Category: News

Registration now open for Radius Indiana’s fifth annual economic development course

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Feb. 14, 2022) – Radius Indiana announced today that registration is now open for its fifth annual regional economic development conference for community leaders.

Attendees at the two-and-a-half-day Radius Indiana Economic Development for Community Leadership Program will participate in educational sessions on relevant topics, including quality of place, population attraction, site development, and business finance and incentives. The course will take place May 17 – 19 at the French Lick Resort and is open to local and state officials who are interested in learning more about economic development. 

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 from all the relevant topics that will be covered at the conference. 

“We have a record number of speakers set to present at our upcoming economic development course,” Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana, said. “It is an exciting opportunity to expand the relevant topics our conference addresses, and we will look forward to hosting this education opportunity in our region.”

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. Topics are focused on the day-to-day functions of economic development and are designed to help leaders keep the needs of economic development at the forefront of their efforts as they return to their daily responsibilities. 

Confirmed speakers and subjects for the course will include:

  • Jim Plump – Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation, Introduction to Economic Development;
  • Jeffrey Banning – Banning Engineering, Site Development;
  • Rachel Greene – Magnitude Agency, Economic Development Marketing;
  • Olga Pogoda – KRNLS, Coworking Spaces and Maker Spaces;
  • Courtney Zaugg – Plaka and Associates, Entrepreneur-led Economic Development;
  • Doug Rasmussen – Steadfast City, Site Selector Deals;
  • Matt Eckerle – Baker-Tilly, Business Finance and Incentives;
  • Lisa Abbott – Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Housing; 
  • Wendy Dant Chesser – One Southern Indiana, Strategic Planning;
  • Michael Wilcox – Purdue Center for Regional Development, Quality of Place;
  • Evan Hock – TMAP, Population Attraction;
  • Julie Rigrish – Purdue Center for Regional Development, Economic Gardening;
  • Jason Hester – Greater Columbus Indiana Economic Development, Business Retention and Expansion; and
  • Christian Blome, Vincennes University Jasper Campus, and Michi McClain, Regional Opportunity Initiatives – Workforce Development.

Radius plans to make several scholarships available from its own office as well as area utilities 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 announces dates for 2022 economic development conference

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Jan. 31, 2022) – Radius Indiana announced the dates for its fifth annual Economic Development for Community Leaders conference, coming to the French Lick Resort Conference Center May 17-19, 2022.

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. The course is open to local and state officials who are interested in learning more about economic development. 

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 from all the relevant topics that will be covered at the conference. 

“We are grateful for the continued opportunity to host this conference for community leaders in our region and throughout southern and central Indiana,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “Each year we are striving to outdo our conference from the previous year, and we believe a change in structure will help us achieve that.”

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. Topics are focused on the day-to-day functions of economic development and are designed to help leaders weave an economic development perspective into their daily responsibilities.

Scholarships will be available from local partners 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 course will remain at $450 for Radius region officials and $500 for other local officials, covering the cost of all classes, materials and meals.

Registration for the Radius Indiana Economic Development for Community Leadership Program will open February 14. Registration information will be available on the Radius Indiana website.

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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.

Leaders from Radius region visit Indianapolis for site selector trip

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Dec. 20, 2021) — Economic development leaders from Radius Indiana shared information and insights about the southern Indiana region last week as part of an educational session in Indianapolis.

The session was part of Radius’s continued outreach program to raise awareness about business strengths and opportunities in the eight-county region. Radius President and CEO Jeff Quyle, other Radius staff members, and four economic development leaders from Dubois, Lawrence, Martin, and Orange counties joined Quyle to discuss the latest news about the regional economy.

“The site selector luncheon hosted by Radius was so beneficial,” said Angie Risacher, executive director for Martin County Alliance. “This last year, other LEDOs and I were only able to hold an online presence with these tremendously important points of contact. With Radius organizing this for our region, we were able to have those direct conversations across the table from a site selector who can match up the right opportunities to our counties.”

