Tag: downtown revitalization

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.

Radius Indiana introduces small-scale manufacturing program to the region

Posted on by Radius Indiana

BEDFORD, Ind. (March 15, 2021) — Radius Indiana and South Central Indiana Small Business Development Center will introduce a program focused on bringing small-scale manufacturing to downtown areas in the Radius region.

Recast City is a national economic development program aimed at building strong local economies and creating new opportunities for community members. The Town of Orleans, Town of Odon, City of Washington, City of Salem, and City of Loogootee will participate in a 12-month Recast City cohort beginning March 16 to learn about downtown revitalization. 

“The Town of Orleans has a beautiful Town Square with several buildings that are empty, and with the Recast programs’ leadership, we hope to find a suitable match with a potential small manufacturing client,” said James Clark, president of the Orleans Town Council. “We look forward to seeing the opportunities and growth Recast City brings to the community.”

The program is made available through cost sharing between Radius and Indiana SBDC. The Indiana SBDC funding is made possible by the Small Business Administration and comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which provides financial relief to small businesses affected by the impacts of COVID-19. 

In small-scale manufacturing, a community of businesses works together to produce tangible products that may be sold to customers. The program is aligned to assets in each community, which can support enterprises from a microbrewery, to coffee roastery, to candle making. The program will impact a minimum of four enterprises as the communities implement their strategy to have a small-scale manufacturer in their downtown areas.

According to the SBA, over 99 percent of businesses in Indiana are considered small businesses, and 1.2 million jobs are supported by small businesses.

The Radius region is home to over 6,000 small businesses, approximately 80 percent of all businesses in the eight counties. Small businesses employ over 35,000 workers, accounting for 40 percent of the region’s jobs.

“The Recast City program demonstrates the resiliency that exists within each of the communities in the Radius region,” said Keeley Stingel, vice president of talent attraction and retention for Radius Indiana. “Rural communities are often left out of economic recoveries, and this program is a ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ approach that shows that when we all work together, economic prosperity is possible. We’re excited to see the resulting business enterprises in downtowns throughout the region.”

To learn more about Recast City, visit www.recastcity.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 Southwest Central Indiana to drive attraction, retention and expansion of business, thereby increasing employment and investment opportunities and quality of life within the region.