For government and business leaders alike, the numbers are challenging. In addition to sufficient capital, an available and qualified workforce represent key factors in growing a region. So how can Indiana compete and grow, especially regarding talent acquisition and retention?... Read More
What’s on deck for 2025? While short-term recession fears for the United States have abated, local, and regional economic development continue to face alternating challenges and opportunities. Adopting a thoughtful, well-rounded economic development strategy can build resilience and growth in our economies.... Read More
Indiana is on an innovation roll. Reflecting a new dynamic of entrepreneurial expansion, Gov. Eric Holcomb and Elevate Ventures recently announced the creation of a new $100 million growth fund, a powerful addition to Indiana’s expanding innovation arsenal. A key question: where do the one-third of Hoosiers living in small cities and rural areas–some one million people–fit into this emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem?... Read More
The Site Selection magazine headline recently summed it up: “When Being Small Is a Big Advantage.” Over the past four or so years, rural America has experienced an unexpected and remarkable growth trend. As the magazine noted, “record inflation, remote working, rising big-city crime, and lifestyle changes are prompting Americans to relocate from large urban cores.”... Read More
Last fall, Knox County officials and I joined Gov. Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) for a week-long trade mission in Japan. Some may ask, why are focused visits like these vital to Indiana - and particularly southern Indiana? Here’s a key fact: Indiana has the highest concentration of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States from Japanese companies. What does that mean?... Read More
