Photo provided Capt. Mark Calhoun, right (with sunglasses) escorted Hamad Hamood Shekti, the governor of Iraq's Salah ad Din Province, and other local Iraqi leaders to a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new asphalt production plant at Joint Base Balad (JBB), Iraq, last Tuesday. The plant will be operated by the Iraqi-based Alkema company and secured by U.S. Forces in a cooperative effort called the Iraqi-Based Industrial Zone (IBIZ) program. The program is run by Coalition Forces in Iraq working directly with Iraqi leaders, and has been spearheaded in Balad by Indiana's 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The asphalt factory is the latest facility in a complex of IBIZ initiatives at JBB that is providing employment for Iraqis. To date, Iraqis have launched a shipping container repair facility, automotive service center and recycling operation. A bicycle repair shop, appliance resell center, and Iraqi cuisine restaurants are in the works. "In every sense, all the different sections of IBIZ help build relationships, deal with issues and also to establish new relationships and influence money into the economy," said Calhoun, Host Nation Business Center project officer, 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. A resident of Chicago, Calhoun is a native of Flora and the son of Bill and Pat Calhoun.