2016 Annual Update

2016AnnualUpdate

Mission, Vision & Values The mission of the Grant County Economic Growth Council is to facilitate investment and reinvestment for job retention and creation. “We will be the champions of collaboration, leading the charge to make Grant County one of the ”best places to live, learn, work, and retire in Indiana. The Growth Council strives to incorporate these critical pillar values into every Growth Council event, program, initiative, and partnership.2

Strategic Vision Snapshot (2010-2015) Accomplishments by categoryEmployment & Workforce Cafe Valley Grand Opening - 2013 Grant’s Got Talent - 2014 Dunham’s Expansion - 2015 Facebook Job Postings - 2015Starting & Growing Local Revolving Loan Fund Expansion - 2010 Tools for Business - 2011 Buzzword Campaign - 2013 Date to Innovate - 2014Retaining Young Talent Young Entrepreneurs Program - 2010 Grant for Grads - 2011 Innovative Network II - 2011 Talent Canvas - 2015Power of Collaboration Boards joined: Main Streets Chambers of Commerce ISCDC ECIRP ACP Did you Know? 3Executive Director Tim Eckerle was named one of the top 50 “ ”economic developers in the country in 2016

Strategic Vision 2017 Growth Council GoalsProactively collaborate with educational institutions and organizations with complimentary missionsStrive to provide an attractive and safe community that appeals to and retains young talentCreate an environment conducive to small business growth and development4 Collaboration Innov

WORKING TO BE Champions of Collaboration Champions of Opportunity WORKING FOR THOSE WHO Live in Grant County Learn in Grant County Work in Grant County Retire in Grant Countyvation Reputation 5

Investment $$131,876,855 Invested in 2016!The Growth Council hosts the Investor Appreciation Luncheonto honor businesses in Grant County who invested $25,000 ormore in new capital investment foreach calendar year. In 2016,61 businesses invested atotal of $131,876,855.The Growth Councilhas hosted thisluncheon every yearsince 2000. 1,200investments have sincebeen recognized and thetotal amount invested sincenow exceeds $2,640,000,000! Did you Know? “ ”The Growth Council’s Project Thank You reached over 1006 site selectors and decision makers around the country in December 2016

2016 Highlights General Motors announced $91 million modernization project at their Marion metal stamping facility Earthwise Plastics bought a 186,000 SF building in Gas City to expand their Marion operations The Growth Council team met personally with more than 30 site selectors from around the country to discuss potential projects and Grant County assets The Growth Council followed through on 30 business development inquiries The Growth Council team connected with 100 small businesses to offer assistance 7

Events 2016 Spirit ofEntrepreneurship Winners Roger Dyson & Jim Gartland!The SOE Award, presented at the Spirit of EntrepreneurshipDinner, honors successful businesses that have started andgrown in Grant County. Over 100 guests attended the 2016event where both Jim Gartland of Atlas Foundry and RogerDyson of Earthwise Plastics joined the ranks of Spirit ofEntrepreneurship winners. To date, 12 entrepreneurs havereceived this prestigious award. Date to Innovate 2016 was the 3rd annual innovation luncheon. Put on with the help of Taylor and IWU students, the event hosted over 100 attendees and featured 3 compelling speakers who have demonstrated success in innovation across Indiana.8

Manufacturers LuncheonThe Manufacturers Council meets for a quarterlylunch meeting. The meetings are a forum to discusssuccesses and pitfalls in the industry. 2016 meetingsprimarily focused on the problem of finding skilledworkforce. From the 2016 meetings, newinitiatives are being created throughthe Talent Canvas to open the doorfor Grant County students to explore acareer in manufacturing.Local Elected Officials (LEO) DinnerLEO dinners foster collaboration among Grant County officialswhile providing information on relevant topics like grants or taxes.These meetings first began in 1996, and until last year were theonly gathering of their kind in the state of Indiana. The 2016meetings featured a new addition to the agenda: communityupdates. At each meeting, 3-4 townsand school corporations shareachievements and upcomingprojects. These updates giveLEOs the chance to brag on theircommunities and give attendeesa fuller picture of what’s going onin Grant County. Did you Know? 9The Growth Council received 22 nominations for the Spirit of “ ”Entrepreneurship Award in 2016, a new record

Pocket Guides availablenoSmall Business InitiativeSBAComing Soon! The Growth Council launched its Small Business Initiative in 2016. After some initial research, the team developed this 3-phase plan to create a more cohesive support network for entrepreneurs in Grant County.1 Publish a Pocket Guide With basic resources & first steps to starting a business2 Compile a Resource Guide Of services & contacts from local firms for small businesses3 Establish a Small Business Association To foster collaboration & local support Resource Guide published on grantcounty.com w! Did you Know? 1/3 of 2016 Grant County business investments recognized at the“ ”10 annual Appreciation Luncheon were small businesses

Watch the latest Growth Council Video!The Heart of Grant County onChYeocukTiutboeu!t This brief video highlights stories of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and success. It was produced in partnershipwith the Taylor University Media Department andis available for viewing on both the Growth CouncilYouTube page and the Growth Council website.Shop Small 11

