An All America City Perspective by John Sampson

John Sampson
President/CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
As Published July 3rd, 2009 in the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
Abbreviated Edition

Admittedly, I was originally a reluctant participant in the city of Fort Wayne’s bid to add an All-America City award to its trophy case for the third time. When Mayor Tom Henry called, I suggested an appropriate alternate. He didn’t bite. Throughout rehearsals and travel to Tampa, Fla., my mind was replete with missed appointments and a to-do list not done.

Sure, I wanted Indiana’s second-largest city and our region to have this honor — a testament to a community’s core values and civic responsibility. And as the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership works to further northeast Indiana’s economic development, I selfishly acknowledged that quality-of-place factors such as an All-America City honor routinely influence business retention and relocation decisions.

I remained convinced that surely someone else would have been better suited for the three-day venture to Florida. Mayor Henry refused to take no for an answer; so, I committed to the assigned practices and began preparing answers for random but seemingly likely regional economic-development questions.

I was in for a surprise. I thought I was there to merely contribute my perspective, but not so. I was there to learn. While at rehearsals, I learned the story of Shafiquillah Fahim (who prefers simply “Shaq”), an Afghan refugee who has come to call northeast Indiana his home. I listened to and absorbed the tragic story of Sharon Repka and the loss of her husband in a bicycling accident. This sad story was turned glad through a grassroots community project, Aboite New Trails. And northeast Indiana was aptly represented by Sheena and Cheyenne, who are changing lives through the Great Kids Make Great Communities and Youth Summit programs as high-school authors and evangelists. These stories are what mattered. They are but a few reasons why northeast Indiana is a region fully worthy of the All-America City honor.

Yes, I could have been doing other things. Thankfully, I was in Tampa, simply providing backup to the real story of a great city and our region. What I discovered through the civic pride and celebration was well worth the after-hours rehearsals and now-forgotten travel hassles. I was able to witness the very fabric that makes up the Hoosier character of our region.

All together now: All-America City. All-America region.

Read John's Full Article "Residents’ stories, efforts made Fort Wayne an All-America City"

Happy 233rd Birthday to the United States of America

Photo Courtesy of travlinman43

Our sincere thanks and appreciation to our armed forces who continue to stand by America's side and for all those abroad who continue to fight for our freedom – we salute you!

Wishing you and yours a safe and wonderful Independence Day holiday!

Hotel Groundbreaking Unites Northeast Indiana Lenders

Participating Northeast Indiana Lenders and Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry Are Pictured Above at the Courtyard by Marriott Groundbreaking Ceremony

Northeast Indiana has a reputation for coming together for the betterment of our communities. This habit of ours reaches deep into the fiber of the region's fabric, with no industry lacking in community consciousness.

Following this tradition of collaboration, but yet in an uncommon turn of events, 7 northeast Indiana banks teamed together to finance a project traditionally funded by a single lender. First Federal Bank, Grabill Bank, Lake City Bank, Chase, Star Financial Bank, Tower Bank and Salin Bank contributed to the financing and support which was vital to construction of Fort Wayne's new Courtyard by Marriott hotel and the continuation of the Harrison Square project. Lack of financing briefly stalled the Marriott construction; however, after Centier Bank of Merriville stepped in, the 7 northeast Indiana banks followed.

Because of this collaboration, the Courtyard by Marriott construction was ceremoniously launched on Monday during a groundbreaking ceremony next to Parkview Field. Construction will now continue with local firms acquiring over half the contracts necessary for the project.

Even in an economic time in which lenders across the country are tight and dollar-conscious, teamwork still remains to be the reliable answer for success. Northeast Indiana lenders know what is best for the region and thus created an avenue which further development and investment in northeast Indiana could proceed. If it can be done, northeast Indiana understands how to make it happen.

Northeast Indiana's Homestead HS Makes Newsweek List

Newsweek's recently published "2009 Best High Schools" List features 7 Indiana high schools, including Fort Wayne's own, Homestead High School. This marks Homestead's third year on Newsweek's compilation of the nation's top public high schools.

According to a recent article released by Inside Indiana Business and written by Carol D’Amico, President & CEO of Conexus Indiana, "two recent studies by Federal Reserve economists show educational attainment as the strongest driver of per capita income and overall output, perhaps the two best indicators of economic vitality."

A solid high school education lays the foundation for skilled workers to obtain their higher education degrees or pursue further training and contribute to their communities and local, state and national economies. It is more important now than ever before to place priority on education. The benefits that are reaped in educational respect and success compound exponentially in the economy and workforce.

Find out more about northeast Indiana high school and higher education.

Indiana Slated as a Top 10 Most Competitive State in 2008

Site Selection has recently named its top 10 competitive states from 2008 based on business-expansion activity. After states who earned eligibility by placing in the top 20 in each of the 10 areas of criteria where allocated points according to their rank, Indiana snagged a Top 10 position, coming as the 9th most competitive state in 2008.

