Author: Radius Indiana

Crane Regional Defense Group hosts first Connect to Mission event

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana

 

Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane and its Tenant Commands are dedicated to meeting the needs of the warfighter in defense of our nation. Serving this mission has made NSA Crane and tenants a modern leader in diverse and technical products. One of the bases’ priorities is to provide opportunities for academia and defense industry peers to connect and hear from the base.

Crane Regional Defense Group (CRDG) hosted Connect to Mission in February at the WestGate Academy. The half-day event brought together nearly 200 current members from academic institutions and defense industry representing more than 100 businesses (small, large, and non-traditional) from 18 different states. This is planned to be an ongoing series to continuously highlight the different missions at NSA Crane and provide insight and understanding into the needs of their mission areas, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration.

The February event featured Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane), Crane Division’s Spectrum Warfare Systems Department, which houses the Department of Defense’s largest concentration of Electronic Warfare expertise, with more than one thousand civilian workers and 250 contractors. The department leads NSWC efforts in a wide variety of applied research, engineering, logistics, and maintenance support services for complex Electronic Warfare Systems and Infrared Countermeasures. 

The agenda included three interactive panel discussions, networking opportunities, and remarks from NSWC leadership. Division managers, chief strategists and engineers, contracting officers, and more covered topics from how to earn a contract, to how the divisions are assisting the warfighter today, and how attendees could position themselves to join their mission. 

CRDG’s second Connect to Mission will be held Tuesday, June 6, and feature NSWC Crane’s Global Deterrence and Defense Department, which leads NSWC efforts in a wide variety of applied research, engineering, logistics, and maintenance support services for complex 

Strategic System Programs, Microelectronic Technologies and the recently added Joint Hypersonic Transition Office.

When threats to our nation increase, so does the demand for Team Crane products and services. CRDG is poised to facilitate further collaboration between the base, academia and industry to meet the increased, modern-day needs of the warfighter. 

To learn more about the Crane Regional Defense Group or view upcoming events, visit their website at craneregionaldefensegroup.org. 

Discover Southern Indiana launches new branding

Posted on by Radius Indiana

Discover Southern Indiana begins a new era with visual branding reveal, new website, and more

BEDFORD, Ind. (April 5, 2023) — You don’t visit Southern Indiana–you Discover it.

That’s the premise behind the new look and feel for Discover Southern Indiana (DSI), a regional tourism organization aimed at fostering a welcoming visitor experience within an eight-county region of south-central Indiana. First established in 2018, the organization sought a visual identity that would fully represent the broad range of outdoor recreation, food and drink experiences, and cultural significance that are present in the region that includes Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington counties.

“Our goal was to develop a look and feel that could be as resonant to the rolling hills of Spring Mill State Park in Lawrence County as it is to the wineries and culinary experiences around Patoka Lake in Crawford County or the world-class resorts of French Lick West Baden in Orange County,” said Misty Weisensteiner, chief operating officer of Discover Southern Indiana. “We exist to ‘break down’ county lines and help visitors understand just how much there is to do in this area.”

The main logo is reminiscent of an Indiana license plate, encouraging explorers to take a road trip and see what they discover, while other elements of the brand highlight outdoor recreation, food and wine experiences, and more. The elements are tied together with a cohesive, earthy color scheme that evokes the region’s natural landscape and gently curving lines that nod to Southern Indiana’s rolling hills.

These new elements made their debut on DSI’s new and improved website, which launched in March. The website has been reorganized to improve the user experience and make it simpler for viewers to plan a visit uniquely tailored to their specific interests.

Discover Southern Indiana is the tourism arm of Radius Indiana, which supports economic development in Southern Indiana by enhancing awareness of the unique assets in the region and positioning the region competitively for the retention, expansion, and attraction of jobs and investment. DSI’s founding was the result of a collaborative development process that brought together 10 stakeholders from around the region to share their vision for the future of tourism and hospitality for this unique part of the state. Discover Southern Indiana is the only regional tourism brand in the Hoosier state that is overseen by a regional economic development organization–a nod to the importance of quality of life as it relates to the importance of growing the local economy. In 2021, visitors to the region contributed more than $175 million to the local economy, and tourism is now the fifth-largest employer in the Radius region.