The leaders from southern Indiana had the opportunity to showcase their county accomplishments as well as highlight the main industries in their area. Radius showcased a number of new workforce training, upskilling, and attraction initiatives underway in the region.

Site selectors in attendance offered useful insights regarding the resumption of activity in recent months as companies are urgently seeking to add production capacity The Radius team heard a confirmation that the availability of labor is a key element of business site searches today, as well as reports that workforce recruitment initiatives are incentives that are catching the eye of companies conducting site searches.

“It is essential in our economic development profession to discuss best practices and policy updates at events such as the annual Radius Indiana luncheon,” said Eric Levenhagen, senior manager for RSM, who was one of the guests who participated in the luncheon conversations.

This is the fifth annual Indianapolis site selector event and is the latest in a series of regional and national visits Radius Indiana has facilitated on behalf of the eight-county region since starting this program in 2016. The outreach efforts will continue into 2022, with sessions scheduled in Columbus, Chicago, Cleveland, and Louisville.

“We appreciated the opportunity to hear the site selectors’ insights on the robust growth they are seeing among their business clientele,” Quyle said. “The opportunities the Radius region communities have to offer a variety of recruitment tools and incentives seem to have made an impression on our guests.”

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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 board recommits to regional success with strategic budget increases, officer elections

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Dec. 13, 2021) – At its final meeting of the year, Radius Indiana’s Board of Directors announced a substantial budget increase that will support a number of strategic initiatives in 2022, including a large commitment to its region-wide tourism campaign. 

The board ratified its 2022 budget during its meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 8. The budget outlines opportunities for the organization and the region to maximize new initiatives that have been identified in the Indiana Uplands READI grant plan. 

These activities include increased tourism funding to market Discover Southern Indiana, support for WestGate@Crane’s microelectronics-related growth, a second cohort of Recast Cities, the Monon South rails-to-trails development, and expansion of the Choose Southern Indiana population attraction incentive program.

“We seek to support our region’s communities in as many READI project opportunities as possible,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “We are excited about the programs and projects that the Indiana Uplands READI plan has proposed and are ready to help bring those ideas to fruition in our region.”

The adopted budget would establish a multi-year initiative to support the implementation of the READI plan in the region. It would allow Radius to become a leader or partner in a handful of initiatives which align with the board’s strategic plan for Radius.

The budget also dramatically bolsters the Discover Southern Indiana regional tourism marketing budget, establishing the strongest regional tourism marketing initiative in the state. Misty Weisensteiner, former Executive Director of the Office of Tourism Development for the State of Indiana, is the chief operating officer of Discover Southern Indiana.

During the meeting, the board also re-elected former Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman to serve as chair of the board and approved the election of a new board member. Adam Gross, executive director for Career Coaching and Employer Connections for Ivy Tech – Bloomington, was elected to a four-year term. 

Additional 2022 Radius Board officers include: 

  • Vice Chair Misty McCammack, Duke Energy; 
  • Secretary Bryant Niehoff, Daviess County Economic Development Corporation;
  • Treasurer Jamie Shinabarger, Springs Valley Bank & Trust;
  • Executive Committee members Bryan Brackemyre, Indiana Municipal Power Agency; and John Wilkes, mayor of Linton.

“The year-end meeting is a great way to bring together community stakeholders and reflect on the economic successes of the eight-county region,” said McCammack. “Radius is in a good position to leverage additional resources in the year ahead. I’m excited to see how these programs will continue to drive business growth and investment in the communities and improve the overall quality of life within the region.”

Jennie Vaughan, chancellor of Ivy Tech’s Bloomington campus, was recognized as a retiring board member and was honored with a proclamation for her service on the board.

Vaughan contributed years of leadership to the Radius Indiana region, offering advice to bolster economic development efforts that was specifically related to education and workforce development topics. 

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on the Radius Board of Directors,” said Vaughan. “As my service comes to an end, Ivy Tech-Bloomington will continue to be represented on the board. The Radius leadership and board members are working every day for the betterment of the region and I wish them nothing but success for their communities.”

