Author: Radius Indiana

Dubois Strong launches new Business Retention and Expansion Program to support local businesses 

Posted on by Radius Indiana

Dubois Strong launches new Business Retention and Expansion Program to support local businesses 

JASPER, Ind. (Nov. 9, 2022) – Dubois Strong announces a unique new business retention and expansion (BR&E) program to learn more about conditions at businesses throughout the county and how the local economic development office can help support them. 

Dubois Strong hired a consultant specializing in BR&E to serve as an extension of its team over the next year. Local businesses can expect to receive a phone call and/or email in the coming weeks from the organization and will have an opportunity to share more about their business, projected future growth, challenges or concerns, and more. 

One of the primary roles of a local economic development organization is to assist existing local businesses and help them navigate common challenges associated with growth including workforce, employee training and education, and expansion planning. As part of those efforts, this new program is provided at no cost to the local businesses and the results will be used to inform future economic development strategies for Dubois County. 

“Our local economy depends on the success of our existing businesses, and we want to do everything we can to support them and help them thrive,” said Ed Cole, Executive Director. “We ask that our businesses please participate in this program and provide honest, thorough feedback to help us achieve that goal.” 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 66% of all jobs created come from growth at existing businesses, and 62% of all net new jobs come from small businesses. 

“We know that local stores sell us goods, local factories bring us jobs, and local companies invest here and serve here. These are our friends and neighbors and the people who meet our community needs, so it’s important that they have a helping hand when we can lend one,” Cole explained.

Dubois Strong hopes that in addition to gathering information, this intentional effort to connect will build strong relationships with the businesses that already have a footprint in the local community and provide further opportunities for growth and retention. Any local company that has questions about the program should call the office at 812-482-9650 to learn more.

###

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.

GCEDC launches new Business Retention and Expansion Program to support local businesses 

Posted on by Radius Indiana

Greene County Economic Development Corporation launches new Business Retention and Expansion Program to support local businesses 

BLOOMFIELD, Ind. (Nov. 9, 2022) – Greene County Economic Development Corporation announces a unique new business retention and expansion (BR&E) program to learn more about conditions at businesses throughout the county and how the local economic development office can help support them. 

GCEDC hired a consultant specializing in BR&E to serve as an extension of its team over the next year. Local businesses can expect to receive a phone call and/or email in the coming weeks from the organization and will have an opportunity to share more about their business, projected future growth, challenges or concerns, and more. 

One of the primary roles of a local economic development organization is to assist existing local businesses and help them navigate common challenges associated with growth including workforce, employee training and education, and expansion planning. As part of those efforts, this new program is provided at no cost to the local businesses and the results will be used to inform future economic development strategies for Greene County. 

“Our local economy depends on the success of our existing businesses, and we want to do everything we can to support them and help them thrive,” said Brianne Jerrels, Executive Director. “We ask that our businesses please participate in this program and provide honest, thorough feedback to help us achieve that goal.” 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 66% of all jobs created come from growth at existing businesses, and 62% of all net new jobs come from small businesses. 

“We know that local stores sell us goods, local factories bring us jobs, and local companies invest here and serve here. These are our friends and neighbors and the people who meet our community needs, so it’s important that they have a helping hand when we can lend one,” Jerrels explained.

GCEDC hopes that in addition to gathering information, this intentional effort to connect will build strong relationships with the businesses that already have a footprint in the local community and provide further opportunities for growth and retention. Any local company that has questions about the program should call the office at 812-659-2109 to learn more.

###

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.

OCEDP launches new Business Retention and Expansion Program to support local businesses 

Posted on by Radius Indiana

Orange County Economic Development Partnership launches new Business Retention and Expansion Program to support local businesses 

(FRENCH LICK), Ind. (Nov. 09, 2022) – Orange County Economic Development Partnership announces a unique new business retention and expansion (BR&E) program to learn more about conditions at businesses throughout the county and how the local economic development office can help support them. 

