What began in late 2014 is now one step closer to reality. On August 1st, the Regional Development Authority (RDA) for North Central Indiana approved funding for 5 Marshall County projects. These projects will help achieve the goals of the RCI, by improving quality of place and attracting talented workers in a variety of ways. The RDA's recommendations on these projects have been supplied to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) for review and final approval prior to project funding. Marshall County's projects include:

MCEDC would like to congratulate everyone involved with the planning of these 5 projects. Together, we can make changes that will grow our economy and population, and showcase northern Indiana's efforts on a national level.

Marshall County has a rich history of entrepreneurship, and we intend to continue this tradition through the Entrepreneurship Center project that will be funded by Regional Cities. Now, even more entrepreneurial activity may be on the horizon as the RDA recently approved an Entrepreneurship Board and appointed Gary Neidig, President of ITAMCO, and Jerry Chavez, President/CEO of MCEDC to represent Marshall County. This Board was developed with the specific goal of developing an environment that will cultivate entrepreneurship and start-ups, beyond the region's initially funded projects. We would like to thank the RDA for recognizing the importance of entrepreneurship with the formation of this Board.

The State of Indiana has selected one of the fastest growing areas in Plymouth for its recent expansion. Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) joined Marshall County and City of Plymouth leaders, as well as the Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation (PIDCO) on August 9th for a groundbreaking on the new INDOT Plymouth Sub District highway maintenance facility. The 40,000 square foot, $7.2 million state of the art facility will replace the existing Plymouth Sub District building and salt barn with upgraded features. The new facility will serve as a base of operations for the area and will incorporate several tools to help INDOT crews take on the harsh northwest Indiana winter conditions. With the help of a new facility at this central location, INDOT will be better equipped to ensure well-maintained transportation routes throughout northern Indiana.

County Development for the Future (CDFF) is a quarterly gathering of Marshall County leadership that focuses on advancing local economic development. Over the last 3 years, this group has been highly productive, and we look forward to continuing that tradition. Our next CDFF meeting has been rescheduled for August 25th. This meeting is especially exciting as we have invited leadership from three State agencies to attend: Jim Schellinger, IEDC President; Bill Konyha, OCRA Executive Director; Steve Braun, DWD Commissioner; and Mike Barnes, DWD Associate Chief Operating Officer for Employer Engagement.

                                                              

Bremen has a lot to boast about with the opening of its new $4 million water plant, which is the largest single gravity filter in the United States. Construction was completed earlier this year, and the Town recently took control of the plant and made it operational. They officially celebrated this milestone with an open house on July 7th. The improved water filtration plant is capable of filtering 1,000 gallons of water per minute, and will double the water capacity for the Town, which is needed to accommodate some of Bremen's recently expanded businesses, as well as a growing number of community residents.

 

After months of preparation and planning as a Stellar Community finalist, the Town of Culver recently learned that they had not been granted the designation. But we believe Culver still has much to be proud of. On July 21st, Stellar representatives came to Culver to evaluate the Town and their comprehensive plan. The town gave a presentation on their plans and took the evaluators on a golf cart tour of the Town and its future projects, all of which was well-received by the State officials. Being named a finalist and having the chance to show off their town to the State selection committtee puts Culver in a good position for receiving the designation in the future, if they choose to apply again.

 

The true measure of success is what Culver has accomplished through the planning process. They have generated a clear plan with important projects that will move the community in the right direction in the coming years-one which will still be implemented regardless of Stellar designation. Culver has come together and organized an effort to promote population growth, enhance quality of life, and encourage new residential and commercial development. That's "stellar" in our opinion.

 

The MCEDC is involved in several steps to bring new businesses to Marshall County. One of these is proposal submission, in which we supply information on relevant properties to outside business looking to open a new facility in Marshall County. We also conduct site tours where businesses can directly investigate properties and communities in which they might establish operations. These are just a few of the steps we use in the process of attracting businesses to Marshall County. The following is a listing of marketing activities highlighting our efforts:

2015 Proposals--18 2015 Site Tours--5

2016 Proposals--16 2016 Site Tours--12

The Marshall County EDC would like to say "thank you" for your commitment in supporting the "Invest in Marshall County" campaign. The private/public partnership was launched in last April to increase private sector support for economic development.

 

New investors pledging funds to the campaign, or partnering with the MCEDC, include:

Renewing investors include:

Thank you, together we will strengthen and grow Marshall County's economy.