Radius will hold its annual stakeholder luncheon in May 2022. More details will be available in the coming months.

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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.

Four candidates move to southern Indiana via Radius population attraction program

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Dec. 8, 2021) — Four candidates and their family members have relocated to southern Indiana in the last months of 2021 through Radius Indiana’s population attraction program, Choose Southern Indiana. Since the program’s launch in July, it has received contacts from over 1,000 applicants.

The program offers a $5,000 incentive to qualified out-of-state individuals or families who relocate to Daviess, Dubois, Greene, or Orange County. The local leaders of each county’s program opted to seek candidates from fields ranging from teachers to remote workers to retired military veterans to relocate to their communities.

Orange County’s first successful application came from Adam Bennett, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps; the Orange County program promotes the idea of military veterans moving to any of the County’s communities. Bennett, a graduate of Springs Valley High School who most recently lived in Costa Rica, decided to apply for the program and move with his family back to the region to be closer to his family after living away for 20 years. 

“Orange County is a great place to raise a family and I am very excited to bring mine here,” Bennett said. “We are very outdoorsy people and love all the recreational activities for us to enjoy: camping, hunting, fishing. We are ready to experience the four seasons Indiana has to offer after living in Costa Rica.”

Just a few miles west of Orange County, two teachers relocated to Daviess County, which is focused on recruiting individuals with a bachelor’s degree. Both candidates are now teaching at Washington High School. Jeanette Socks, who relocated from a larger city, was excited about the opportunity to live somewhere with a slower-paced lifestyle. 

“I moved to southern Indiana for the opportunity to start my career in teaching,” Socks said. “I love the small-town life and I would not want to be anywhere else.”

And to the south of Washington, Huntingburg-native Justin Neal relocated back to Dubois County as he transitioned into retirement after a 20-year career in the United States Air Force. Neal is working in human resources at Jasper’s Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center through the military skill bridge program.

“My family has spent the last 15 years at least 8 hours away from the rest of our family,” Neal said. “Being able to move back to southern Indiana and getting to be close to people we really care about is awesome.”

Those who relocate to southern Indiana must maintain residency in their home county for a minimum of two years. Similar incentive programs are being used by numerous states and communities throughout the country to attract talent. The Radius program is unique in having a regional approach and in empowering different counties in the region to adopt different target populations to attract.

Radius partnered with Indianapolis-based MakeMyMove, the first and only marketplace for move-ready talent. MakeMyMove’s platform and marketing services help communities pitch their wares and attract new residents.

“Talent attraction is an emerging aspect of economic development, and we are excited to see the traction our program is getting,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “We are taking a rural regional approach to this program and our region is working together to allow each county to focus on the particular demographic groups they want to encourage. We know that the rural lifestyle, the ability to easily interact with school and community leaders and neighbors, and the safety of our communities are very attractive and can draw people to a very positive lifestyle change.”

Radius Indiana plans to continue the program in 2022. 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 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 renews relationship with Japanese trade organization

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Oct. 27, 2021) — Local community leaders met the newest Consul-General of Japan and members of his staff at Radius Indiana’s “An Evening with Japan” event to renew the relationship between the Radius region and both the Consulate and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Chicago. 

Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana, Becky Skillman, chairwoman of the Radius Board of Directors, and nearly 60 guests welcomed Consul-General Hiroshi Tajima and JETRO Chief Executive Director Ralph Inforzato to the Radius region at the French Lick Resort Oct. 18. Guests included local economic development professionals, business leaders and a sizable number of local, state, and federally elected officials and representatives. 

The event was Consul-General Tajima’s first official speaking engagement in Indiana since he was appointed to the position last month. It was designed for Radius stakeholders to learn more about the Indiana-Japan relationship as well as explore opportunities for collaboration.

“The Radius region, the state of Indiana, and Japan understand that one of the best ways to create more opportunities and prosperity for our people is to look outside our borders,” Skillman said. “The grand evening and enthusiastic information exchange should propel the partnership forward.”

