Tag: crawford county

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.

Economic and community development, financial experts discuss housing strategies at Crawford County virtual summit

Posted on by Radius Indiana

LEAVENWORTH, Ind. (March 17, 2021) — Local leaders from the economic and community development fields and financial experts shared strategies for improving area housing at the Crawford County Economic Development Corporation’s (CCEDC) first-ever housing summit on March 17. 

“As we look at the overall conditions in our community, we want to face the challenges with honest and open dialogue and information with great data from our studies,” Michael Thissen, executive director of CCEDC, said. “We’re grateful for the leaders who spoke at the summit who are committed to Crawford County and our region’s prosperity.” 

The virtual summit was part of Crawford County’s initiative to improve local infrastructure. Over 40 community members attended the event, which was sponsored by First Savings Bank. The webinar explored the current state of the rural housing market and analyzed the components needed to build housing capacity, including quality of place, transportation, and addressing rental disparity. 

Tina Peterson, president and CEO of Regional Opportunity Initiatives, presented Crawford County-related and regional results from ROI’s recent Housing Study during the summit. The study showed that Crawford County is one of the region’s most rural counties and has some of the lowest home values. 

Other speakers at the summit included: 

Topics ranged from the impact of COVID-19 on housing and regional economic development and how new housing benefits communities, to other resources for increasing residential development. 

“This housing summit offered a good opportunity for a wide variety of Crawford County residents to become involved in making decisions about meeting future housing needs,” Quyle said. “The Crawford County Economic Development Corporation brought in some very informative speakers, and they were very transparent and inclusive in their work to share this start of a process to work on the housing needs of the county.”

CCEDC is looking for individuals to join its first-ever housing task force to advance housing initiatives in the county. Those interested should contact CCEDC at info@selectcrawfordcounty.com. Formal invitations will be sent on March 31.

Watch a full recording of the webinar. 

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About CCEDC: The Crawford County Economic Development Corporation serves Crawford County, Indiana, for business, entrepreneurship, and workforce growth and builds capacity for quality of place. Its mission is to grow a prosperous Crawford County, together. 

 

Crawford County aims to improve area housing through virtual summit

Posted on by Radius Indiana

LEAVENWORTH, Indiana (Feb. 24, 2021) — The Crawford County Economic Development Corporation announced today that registration is open for its first-ever housing summit on March 17, focused on improving area housing and future initiatives for the county.

“Housing is a critical part of growing the value of Crawford County,” CCEDC Executive Director Michael Thissen said. “Our county serves as the gateway to southern Indiana, and gives great access to both the Louisville market and French Lick. We hope that the housing summit will demonstrate the value of living in Crawford County and help us develop strategies for improved housing options that will encourage more families to move here.”

The summit’s focus on market-rate housing is part of Crawford County’s initiative to improve local infrastructure. Speakers from the economic development field, financial experts, and local groups involved with housing projects in other areas in southern Indiana will offer perspectives on local and regional housing strategies. 

Organizers encourage business leaders, employers, elected officials, developers, real estate professionals, policymakers and area residents from Crawford as well as other counties across Southern Indiana to attend the virtual event, which is sponsored by First Savings Bank. 

Crawford County is one of the region’s most rural counties and has some of the lowest home values, according to Regional Opportunity Initiative’s recent Regional Housing Study. The study reported numerous challenges that must be overcome in the region to facilitate a housing market that meets demands and supports growth, including significant pockets of low housing quality, infrastructure costs that defer development, and inconsistent building codes or permitting systems. 

Tina Peterson, president and CEO of Regional Opportunity Initiatives, will present additional Crawford County-related and regional results from ROI’s recent Housing Study during the summit. Jacob Sipe, executive director of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, will discuss the state’s housing strategy and IHCDA programs. 

“I look forward to sharing the results of ROI’s study with community members, as it shows that areas of our region are logistically ideal for housing development,” Peterson said. “Living in less-crowded, greener areas is growing more appealing, and with the current low-interest rates, this is a great time to work toward some of the strategic goals laid out in the study.  We believe that the Indiana Uplands is well situated for housing growth and applaud Crawford County for taking a proactive approach.” 

Registration for the Crawford County Virtual Housing Summit is available at www.selectcrawfordcounty.com. The free event is scheduled for 9 a.m.-11 a.m. 

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About CCEDC: The Crawford County Economic Development Corporation serves Crawford County, Indiana, for business, entrepreneurship, and workforce growth and builds capacity for quality of place. Its mission is to grow a prosperous Crawford County, together. 

 

Radius Indiana Facilitates Duke Energy Grants for Small Business Relief

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (May 18, 2020) – Radius Indiana received $20,000 in Duke Energy Foundation grants this week, which are designated for small business assistance in four of the economic development group’s eight counties.The award is part of $200,000 in Duke Energy Foundation grants given to Indiana economic development organizations across the state offering crisis relief to small businesses.

Recipients include Crawford, Greene, Martin and Orange, which will each receive $5,000. Each county’s local economic development organization will then determine which local small businesses will receive assistance through an application process and needs assessment.

“We are grateful for companies like Duke Energy that are helping small businesses during this very uncertain time,” said Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle. “Part of our mission here at Radius is to support businesses in our region; and right now we are especially concerned about the wellbeing of our established, small businesses, and we will continue to look for ways to help ensure that they can sustain operations.”

Two additional Radius counties, Lawrence and Washington, have also been selected as direct recipients of Duke Energy grants. The local economic development organizations in those counties were also awarded $5,000, and will identify Duke Energy business customers in need of the funds.

“These are challenging times, and the COVID-19 crisis has been particularly difficult for small companies,” said Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar. “These grants will support those businesses that are the backbone of the Hoosier communities we serve statewide.

In April, Radius worked with Crawford and Greene counties to set up local, Rapid Relief Funds to aid small businesses. The dollar-for-dollar match program provided small, low-interest loans ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to help businesses address immediate needs and help offset losses caused by COVID-19.

Small businesses in the region in need of assistance should contact their local economic development office. Businesses can also visit   radiusindiana.com/resources/#covid-19 for information on additional assistance programs and COVID-19 information.

For more information about Duke Energy grants visit news.duke-energy.com/releases.

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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.