The 10 areas of criteria used in this selection process included: Total new and expanded facilities per 1 million population in 2008; Total capital investment in new and expanded facilities per 1 million population in 2008; Total new jobs created at new and expanded facilities per 1 million population in 2008; Total actual number of new and expanded facilities in 2008; Percentage growth in new and expanded facilities from 2007 to 2008; Three-year growth change (2005-2008) in new and expanded facilities; Ranking in Site Selection's most recent annual business climate survey; Number of top 100 metros in the annual ranking of top metros; Number of top 100 small towns in the annual ranking of small towns; and the number of 100-plus-job projects per 1 million population in 2008.

See how Indiana fared in Site Selection's Business Climate Survey

Follow this link to see more accolades Indiana and northeast Indiana have received.

See the new investments incurred in 2008 in northeast Indiana

Huntington County: A Heritage of Location, Workforce, Value--Poised for the 21st Century

Mark Wickersham
Executive Director of Huntington County United Economic Development
As Published March 27, 2009 in the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
Abbreviated Edition

Generations of Hoosiers have long appreciated Huntington County for its location, people, commerce and lifestyle. Native Americans of the Miami Tribe were the first to enjoy the County named in honor of Samuel Huntington, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. This region was the key center connecting historic trade routes between the Upper Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin.

Today, Huntington County is connected to the world via the NAFTA Corridor of I-69, the U.S. Highway 24 Hoosier Heartland Industrial Corridor, and Norfolk-Southern's Class 1 line. Huntington Municipal Airport with its 5,001 foot runway, new terminal and low fuel costs welcomes pilots from throughout North America. Its economic heritage often put Huntington County on center stage as the Nation's economy grew.

Huntington's heritage of location, workforce, and value contribute to local strengths in several economic clusters including, advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, distribution centers, food processing, metal and steel fabrication, mineral aggregates and petroleum refining and distribution. The County saw ten new industrial projects during 2008, earning it recognition by former Indiana Secretary of Commerce Nathan Feltman as one of Indiana's best performing economic development efforts among County's of its size.

The City continues to make improvements to its water supply by developing new wells, long before demand outpaces their existing capacity. Huntington is constructing new storm and sanitary sewer systems to address historic combined systems. And Huntington hopes to become a leader in the production of renewable energy by working with Nature's Fuels Company on a project to utilize municipal waste to produce fuel and electricity.

Local communities are also moving forward with several infrastructure projects. The Town of Markle is adding additional water capacity to its industrial park on I-69. The Town of Warren will complete its downtown streetscape project this year and is preparing infrastructure improvements for a project at local employer Heartland Aluminum. The Town of Roanoke continues to develop its comprehensive strategic plan, evaluating commercial and residential growth in a balancing act with transportation needs and wetlands resources and opportunities.

Huntington County has proven that our heritage of location, workforce, and value are leading the way to a bright future for Huntington County.

Follow this link to read Mark Wickersham's full article "A Heritage of Location, Workforce, Value--Poised for the 21st Century"

Through Action, Noble County EDC Aims to Make Vision A Reality

Rick Sherck
Executive Director of the Noble County Economic Development Corp.
As Published May 22, 2009 in the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
Abbreviated Edition

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision is a waste of time. Vision with action can change the world.” This is a quote from Joel Barker that I heard a number of years ago. It is now written on the wall of the Noble County Economic Development Corp. boardroom. The last line of this quote exemplifies the strategic planning process of the Noble County EDC.

One of the first actions completed by the Noble County EDC in early 2006 was a strategic plan, which was reviewed and updated in 2007. The actions of the Noble County EDC the last two years have been guided by the 2007 strategic plan. We believe these initiatives have positioned us well for the future.

The strategic plan focused on three main categories: marketing, site inventory and work-force development. Each of these are important individually, but a coordinated effort developed with a equal focus on all areas will create a great deal of synergy.

We have devoted a great deal of time to strengthening our relationships with existing industries and cultivating new relationships with site selectors. These efforts have paid off, as Noble County EDC has helped secure more than $1 million in work-force training grants for existing industries and secure state incentives in excess of $3.2 million. Noble County was recognized for our accomplishments in 2008, as we were: 10th in new jobs created per capita since 2005; and third in total number of deals per capita. Noble County was recognized by Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman as the No. 1 county per-capita in job creation in 2008.

There is still a great deal of uncertainty in the auto market, but we must look toward the future with a great deal of optimism. Noble County possesses an entrepreneurial spirit that can be matched by very few communities, a work force that is well-trained and devoted and skill sets that can be easily adapted to other industries such as orthopedic, wind energy, solar energy or any other manufacturing environment.

Examples of the entrepreneurial spirit of Noble County can be seen by looking at industries such as Structural Composites of Indiana, which recently began production of rail-car covers for the coal industry, or Busche’s diversification into the manufacturing of refrigeration housings that will be used for reach-in coolers and dental applications. To be successful in the future, we will need to work to diversify our employment base, as opportunities may be right around the corner..

The leadership of the Noble County EDC soon will be revisiting our strategic plan, the outcome of which will not only include a vision for the future, but action plans to make that vision a reality, because we believe “vision with action can change the world.”

Read Rick's Full Article "Through Action, EDC Aims to Make Vision A Reality" to learn more about Noble County's vision and the steps they have taken and programs they have initiated thus far.