During the event, Consul-General Tajima spoke about the current relationship between Japan and Indiana and the Japanese economy. Inforzato discussed the importance of building relationships with Japanese firms and thanked Radius for its continued efforts to strengthen its relationship with JETRO.

This was the first opportunity for many Radius members to hear directly from the Consul-General of Japan and JETRO, which are often on the front lines in facilitating new contacts with Japan for economic development opportunities.

“I am happy to see how close Radius and their community leaders have worked with and received Japanese companies operating in their region,” Consul-General Tajima said. “Our Consulate and I will continue to work with Radius and offer any support and assistance we can.”

Over the last 10 years, the number of Japanese business facilities in the United States increased by 45 percent, accounting for 957,000 jobs in 2018. In the Midwest, 1,637 Japanese business facilities provided more than 150,000 jobs in 2020, with 344 Japanese business facilities providing more than 70,000 jobs in Indiana. Indiana has the largest amount of Japanese investment per capita in the nation, and Radius hopes to use that momentum to bring Japanese firms into the Radius region.

Inforzato and members of the JETRO team also visited Linton and its mayor, John Wilkes, for lunch and a tour of the community. Wilkes began his relationship with JETRO in 2018. He has continued it over the last three years, traveling to both the JETRO Chicago office and Japan through the Japan Foundation “Grassroots Exchange Network-Japan (Gen-J)” in 2019.

The Radius visit concluded with a trip to meet with M&C Tech’s president Masato Adachi and a tour of the company’s facility in Washington, which was the first investment by a Japanese company in the Radius region. M&C Tech invested $4.6 million into a 40,000 square foot building, which opened in 2018. The company added 35 new jobs to the Radius region, with more to come.

“The leadership of Radius Indiana understands the deep value of and supports manufacturing investment from Japan,” Inforzato said. “Their leadership, particularly the mayors we met from southern Indiana, are truly focused on relationship building with JETRO to better understand how to approach and to make relationships with Japanese companies considering investment expansion in the midwest.”

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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 boosts tourism effort with new team leader

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Oct. 8, 2021) — Misty Weisensteiner joins the team at Radius Indiana as the first Chief Operating Officer of Discover Southern Indiana, the regional tourism marketing arm of Radius. Weisensteiner will lead regional tourism efforts and help grow the relationship with industry members and partners in southern Indiana. 

Weisensteiner returned to her southern Indiana roots when she joined Radius Oct. 4. In her new leadership role, she will work to elevate the Discover Southern Indiana brand, collaborate with the numerous regional counties and their ongoing tourism efforts, and help to further increase the impact of tourism as a vital component of the regional economy. 

“I am very excited to be back home and working in southern Indiana,” Weisensteiner said. “Leaders in this part of the state understand the importance of tourism and quality of place, and together we will work to strengthen and build Discover Southern Indiana.”

Weisensteiner has over 20 years of experience in hospitality and tourism management. Prior to joining Radius, she served as Director of Core Strategy Implementation for the Indiana Destination Development Corporation. She also worked as the executive director of the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, Orange County Economic Development Partnership and Visit French Lick West Baden.

While serving at the state level, Weisensteiner served on several regional, state and local boards, and built connections at both the state and national levels. This experience allows her to build on the already-existing regional tourism brand and expand the reach of its target audiences.

“The state has done a great job of making Indiana a destination and getting visitors here,” Weisensteiner said. “The new approach and strategy of the Indiana Destination Development Corporation aligns nicely with the missions of Radius and Discover Southern Indiana. I am looking forward to the continued partnership”

Tourism is a key factor in the overall economic prosperity of the region. In 2018, more than $300 million in tourism spending was accounted for in the eight Radius counties alone, with $157 million in total economic impact, according to Rockport Analytics. Additionally, ongoing improvements in quality of place and tourism efforts are anticipated to help attract businesses and workforce to the region and help retain current residents.

In addition to hiring Weisensteiner, Radius has made an internal staffing change. Blaine Parker, former director of tourism and quality of place, is now the Director of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Support, helping communities develop and support diverse, locally-owned small business sectors.