“Discover Southern Indiana was born from the conviction and passion of many people who believe that a rising tide lifts all ships. We are confident that when a traveler experiences a taste of what Southern Indiana has to offer, they’ll want to come back again and again, and explore further” said Jeff Quyle, Radius president and CEO. “This new branding conveys both the breadth of experience available here, and the seamless way in which visitors can travel among the counties, painting a true picture of who we are.”

The brand was created by Indianapolis-based marketing agency The Basement, which serves as Discover Southern Indiana’s agency of record for marketing and strategic communications. These brand elements can be seen on Discover Southern Indiana’s newly updated website, its social media platforms, and monthly newsletters.

To sign up for Discover Southern Indiana’s newsletter, visit the website here.

To stay up-to-date on Discover Southern Indiana, follow the brand on Instagram and Facebook.

View Discover Southern Indiana’s new brand here.

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About Discover Southern Indiana: Headquartered in Bedford, IN, Discover Southern Indiana is a regional tourism initiative serving eight counties in south-central Indiana. The initiative invites visitors and prospective residents to discover all the bustling region has to offer, from outdoor adventures, cultural and historical destinations, and world-class experiences. Build your own itinerary to include family-friendly excursions, five-star accommodations, Indiana’s finest State Parks, prestigious golf courses, and much more. You don’t visit Southern Indiana–you Discover it.

Choose Southern Indiana introduces new employer incentive program

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (April 5, 2023) – Choose Southern Indiana, a population attraction program, will expand its talent attraction efforts by introducing a new initiative this spring – the Employer Incentive Program.

This new incentive program will be utilized by local economic development organizations (LEDOs) in the Radius Indiana region to further assist businesses in the area with attracting new talent. Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Martin, Orange, and Washington County economic development organizations will participate in this program by providing incentive payments to new, out-of-state employees hired by local businesses.

“This investment in talent that our businesses need will help them maintain and improve their productivity and competitiveness,” said Christy Johnson, population attraction program coordinator for Radius Indiana. “This will be a limited test of the incentive program to allow our LEDOs and Radius to evaluate if this is an effective way to support our businesses and communities.”

Previously, Radius partnered with Indianapolis-based MakeMyMove, an online platform that offered opportunities to market to remote workers seeking to move to new locations. MakeMyMove’s platform and marketing services help communities pitch their wares and attract new residents, as well as provide key data and analytics.

Talent attraction focuses on recruitment from the talent pipeline outside of a given community, while workforce development aims to further an individual’s ability to grow their skills and develop the tools they need for business success in their community. The Radius program has specified that it is targeting the attraction of talent from outside the state of Indiana, in order to avoid depleting talent in other Indiana communities.

“The initial remote worker response to Choose Southern Indiana exceeded expectations and we are excited by this opportunity to find new ways to attract talent to join our workforce,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “Attracting talent to the region is a critical part of growing the local workforce, and we are grateful to be able to help our local businesses undertake this task.”

To learn more and apply to the relocation incentive program, visit www.choosesouthernindiana.com.

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ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane. It leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention, and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.

 

Radius Indiana announces winners from first home brew competition

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (March 22, 2023) – Radius Indiana hosted its inaugural Home Brew Competition Saturday, March 18 at St. Benedict’s Brew Works in Jasper. Through the light-hearted event, Radius was able to identify and meet several potential entrepreneurs who have now expressed interest in learning about opening microbreweries in the rural communities of the Radius region.

Eight participants went head-to-head in a five-category contest to earn the title of brewmaster. Nearly $3,000 in prizes were awarded for first, second and third place in each of the five brew categories: light, amber, hoppy, wheat and dark. Judges tasted and scored the 16 brew submissions based on a rubric that included aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel and overall impression. 

“We would like to thank all participants for making this first competition a success,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius. “Additionally, thank you to the judges for donating their time on a Saturday to taste local brews and especially to St. Benedict’s Brew Works for hosting at their Jasper location and providing a great atmosphere for the event.” 

Congratulations to the top three brewers in each category! 

  • Light
    • 1: Derek Wiggins
    • 2: Dan Herman
    • 3: Phil Wagner
  • Amber
    • 1: Derek Wiggins
    • 2: Phil Wagner
    • 3: Jim McFaul
  • Hoppy
    • 1: Logan Quinn
    • 2: Luke Stemle
    • 3: Derek Wiggins
  • Wheat
    • 1: Derek Wiggins
    • 2: Luke Stemle
    • 3: Ed Cole
  • Dark (this category only had two entries)
    • 1: Derek Wiggins
    • 2: Phil Wagner

The competition was open to home brewers of any skill level who are residents of the eight Radius Indiana counties: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Long-time home brewer and member of the Dubois County Suds Club, Jim McFaul, assisted with the event along with Ed Cole, Executive Director of Dubois Strong.

