Back-to-school time is a good reminder that education is a key driver of community growth.

The fact is, our people are our greatest resource--and as we work to reach our full potential as a community, our educational institutions play a major role. Just within the last few months, we've seen plenty of evidence that things are going in the right direction:

• Purdue Fort Wayne’s student housing is over capacity as more students gravitate toward a full campus experience. PFW’s strategic plan calls for building additional on-campus student housing options.
• Indiana Tech recently broke ground on a new, 124-bed residence hall on East Wayne Street.
• Manchester University is expanding its health sciences building on the Parkview Regional Medical Center campus.
• Trine University is building a brand-new facility for its College of Health Professions near Parkview Regional Medical Center.

Why is all of this growth important? Because students who attend college in Allen County tend to stay in Allen County. They become your employees, your customers, and your neighbors. They help drive our community forward. Colleges and universities offer a great source of talent right here in the community, and their growth will spur wider growth across Allen County.

Speaking of growth, I invite you to join us Sept. 13 for our half-day Economic Development Summit, where you can get in the loop about our community's progress. You’ll get the inside scoop from local and regional experts as they explore topics including:

• Local talent-attraction efforts.
• The work to bolster Allen County tourism.
• Inclusive economic development.
• What's next for Riverfront Fort Wayne.

And, you can check out a presentation by Sue McCloskey, co-founder of Fair Oaks Farms in northwest Indiana. Sue has presented nationally and internationally at events like SXSW, TEDx, farming industry conferences, and more. She also serves on the Indiana Economic Development Corp.'s board of directors.

I have no doubt that you'll walk away from this event with a better sense of the efforts to grow our local economy, how your company might benefit, and how you can help drive progress. Click here to register.

As always, our team is here to serve you. Please reach out to us if you need anything at all. Thanks again for your support, and thanks for all you do.

John Urbahns

President / CEO

Greater Fort Wayne Inc.

Ten years after taking the helm of the family business, Jason Patel has Blue Flame Hospitality shining bright.

The company was founded in 1988 by Jason’s father, Dipak, who still serves as chairman. After immigrating from India to the U.S., Dipak got to work investing in Fort Wayne, building a brand-new franchised hotel on the city's west side. Watching his parents from an early age gave Jason a strong work ethic and a heart for service.

“In my early days, I learned to work for the life I wanted to live,” Jason Patel said. “I did housekeeping and maintenance for my parents, and that seemed ‘normal’ for me. It taught me to help without expecting anything in return.”

Initially, the company was known for developing hotels across the Midwest. Today, Blue Flame has grown to become a one-stop shop for investment, construction, and management, and its current portfolio includes four hotels in north Fort Wayne. But it’s the next project that may be the most ambitious: a 17-acre development near Parkview Regional Medical Center including restaurants, multi-use office space, affordable living, and, potentially, more hotels.

And that’s just one of the irons in the fire. Blue Flame is also working on a dual-branded hotel in southwest Fort Wayne.

“We are just getting started,” Patel said. “I have worked hard to build a strong foundation that will help facilitate rapid growth, specifically for our community here in Fort Wayne.”

American Sealants Inc. (ASI) is growing again. Company leaders recently broke ground on a 30,000-square-foot warehouse--their third expansion in the Airport District in the last decade.

Founded in Fort Wayne in 1987, ASI manufactures and packages adhesives and sealants for a variety of markets including construction, manufacturing, retail DIY applications, automotive aftermarket, and many more.

The new warehouse, built by Nuway Construction, will grow ASI’s footprint on Yeager Lane to a total of approximately 115,000 square feet.

"We couldn’t do this without the employees at American Sealants and the wider Meridian Adhesives Group," said Andrew Zaremba, president of ASI. "We’ve got a lot of good customers and a lot of good people that work for us and make this possible. We’re excited to grow within the community and be better able to serve our customers.”

The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Workforce shortages are cropping up in virtually every industry, but they're especially severe in the construction trades and advanced manufacturing. With retirements outpacing recruitments, there will be an estimated 37,000 job openings in these industries in Allen County over the next decade.

That's why a group of business leaders and educators are taking action. Known as the MadeByMe Coalition, they are reaching out to local students to highlight skilled career opportunities. In many cases, the biggest challenge is overcoming preconceived notions about the trades.

"Some people have attached a stigma to the trades, but in reality, it's a compelling career path," said Adam Welch, director of economic development at GFW Inc. "Wages are above the local average, there's often no student debt involved, and you'll be in high demand with opportunities for growth. We just have to get that message out to more young people and their parents."

The coalition heavily relies on volunteers from the business and educational sectors, who lead the charge by:

• Giving in-class presentations to high-school students.
• Attending career exploration fairs at local schools to discuss their career opportunities.
• Offering on-site externships to K-12 educators, so they can share firsthand experience with their students.

If your company is involved in construction, the skilled trades, or advanced manufacturing, we'd love to get you involved in our workforce development efforts this fall. For example, a career exploration fair is scheduled for Oct. 11 at Carroll High School, giving you the opportunity to make your pitch directly to hundreds of local students and their parents.

To get involved with the career exploration fair or the MadeByMe Coalition in general, visit trades.gfwinc.com or email Adam Welch at awelch@gfwinc.com.

Do you have a message to share with your fellow GFW Inc. members? Amplify it using the MIC--the Member Information Center.

The MIC is a members-only online portal where you can:

• Share company news.
• Update your listing in the GFW Inc. online member directory.
• Look up contact info and connect with fellow GFW Inc. members.
• Post a company event on our online calendar.
• And much more.

For a tour of the MIC, watch this month's featured tutorial video.

If you'd like a refresher on how to take advantage of your GFW Inc. member benefits, sign up for our next Maximize Your Membership session or contact Kimi Wilder, investor engagement manager, at kwilder@gfwinc.com.