peer serving FTZ operators and trade-compliance functions at greater scale and with proprietary software.

Emerging players

• Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg (ST&R): ST&R is a major trade-compliance law and consulting firm offering HTS classification, duty optimization, FTZ advisory, and customs audit services. It is comparable to INzone in the FTZ-advisory function but operates as a for-profit consultancy serving national clients rather than a regional nonprofit administrator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inzoneftz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indianapolis-airport-authority-foreign-trade-zone

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greater Indianapolis Foreign Trade Zone