“The home brew competition is a great addition to the slate of events that Radius Indiana hosts, and Dubois Strong is proud to be a partner,” said Cole. “Economic development is constantly changing and evolving in how it supports communities and these new opportunities as a result are very exciting.”

As the regional economic development organization for the region, Radius works to create opportunities for entrepreneurs to further develop their products and ideas. The home brew competition is the latest initiative for residents to showcase their talents and spur discussion of potential business opportunities. 

“We are excited about the possible opportunities that may come from the competition and its participants,” said Blaine Parker, director of entrepreneurship and small business support for Radius Indiana. “Revitalizing our communities and their downtowns is a key initiative, and the more we engage with entrepreneurs and showcase the programs available to start a new business, the greater the opportunity for development.”

Radius plans to host future home brewing competitions and events to engage the region as well as the state of Indiana in this unique and spirited industry with a tight-knit community. Stay tuned for more information!

 

First Row: Jennifer Herman (Dubois County Suds Club), Tammi Gibson (Washington County Economic Growth Partnership), Blaine Parker (Radius Indiana), Brenda Heeke (Dubois Strong)
Back Row: Vince Luecke (St. Benedict’s Brew Works), Ed Cole (Dubois Strong), Dan Herman (Dubois County Suds Club), Jim McFaul (Dubois County Suds Club)

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About Radius Indiana: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.

Radius Indiana introduces Spark Downtown Facade Loan Program

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (March 13, 2023) — Cities and towns in the Radius Indiana region are developing new economic opportunities through Spark Downtown, an educational program that helps community leaders take steps to create new businesses and address vacancy in downtowns.

Spark Downtown was created by Radius after several communities spent a year participating in ReCast Cities, a national economic development program aimed at building strong local economies and creating new opportunities for community members. Elected officials, local economic development professionals, and community leaders came together each month to hear from experts that helped them learn how to transform spaces, change the use of existing spaces and create collaboration between entrepreneurs and building owners. 

Participating cities from the first year with ReCast and now Spark Downtown include: The Town of Orleans, Town of Odon, City of Washington, City of Salem, City of Loogootee, City of Bedford and City of Jasper.

“With the participation in ReCast we knew we wanted to continue to offer a resource for our region to help strengthen downtowns. Spark Downtown builds on the success of ReCast, but is allowing us to customize our curriculum for our region,” said Blaine Parker, director of entrepreneurship and small business support for Radius Indiana. “We know that to attract new residents to our region and to keep our existing residents we must make sure that our cities and towns have a high quality of life.”

Radius recently secured funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for businesses in participating Spark Downtown communities to help them make improvements to almost any facade project that is visible from the road. The organization realized during the last year that its communities often lack the necessary funding to take on projects they would like to complete to help revitalize blighted areas of their downtowns.

Building owners in participating Spark Downtown communities are eligible to apply and must receive committee approval and be able to secure 50 percent matching funds.

To learn more about the Spark Downtown Facade Loan or apply, please contact the Radius Indiana office at 812-277-9778. 

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ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane. It leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention, and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.

Radius Indiana announces dates for 2023 economic development course

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (March 8, 2023) – Radius Indiana announced the dates for its sixth annual Economic Development for Community Leaders conference, coming to the French Lick Resort Conference Center April 25-27, 2023.

Attendees at the two-and-a-half-day course will participate in educational sessions on topics including real estate development, population attraction programs, business retention and attraction, workforce, marketing, business finance and incentives, and community development and business district revitalization. 

Speakers from state agencies, site selection companies, secondary education institutions, and financial firms will share best practices and offer perspectives on local and regional economic strategies. The course is open to local and state officials who are interested in learning more about economic development.  

“The field of economic development is changing and growing as communities seek different forms of growth,” said Jeff Quyle, Radius Indiana President and CEO. “Our program gives information about many of the classic elements of economic development as well as introduces community leaders to the new concepts that economic development now encompasses.”

The format of this year’s event will offer attendees the opportunity to choose between session topics for parts of the conference to create a more personalized experience. Communities should consider sending more than one representative to attend in order to gain information on all the relevant topics that will be covered. 