OCEDP hired a consultant specializing in BR&E to serve as an extension of its team over the next year. Local businesses can expect to receive a phone call and/or email in the coming weeks from the organization and will have an opportunity to share more about their business, projected future growth, challenges or concerns, and more. 

One of the primary roles of a local economic development organization is to assist existing local businesses and help them navigate common challenges associated with growth including workforce, employee training and education, and expansion planning. As part of those efforts, this new program is provided at no cost to the local businesses and the results will be used to inform future economic development strategies for Orange County. 

“Our local economy depends on the success of our existing businesses, and we want to do everything we can to support them and help them thrive,” said Kristal Painter, Executive Director. “We ask that our businesses please participate in this program and provide honest, thorough feedback to help us achieve that goal.” 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 66% of all jobs created come from growth at existing businesses, and 62% of all net new jobs come from small businesses. 

“We know that local stores sell us goods, local factories bring us jobs, and local companies invest here and serve here. These are our friends and neighbors and the people who meet our community needs, so it’s important that they have a helping hand when we can lend one,” Painter explained.

OCEDP hopes that in addition to gathering information, this intentional effort to connect will build strong relationships with the businesses that already have a footprint in the local community and provide further opportunities for growth and retention. Any local company that has questions about the program should call the office at 812-936-3388 to learn more.

###

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.

Crawford County Economic Development Corporation launches new Business Retention and Expansion Program to support local businesses 

Posted on by Radius Indiana

Crawford County Economic Development Corporation launches new Business Retention and Expansion Program to support local businesses 

LEAVENWORTH, Ind. (Nov. 9, 2022) – Crawford County Economic Development Corporation announces a unique new business retention and expansion (BR&E) program to learn more about conditions at businesses throughout the county and how the local economic development office can help support them. 

Crawford County EDC hired a consultant specializing in BR&E to serve as an extension of its team over the next year. Local businesses can expect to receive a phone call and/or email in the coming weeks from the organization and will have an opportunity to share more about their business, projected future growth, challenges or concerns, and more. 

One of the primary roles of a local economic development organization is to assist existing local businesses and help them navigate common challenges associated with growth including workforce, employee training and education, and expansion planning. As part of those efforts, this new program is provided at no cost to the local businesses and the results will be used to inform future economic development strategies for Crawford County. 

“Our local economy depends on the success of our existing businesses, and we want to do everything we can to support them and help them thrive,” said Jesse Belcher, Executive Director. “We ask that our businesses please participate in this program and provide honest, thorough feedback to help us achieve that goal.” 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 66% of all jobs created come from growth at existing businesses, and 62% of all net new jobs come from small businesses. 

“We know that local stores sell us goods, local factories bring us jobs, and local companies invest here and serve here. These are our friends and neighbors and the people who meet our community needs, so it’s important that they have a helping hand when we can lend one,” Belcher explained.

Crawford County EDC hopes that in addition to gathering information, this intentional effort to connect will build strong relationships with the businesses that already have a footprint in the local community and provide further opportunities for growth and retention. Any local company that has questions about the program should call the office at 812-739-4479 to learn more.

###

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.

Registration now open for Radius Indiana elected official economic development course

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Nov. 14, 2022) — Radius Indiana hosts a free, region-wide economic development course for elected officials Tuesday, Dec. 6 at the French Lick Resort Meeting and Event Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The course is designed for both incumbent and newly elected officials.

Radius created the intensive, one-day seminar, which will specifically target the needs of elected officials, as an extension of its annual Economic Development for Community Leaders Program.

Experts from across the state will provide attendees insight and strategies in areas such as:

  • Site Development with Chelsey Manns, Manns Consulting;
  • Workforce with Jim Plump & Jackie Hill, Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation;
  • Incentives with Matt Eckerle, Baker Tilly;
  • Business Retention & Expansion with Jason Hester, Greater Columbus Economic Development Corporation;
  • Marketing and Branding with Jason Hester;
  • Entrepreneurship/Small Business Development with Blaine Parker, Radius Indiana.