“With the READI program in mind, Radius is hopeful that there may be significant funding to help augment our engagement in tourism branding in years to come,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “We are grateful for the opportunity to have Misty lead our region’s team and we cannot wait for so many people to discover Southern Indiana.” 

Follow Discover Southern Indiana at Discover Southern Indiana on Facebook and @DiscoverSoIn on both Instagram and Twitter.

Misty Weisensteiner, Chief Operating Officer of Discover Southern Indiana

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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 hosts annual regional economic development seminar

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Oct. 6, 2021) — Area accountants, financial managers, and leaders in economic development attended a regional economic development incentive seminar on Sept. 22 hosted by Radius Indiana. 

The event, which took place at the West Baden Springs Hotel, aimed to educate local attendees about economic incentives that are available to businesses in the region. These incentives can help local businesses grow their companies or expand operations.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation and gained valuable insight into new programs and tax incentives for local businesses,” said Debbie Deckard, CPA at Turpen & Deckard. “I am very grateful Radius and the other presenters took the time out of their busy schedules to address our CPA group.”

Presenters from local organizations and financial firms provided information on a variety of the financial tools available to assist local businesses as they grow. 

Speakers at the event included:

  • Jeff Quyle (Radius Indiana) covered state incentives such as the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) Tax Credit and the Hoosier Business Investment (HBI) Tax Credit, which support job creation and capital investment. Quyle also closed the event with an overview of the Regional Impact Fund (RIF), the only deal-closing fund in Indiana, which is dedicated solely to economic development projects in the Radius region.
  • Heidi Amspaugh (BakerTilly) provided an overview of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and tax abatement, focusing on how local communities can best utilize and benefit from tax incentives. She also offered a brief introduction to New Market Tax Credits, which offer federal tax incentives for private investments in many Radius communities.
  • Harold Gutzwiller (Hoosier Energy) offered a utility perspective for the group and explained Economic Development Riders, which can provide discounts and savings for relocating or expanding businesses.

“Supporting growth for the existing businesses in our region continues to be one of our most important focus areas,” said Quyle. “We appreciate the opportunity to help businesses understand and take advantage of the powerful business support incentives we have available in our state and region.”

Those interested in attending a Radius Indiana course in the future can contact the Radius 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 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.

Indiana Senate Leader joins Radius Indiana’s September board meeting

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (Sept. 23, 2021) — Indiana State Senate President Pro Tempore Rod Bray traveled to southern Indiana to be the featured speaker at Radius Indiana’s Board of Directors meeting in Jasper on Sept. 8. 

Bray, who was elected in 2012, represents Morgan County as well as parts of Johnson, Owen and Putnam counties. He shared stories and insights with the board on community development successes in his district, along with discussion about likely policies to be addressed through the READI program in the Radius region and other regions in the state. He was introduced to the Board by Radius Chair former Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman.

“I’m honored to have this opportunity to speak to the leaders who sit on the Radius Board,” Bray said. “Our State is launching innovative approaches to enhance the quality of place for our residents as well as attract new people to move to Indiana. I’m excited to see how these communities will partner to grow and improve southern Indiana.”

Radius, which is based in Bedford, traveled to Jasper to hold its quarterly board meeting at the newly constructed Thyen-Clark Cultural Center, home of Jasper Community Arts and the Jasper Public Library.

Other meeting updates included: 

  • Catapult program: Christian Blome, dean of students at Vincennes University Jasper Campus (VUJC), provided the board with an update of the Catapult program at the meeting. Catapult is a training program aimed at preparing individuals for a career in advanced manufacturing. VUJC hosted one cohort in 2021 and hopes to add several more in the coming year, Blome said. 
  • Local relocation incentive program: Radius provided an update on Choose Southern Indiana, a relocation incentive program aimed at bringing new talent to southern Indiana. Over 300 individuals have applied for the program, which offers a $5,000 relocation incentive to qualified out-of-state individuals or families who relocate. 
  • Cooperative advertising program: Earlier this year, six Radius member counties joined a brand-new cooperative advertising program with Discover Southern Indiana. The program focuses on both regional and local tourism marketing opportunities. 
  • Crane Regional Defense Group (CRDG): A sub-branch of the White River Military Coordination Alliance, CRDG expands community support and advocates for NSA Crane at the local and federal level. The has a newly completed website and is accepting member applications. Membership application and benefits are available on the website.