Radius plans to make several scholarships available from its own office as well as area utility partners for community members from the region who would like to participate in the program. Local Economic Development Organizations and those interested in attending are encouraged to contact the Radius Indiana office to learn more about scholarship opportunities in their area.

Registration for the Radius Indiana Economic Development for Community Leadership Program is now available at www.Radiusindiana.com or by calling 812-277-9778. Registration for leaders in the Radius eight-county region is $425, and $475 for those who live outside the region. The registration page includes a link and promotional code to book a hotel room at the French Lick Resort for the conference days.

 

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ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.

Radius Indiana honors Becky Skillman at Annual Stakeholders Luncheon

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (March 2, 2023) – Radius Indiana held its annual stakeholder’s luncheon Feb. 15 at the French Lick Resort. Over 130 regional stakeholders gathered as Radius discussed ways the organization is ‘Investing in Our Own’, showcasing a few of Radius’s biggest ongoing initiatives.  

Radius Indiana Board of Directors Chair Becky Skillman opened the meeting, thanking stakeholders for their continued support of the organization and commemorating her own 10 years of involvement. 

“Our region is benefitting from a great deal of positive developments and investments, and our opportunity for growth is as strong as many of us can remember in recent years,” said Skillman. “When I joined the Radius organization in 2013, I knew that we were poised for some incredible developments, and the leaders of this community did not disappoint in delivering time and time again.” 

Skillman handed the meeting over to Jeff Quyle, Radius CEO and president. Quyle recapped the organization’s eventful 2022 and the significant investments in the Radius region: READI projects such as the microelectronics project at the WestGate Technology Park and Catapult, a four-week manufacturing training program. 

Radius had the opportunity to work with its counties and communities on these initiatives and helped spur economic development progress in new ways that will help the region flourish. 

“We look forward to this event each year because of the engagement and support we receive from our partners and stakeholders,” said Quyle. “We know that investing in our own region will have lasting effects, and we are excited to see the wheels of progress turning rapidly.”

Quyle then introduced the lineup of speakers comprised of local leaders in the Radius community who are actively participating in programs offered by the organization. The featured presentations included:

  • Blaine Parker, Radius Indiana – Spark Downtown
  • Kristal Painter, Orange County Economic Development Partnership – Business Retention and Expansion
  • Christy Johnson, Radius Indiana – Choose Southern Indiana
  • Misty Weisensteiner, Radius Indiana – Discover Southern Indiana
  • Justin Green, Mayor of Salem and Dan Bortner, Indiana Department of Natural Resources – Monon South Greenway

The presenters recapped the 2022 progress of these projects and shared the next steps expected to occur over the next few years. Johnson shared that a workforce talent attraction program is launching in conjunction with Choose Southern Indiana. The program will invest in incentive payments to new employees who are hired from out-of-state by local businesses in the participating counties: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Martin, Orange, and Washington. In addition, Parker introduced the Spark Downtown Facade Loan Program. Radius recently secured funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for businesses in participating Spark Downtown communities to help them make improvements to almost any facade project that is visible from the road. 

“Spark Downtown’s purpose is to help restore and revitalize our downtowns, which are the heart and soul of our communities,” said Parker. “We recognized during the past year that our communities often lack the necessary funds to take on some of the projects that they would like to complete to help revitalize those blighted areas of their downtown areas, and this loan program is intended to help move more projects forward.”

As Mayor Greene and Bortner finished comments on the Monon South Greenway and Next Level Trails, Bortner had the opportunity to introduce a surprise for Skillman to honor her 10 years of service to Radius: a congratulations video from Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb.

“Whether she was serving in elected offices or at the helm of Radius as CEO or on the board where she continues to lead, Becky’s authenticity, vision, and collaborative approach has been a constant throughout her entire accomplished career”, said Holcomb. “The next decades look bright because of the trails she’s blazed.”

Radius thanks Skillman for her 10 years of commitment, dedication, and passion to the region and the state of Indiana, and looks forward to her continuous leadership for years to come. 

In a post-event survey, stakeholder luncheon attendees noted quality-of-life as the most important investment for Radius Indiana, followed closely by downtown development and population attraction. Radius will continue to look for avenues to support these initiatives in its region.

If you would like to attend Radius Indiana’s Stakeholder Meeting next year or learn more about the Spark Downtown Facade Loan Program, please contact the Radius office at (812) 277-9778.