Question and answer sessions will take place during both the morning and afternoon to allow participants the opportunity to dive deeper into the course’s focus areas.

“When I first took office as a county commissioner, I thought I understood how to help my local economy, but I found out after I took office that the economic development field is more complex than I realized,” said Radius CEO and President Jeff Quyle. “I’d like to help other elected officials learn some of the insider perspectives so that they can increase their efficiency. All elected officials want what’s best for their community, and this seminar will help them pursue that more effectively.”

The course is made possible through the generous support of Radius Indiana’s regional utility partners, who will participate in a panel discussion during lunch, including Indiana Municipal Power Agency, Duke Energy and Hoosier Energy.

Registration for the course is now open. Interested participants click here for the free course.

###

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 grows team with two new hires

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Nov. 8, 2022) – Radius Indiana welcomes two new staff members to its team who will strengthen the organization’s response to regional economic opportunities – Carol Johnson and Janna Foxx.

Taking the reins of the Southern Indiana Business Report, Johnson will serve as the Business and Community News Content Manager for Radius Indiana. The digital news site brings in-depth coverage of business and economic development, including advanced manufacturing, tourism, and hospitality industry news, agribusiness updates, defense sector, business finance and incentive reporting, and insights into how local initiatives, state policies, and other factors impact the local economy in southern Indiana. 

Southern Indiana Business Report provides a solution to the region’s loss of local business and economic reporting in recent years, which has inhibited the ability of businesses and communities to communicate their successes in economic development.

Before joining Radius, Johnson had an extensive career in journalism and spent 30-plus years at the Bedford Times-Mail covering city government, downtown development, education, breaking news, local nonprofits, and human interest stories.

Foxx joins the Radius team as support for Radius’s Crane Community Support initiative led by Director Matt Craig. The addition of Foxx will allow the pair to enhance the region’s opportunities to collaborate with NSA Crane through organizations such as the White River Military Coordination Alliance (WRMCA) and the Crane Regional Defense Group (CRDG).

Created in 2018 to strengthen the relationship between Crane and the community, the 24-member Alliance promotes community growth, supports the military missions of Crane, and establishes effective, timely means of communication between the community and Crane to coordinate opportunities and address concerns. Subsequently, CRDG was formed as a subcommittee of WRMCA to preserve the strategic value of Crane and bring economic growth to Southern Indiana by supporting local outreach and legislative initiatives.

Previously, Foxx served as the Acting Technical Director for Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division before opening her own consulting firm in July 2021. Foxx most recently served as NSWC’s acting director in April 2020, leading the organization through its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while maintaining normal business processes and establishing the initial business processes for COVID-19-specific needs. Upon retiring from Crane, she started Foxx Consulting, a woman-owned small business (WSOB) that provides consultation to businesses working on federal contracts.

“The speed of change that businesses encounter in the world today calls for the Radius team to be able to respond to new opportunities and evolving demands,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “Adding people of the caliber of Carol and Janna to our staff gives us more ways to serve the needs of the public and private sector clients we serve.”

###

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 teams with South Central Indiana for Louisville economic outreach

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Nov. 2, 2022) — Radius Indiana partnered with South Central Indiana Economic Development Group to share insights about their respective southern Indiana regions as co-hosts of an educational session for site selectors and business advisers in downtown Louisville Oct. 27.

The event marks the third joint economic effort by the two organizations, representing a total of 17 southern Indiana counties. 

The session is part of Radius Indiana’s ongoing outreach program to raise awareness about the business strengths and opportunities in the region. The leaders from Radius Indiana and SCIED Group shared the regions with their southern neighbors, showcasing the benefits of doing business in the regions, as well as new programs at work to attract population and strengthen existing businesses.

Tony Denhart, executive vice president of Workforce and Talent for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation served as the guest speaker for the session and shared initiatives underway to help Indiana businesses attract and retain talent. 