“Our staff has not let the pandemic slow down our progress and I am looking forward to the projects we have yet to come,” said Jeff Quyle, Radius CEO and President. “Huge thank you to our board for its continued support; we’ve got a great group and together we will continue to make a difference in southern Indiana.”

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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.

Crawford County Tourism and Crawford County Economic Development Receive $22,500 Through Region’s First Cooperative-Advertising Program

Posted on by Radius Indiana

ENGLISH, Ind. (Aug. 17, 2021) — Representatives from Crawford County Tourism, Crawford County Economic Development, Radius Indiana and Discover Southern Indiana will hold a press event Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 10:30 a.m. at the Crawford County Welcome Center, 5935 S. State Road 66 in English. The group will discuss the county’s participation in a new cooperative advertising program created by the region’s tourism initiative, Discover Southern Indiana, which will provide $22,500 in funding to bolster tourism advertising.

Discover Southern Indiana is a regional tourism brand launched in 2019 by Radius Indiana, the eight-county economic development organization representing Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Orange and Washington counties. Since its inception, Discover Southern Indiana has launched multiple advertising campaigns, outdoor ads and the region’s first Ice Cream Trail, which takes visitors on a 15-stop, region-wide tour of locally owned ice cream shops. Its new cooperative advertising program allows counties to receive matching funds of up to 150 percent to promote local attractions along with Discover Southern Indiana.

“We are delighted to have Crawford County join in our efforts to bring new visitors to our southern Indiana region,” said Jeff Quyle, president and CEO of Radius Indiana. “By working together to showcase our attractions, we are strengthening the tourism industry that is so important to our region, especially in Crawford County. Through the co-op advertising campaign, we will be able to expand our visibility and reach to cities and states and a new audience of visitors.

This program will allow Crawford County to attract more tourists by highlighting and promoting Crawford County’s already existing attractions through mixed media advertising. Tourism is the biggest industry in Crawford County and it is important to utilize tools that will help continue growth in that area. A portion of this contribution will support Discover Southern Indiana’s regional tourism efforts through the purchase of advertising in publications, digital and social media marketing, paid written stories, and sponsorship of regional promotion in travel agent conferences.

“As our economic development has consistently indicated, we will collaborate with any person or organization committed to prosperity in Crawford County,” said Michael Thissen, executive director of the Crawford County Economic Development Partnership. “Our long-term partnership with the Tourism Commission has paved the way for boosting our profile for visitors and potential investors. I am excited for the next steps and am grateful to our regional partner in Radius Indiana for this unique opportunity.”

“We are excited to continue our attempts to strengthen tourism in the county by partnering with Crawford County Economic Development and Radius Indiana to increase advertising and attract people from all over the state of Indiana and beyond,” added Mark Stevens, Crawford County Tourism Board President and County Councilman.

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About Crawford County Tourism: Crawford County, IN is home to Marengo Caves, Cave Country Canoes, Patoka Lake, O’Bannon Woods State Park, Sycamore Springs, and many other popular attractions. For information on Crawford County attractions, events, and lodging, visit crawfordcountyindiana.com or contact us at 812-739-2246 or info@crawfordcountyindiana.com. We Are Outdoor Recreation!

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.

About Crawford County Economic Development Partnership: The Crawford County Economic Development Partnership (CCEDP) serves Crawford County Indiana to meet business, employment, and quality of place needs. The CCEDP is a collaborative organization to assist businesses, entrepreneurs, employment seekers, and quality of place initiatives to generate increased assessed value for the new generation economy. The CCEDP is committed to growing a prosperous Crawford County… together. Visit selectcrawfordcounty.com for more information or contact us at info@selectcrawfordcounty.com or 812-739-4479.