Radius Indiana Chairman of the Board Becky Skillman welcomes the crowd at the Feb. 15 stakeholders luncheon.

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ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane. It leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention, and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.

Microelectronics investment landing in Radius region

Posted on by Radius Indiana

By: Matt Craig, Director of Crane Community Support for Radius Indiana

 

Our region is home to Naval Support Activity Crane, the third largest naval installation in the world, making defense a huge economic driver for Southern Indiana. We at Radius work with others outside the installation’s gates to assist with growing the region’s defense ecosystem and connecting Crane with community, regional, and state leadership. These collective efforts are made possible by the strong national leadership in various technologies and missions at Crane.  Radius is dedicated to the installation preservation as well as investment in new projects and opportunities that arise to support the base.

One of the newest and largest projects includes an $84 million advanced microchip development and manufacturing operation that will open in Daviess County. WestGate One, a combined effort of NHanced Semiconductors, Everspin Technologies, Trusted Semiconductor Solutions, and Reliable MicroSystems, will be located in the WestGate@Crane Technology Park just outside of the NSA Crane gate near Odon.

This campus is the kind of development that local government and economic development leaders devote their careers to securing. It is expected to add 549 high-paying jobs between 2024 and 2028. The new, specialized jobs will be critical in advancing American-made microelectronics verification, validation, and production of critical microelectronics components in the U.S. 

Based on a project assessment analysis of WestGate One from Radius Indiana, NHanced is expected to generate over $3 million in local income tax revenue over 10 years. In addition to the jobs created directly at the semiconductor campus, there will be additional supplier and consumer-business jobs created by the presence of the NHanced employment, increasing the total employment impact to 858 total local jobs created.

The growth expected at this campus has validated the creation of a new organization to lead the physical development of WestGate as outlined in its 2021 Master Plan. The Uplands Science and Technology Foundation (USTF), a non-profit research foundation dedicated to enhancing the vitality of the tech park, is a new organization that will work to grow the park’s capabilities in emerging technology areas such as microelectronics, artificial intelligence, and hypersonics.

The Crane Regional Defense Group hosted USTF for its Key Leader Series event February 3 at WestGate, bringing together public and private sectors to learn more about the tech park’s mission and goals. The partnership between organizations such as Radius, CRDG, USTF and many others is vital in the continued success of developments like the microelectronics project above. 

Radius Indiana is excited about the growth at WestGate, specifically in the microelectronics and semiconductor space, and continues to curate other opportunities for investment. 

Radius Indiana Welcomes New Board Members and Presents Initiatives for 2023

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Jan 17, 2023) – Radius Indiana welcomes nine new board members, and announces a new slate of officers and key initiatives for 2023, including expanded efforts in regional tourism, talent attraction, and collaboration and development in the defense sector.

With ten board members reaching term limits and two retiring from the Radius board at the end of 2022, a host of new community leaders have joined as new board members. Those new appointees include:

  • Katy Preidt, Duke Energy
  • Paul Quick, Smithville
  • Matt Long, AT&T
  • Natalie Hedde, Centerpoint
  • Craig Buse, Springs Valley
  • Kelly Zimmerly, Greene County local government, County Council
  • Craig Menke, Crawford County local government, County Council
  • Mike Kluesner, Dubois County local government, County Council
  • Lonnie Hawkins, Martin County private sector

Retiring board members were honored with a proclamation for their service to Radius and their contributions to the region at the December 2022 meeting, including oversight of the launch of Radius’ tourism brand, Discover Southern Indiana, a significant expansion of workforce-related programs, launch of the regional business news platform Southern Indiana Business report, and increasing assistance for the region’s existing business sector. 

During the meeting, the board also re-elected former Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman to serve as chair of the board. Additional 2023 officers include: 

  • Vice Chair: Bryan Brackemyre, Indiana Municipal Power Agency
  • Secretary: Bryant Niehoff, Daviess County Economic Development Corporation;
  • Treasurer: Brent Sternberg, German American Bank
  • Executive Committee At-Large Members: Justin Green, Mayor of Salem and Jeff Pipkin, Hoosier Energy
  • LEDO Representative: Shance Sizemore, Lawrence County Economic Growth Council

“The leaders who have been on our Board for the past few years took us through the trials of the COVID era and helped us reshape our approach to economic development to meet the region’s needs as we came out of the pandemic,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “We appreciate the work they did as voices of the region giving us feedback and input.” 