Representatives from the regions’ Local Economic Development Organizations as well as Wendy Dant Chesser or One Southern Indiana joined Radius President and CEO Jeff Quyle and SCIED President Darrell Voelker for the event. 

“New development in either of our areas can have a significant effect on our neighboring counties. We share resources, workforce and infrastructure with many of the Radius counties and any opportunity we have to work together only strengthens our ability to attract and grow business,” said Voelker.

Jessica Potts, Executive Director of the Martin County Alliance, who joined the organization this summer added, “This was my first opportunity to meet with site selectors and share information about Martin County to decision makers outside our region. The collaboration between Radius and South Central Indiana shows how much working together can provide a greater reach for our economic development efforts.”

“We are continually looking for opportunities to share our region with business leaders who help national and global companies make decisions about where to locate or expand their businesses,” said Quyle. “We are happy to reinstate this event after having to take a two-year break from in-person meetings. It is in the true spirit of regionalism that Radius and the SCIED Group came together for this effort. We have diverse assets, but a common mission—to grow the economy in southern Indiana.”

###

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 Indiana visits Atlanta for site selector trip

Posted on by Radius Indiana

 

BEDFORD, Ind. (Oct. 19, 2022) — Radius Indiana traveled to Atlanta earlier this month to meet with site selectors and share information about the business climate in the Radius region. This was Radius’s first site selector trip to Atlanta since 2015.

Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle met with six site selectors during the visit. Workforce availability dominated the topics addressed by business advisors, who cite labor shortages as a key question they face from clients in locations across the country.

“The Radius message was that there are numerous regional programs available to try to help with workforce needs of both existing as well as new businesses, and there are many tools that can help companies find the right talent in southern Indiana,” said Quyle. “The site selectors were also interested in learning about the growth of the Crane-related tech companies that are continuing to locate in the region.”

Radius has instituted several workforce attraction and retention initiatives over the last few years, and the southern Indiana region as a whole is dedicated to helping grow the workforce. Programs such as Catapult aim to enhance the skills of members of the population seeking to enter the manufacturing workforce, while Choose Southern Indiana looks to recruit new residents with a $5,000 incentive for those who relocate to southern Indiana.

Additionally, outside programs, including Regional Opportunities Initiative’s UpSkill Work and Learn, offers high school students a chance to discover career interests and pathways they cannot learn in the classroom. Students are paired with a local employer and have the opportunity to work a paid job, gain career credentials and earn college credit while still in high school.

Radius Indiana will continue its outreach program efforts with additional site selector trips through the end 2022 and into 2023, including collaborative marketing activities with other regional groups in the Southern half of the state. The next outing will take place in Louisville, Kentucky later this month.

“We continue to see a positive impact on our region through site selector trips such as this,” said Quyle. “Being able to highlight different industry sectors that are important to our counties is a top priority for Radius as well as continuing to educate the country about what our region has to offer.”

###

ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana. 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.

IEDC visits our Region for talent attraction update

Posted on by Radius Indiana

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

 

Talent attraction and workforce development are two of the most important aspects of economic development. 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. Radius Indiana has implemented several initiatives over the last few years to bring new employees into the workforce as well as retain skilled employees to continue working in our eight-county region. 

Earlier this month, Radius had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion with  Tony Denhart, executive vice president of talent and workforce for the Indiana Economic  Development Corporation (IEDC), to introduce him to the initiatives and programs taking place throughout the region. Denhart joined IEDC in January of this year and this trip served as his formal introduction to our part of the state. 

Denhart had the opportunity to meet with several organizations on his visit, including Regional  Opportunity Initiatives, representatives from WestGate@Crane Technology Park, and Naval  Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division as well as several defense contractors. Conversations  included learning about the Uplands Science and Technology Foundation (USTF), a nonprofit  research foundation dedicated to enhancing the vitality of WestGate@Crane Technology Park  and its recently-completed Master Plan. 