The board also ratified its 2023 budget to support programs and activities for the eight Radius counties. These activities include continued significant tourism funding to market Discover Southern Indiana, a full year of the new regional business retention and expansion (BRE) program, continuation of Spark Downtown, support for the Southern Indiana Trailways rails-to-trails development, and expansion and modification of the Choose Southern Indiana population attraction incentive program.

“We anticipate 2023 to be another great year for Radius as we continue to initiate programs and contribute to projects that shape the future of Southern Indiana,” said Skillman. “This new slate of board members adds a wide range of knowledge and expertise, and I’m looking forward to the year ahead.” 

Radius will hold its annual stakeholder luncheon Feb. 15, 2023. More details to follow.

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ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana: Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange, and Washington. Formed in 2009, Radius Indiana also serves as a point of contact in Indiana for Naval Support Activity Crane and leads regional collaboration by leveraging the diverse assets of the region to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.

Radius to Work With Community Leaders to Develop Monon South Trail

Posted on by Radius Indiana

Radius Indiana is a regional, nonprofit economic development organization in southern Indiana, and has worked for several years with a number of regional partners on the acquisition and development of more than 60 miles of CSX rail corridor into a unique regional gem that will provide a boost to public health, tourism, safety, and economic development for numerous communities across several counties.

The field of economic development has evolved in recent years to include a number of activities and initiatives that add not only new jobs and new investments but also new opportunities for communities to build up their quality of place and appeal to new residents as well as new businesses. Radius’s support for the development of the Monon South provides a regional basis for acquiring the corridor so that we can work with the community leaders along the way to develop their vision of the trail.

Southern Indiana Trailways, a dedicated, private non-profit organization established to implement and manage the project, will be given the opportunity to take over the leadership of the Monon South and ensure the trail’s development, management, and ongoing maintenance and activation. Other trails throughout Indiana also have similar advisory structures, such as the Cardinal Greenway, composed of board members that work and reside along the trail corridor. Radius will work with Southern Indiana Trailways and will provide support to the organization as it becomes established. 

The four counties along the Radius portion of the Monon South currently have 2,167 people employed in the Hospitality and Tourism industry as of the second quarter of 2022. Employment in the field is 18 percent higher than the national average, and the development of the Monon South will provide more opportunities for new businesses to grow in the communities along the corridor. Business establishments have grown in number in the field over the past several years, even maintaining stability despite the pandemic’s impact.

“Communities like Borden and Pekin and Campbellsburg and Mitchell all have the chance to turn the Monon into a business growth engine because tourists will be walking and biking through the middle of those towns in the coming years,” commented Radius CEO Jeff Quyle. “And the amenities that grow to serve the tourists will also be there to improve services for the current and future residents as well.”

Radius recognizes that the quality of place and the assets that embellish our region’s quality of place are important to economic vitality for the communities of southern Indiana. Through the Discover Southern Indiana regional tourism initiative Radius is promoting its region’s assets to the Midwestern market, inviting tourists to spend their vacation time in our beautiful scenery. 

Through the Choose Southern Indiana population attraction initiative, Radius hears many people describe the importance of charming rural communities that have attractions like long-distance trails.  And through the Spark-Downtown initiative Radius works to help rural communities build and retain new retail businesses which can serve and benefit from the tourists who will enjoy the Monon South Trail as it is constructed.

Southern Indiana Trailways will work with local leaders to identify segments of the trail to prioritize for development, as well as working with them to learn what practical improvements can be made along the corridor most quickly to improve the local community through steps such as re-grading local road crossings.

In addition to the $25+ million in funding provided by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Indiana Uplands region has pledged to provide $1 million in READI funding, and Radius has already spent and committed over $650,000 of its own funds for the project to date. A 2021 study estimated that the development of the trail in Lawrence, Orange, Washington, and a portion of Clark County would cost between $23,800,000 and $43,900,000. Construction using the current pledged funds will take place in 2024 to 2026, and further development will rely on the acquisition of additional financial resources.

In 2021, Radius worked with community leaders from along the corridor to create a sketchbook of ideas about how the trail could be developed in numerous communities. The elements of the sketchbook can be seen at Southern Indiana Trailways.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Department of Natural Resources for the amount of work and commitment they’ve invested in this project over the past few years. They and New Albany and the Cook Group have all shown that there is nothing more successful than collaboration and teamwork,” Quyle mentioned. “Everyone worked together and we all had our eye on helping reach a collective goal.”