Each organization had the opportunity to share its talent and workforce efforts or its needs for talent. Radius discussed its four major ongoing talent and workforce attraction projects with  Denhart: Choose Southern Indiana; Veteran Recruitment- Digital Campaigns; Veteran  Recruitment- Hiring Program; and Catapult.  

Choose Southern Indiana offers a $5,000 relocation incentive to qualified out-of-state individuals  or families who relocate to the region. Such incentive programs are being increasingly used by  states and communities throughout the country to attract talent.  

Radius utilizes a series of social media and digital marketing campaigns to recruit military  veterans and retirees to move from outside Indiana to join the local population and workforce.  To complement the success of the digital campaign veteran recruitment strategies, Radius was  given funding from the State of Indiana for the purpose of attracting and retaining veterans from  outside of the eight-county region to grow the available workforce with unique skills and talents.  Radius became engaged in distributing veteran resumes across the private defense sector  industries. 

The Catapult program provides training to help individuals become skilled and educated in  modern manufacturing production based on employee training programs developed in  Japanese auto assembly plants in Indiana. 

Radius is one of the region’s leaders in workforce and talent attraction, and we thank Tony  Denhart for visiting our region and learning about our programs and initiatives.

Radius Indiana Celebrates National Manufacturing Day

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Oct. 6, 2022) — Radius Indiana joins the U.S. Small Business Administration and the National Association of Manufacturers in recognizing Manufacturing Day, an annual event on the first Friday of October, which celebrates modern manufacturing and is meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. 

Manufacturing is the fifth-largest employer in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over 19,400 workers are employed in the manufacturing industry in the Radius Region which represents an increase of 350 new jobs created in the sector over the past ten years, despite the disruption of the COVID pandemic. 

The regional Location Quotient for manufacturing in the Radius Region is 2.64, revealing that the sector is more than two-and-a-half times more concentrated regionally than it is nationally. Manufacturing represents 21.4 percent of total regional employment compared to the national total of 8.1 percent of employment in the sector. 

Production jobs dominate manufacturing occupations in Radius’s eight counties; over 60 percent of all manufacturing jobs are classified as production, while 10 percent are transportation and material moving, slightly over seven percent are office and administration, and the remainder are scattered over a variety of functions. 

“Manufacturing remains one of the most important pillars of our regional economy,” said Radius President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “From high-demand furniture manufacturing to the factories supplying important parts for the automotive industry, the strength in manufacturing appears to be providing the financial fuel to allow other parts of the economy to grow.” 

Wages among production workers vary greatly according to the occupational skills needed. Entry level meat cutters in the agribusiness sector average annual wages in the low-$30,000 range, while skilled assemblers and machine operators average wages in the mid-$40,000s. Average wages for all workers of $52,614 are below the national average, but are among some of the highest paying wages in the region. 

The region’s number of manufacturing firms is on the rebound in recent years. From a high of 363 manufacturing establishments in 2011, the numbers decreased to around 340 in the following decade, but have climbed every year from 2019 to 2021 back to 360 establishments. 

Counties throughout the region are participating in Manufacturing Day in their own unique ways. In Orange County, 8th grade students from Orleans, Paoli and Springs Valley will visit local manufacturing/distributing partners such as Jasper Seating, Inc, Best Home Furnishings, Pluto Inc., and Boston International. 

Additionally, the Lawrence County Economic Growth Council is continuing its trend from 2021 to celebrate a 5-day Manufacturing Week that includes activities with students from The

Collaboration of Shoals, Orleans, and Mitchell Schools (COSMOS) and the North Lawrence Career Center to introduce the industry through informational sessions and tours with local manufacturers. Those companies include WF Meyers, Stone City Products, CAP, IN-FAB, and PRD. 

“We applaud our manufacturers, their employees and the contributions they make to our economy in the Radius Region. We will continue to monitor this important sector and work with our regional employers to help them thrive as well as make the region a choice location for new investment,” said Quyle. 

###

ABOUT RADIUS INDIANA: Radius Indiana is a regional economic development partnership representing eight counties in Southern Indiana. 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.