Student Development The Young Entrepreneurs Program (YEP) is a 10 week high school business plan competition which awards scholarships to the top 3 winning teams. Students learn businessfundamentals from local experts and put together a businessplan they think meets a need in Grant County. 14 $8,500YEP Students Scholarships in 2016 in 2016155 $67,000YEP Students Scholarships Overall Overall 2016 HighlightsNEW BRAND! YEP underwent its first rebranding process in 2016,introducing the new logo shown above.PROGRAM REVIEW Following the 2016 program, the GrowthCouncil will reassess YEP to see if a new structure could openup the program to include more students and school districts.Because of this, YEP will not take place in 2017.12

The I-69 Challenge brings together students from collegesalong the I-69 corridor for a weekend competition in which thestudents must develop for-profit solutions to a chosen socialproblem. Teams have 24 hours to create their plans, and thewinning teams receive monetary prizes. The social problem for2016 was lack of education. 2016 Schools 20 4Indiana Wesleyan University i-69 students colleges Huntington University in 2016 in 2016 Taylor University Grace College 212 6 I-69 students colleges overall Overall2016 HighlightsNEW SCHOOL! Grace College participated in the challenge for thefirst time in 2016. The Growth Council will continue to include newschools moving forward, beginning with Ivy Tech CommunityCollege in 2017. Did you Know? 13Business Development Director Charity Bailey was selected“ ”as a judge for Kentucky’s 2016 statewide collegiate entrepreneurship competition

Workforce Grant for Grads is a housing assistance program created by the Growth Council and administered by the Affordable Housing Corporation. This program is for graduates with an associate’s degree or higher who arechoosing to live and work in Grant County. The Growth Councilgives up to $5,000 for a home purchase or up to $2,500 in rentalassistance to those who qualify.2016 Recipients31 $42,993 25 $36,921AVg buyer Avg buyer AVg Renter Avg renter age income age income Where They Work“ ”14 Did you Know? Grant for Grads was featured at the International EconomicDevelopment Council’s annual conference for being a top talent attraction & retention tool

Grant’s Got Talent is a work forcedevelopment program designedto help close the skills gap inGrant County. This programoffers training for long term careers in manufacturing. Previousclasses trained unemployed Grant County residents and thenintroduced them to employers for entry level jobs. The 2016 classhas opened the training up to employers who want to train entrylevel workers for higher level positions.12 6 27 38 2016 2016 Total Students to beParticipants Employers Graduates trained by 2018 $250,000!The Growth Council was awardeda work force developmentgrant through the Officeof Community andRural Affairs (OCRA)for $250,000 whichwill help to fund Grant’s you OCRA!Got Talent for 2016-2017.Thank 15

Talent Canvas The Talent Canvas is an exploratory effort meant to help create new programs, partnerships, and opportunities for Grant County students that better prepare them to enter the workforce. In 2016 the Talent Canvas focused on three main areas: manufacturing, computer coding, and entrepreneurship training.ManufacturingIn fall 2016, the Growth Councilplanned visits to three GrantCounty high schools forlocal manufacturersto come and speakabout careers in theirindustry. They spoke onwhat opportunities existwithin manufacturing, what ittakes to succeed, and how to begin a career. Moving into 2017,the Growth Council will be working even more closely with theschools and manufacturers to develop a four year plan that willprovide opportunities to prepare for careers in manufacturing. Schools Manufacturers American Woodmark Eastbrook Oak Hill Hartson Kennedy Marion Weaver Popcorn General Motors16

Coding AcademyThe Growth Council met several times with Grant Countyteachers, superintendents, and a coding academy outof Fishers to explore the possibility of a coding programfor Grant County high school students. Due to costsand logistics, the program did not cometogether. However, soon after the MarionPublic Library and The Refinery BusinessCenter began offering intro coding classes,which the Growth Council supportedthrough promotion.Business 4 KidsBusiness 4 Kids is a creation of the Taylor University Enactus Team.The Growth Council has partnered with Enactus 2 years in a rowto bring this age-appropriate introduction to entrepreneurship to 5th and 6th grade students in the Eastbrook school system. Did you Know? 17 The Growth Council was one of the founding members of“ ”Project Leadership and continues to be a financial supporter of the program

University Partnerships Internship The Growth Council participated in the Fall intern fairs at both Taylor and Indiana Wesleyan University and hired an IWU intern for the Summer and Fall of 2016.Spark Tank & Shark TankGrowth Council staff attended Spark Tank to support IndianaWesleyan students’ business ideas and Charity Bailey of theGrowth Council was a judge for Taylor’s Shark Tank competition.Mock InterviewsGrowth Council staff led mock interviews for theOffice of Career Development at Indiana Wesleyanand the Calling & Career Office at Taylor in an effort tohelp prepare students for entering the workforce. Marion Design Co. The Growth Council sponsored Marion Design Co. students to attend Centric’s Day of Innovationconference in Indianapolis and participated in Marion DesignCo.’s design thinking sessions during their rebranding process forthe City of Marion.Video Production3 Taylor students worked through the Fall semester with theGrowth Council team to produce the Small Business video,which was featured at Taylor’s Envision Film Festival and won anIndiana Association of School Broadcasters Award.18

Social Media Grant County Job Openings2016 was the first full year of posting jobs for contributorsand non-profits to the Growth Council Facebook page.See what happened! x2! 228 posts in 2016 4,723 shares in 2016New! The Growth Council has a new social media account! Follow @GCEGC on Instagram to see highlights of local businesses and events!@GCEGC Follow Us! @GCEGC Linkedin.com/in/GCEGC Youtube.com/TheGCEGC 19 Did you Know?The Growth Council website went through a major overhaul in 2016 “ ”to improve mobile accessibility and user experience

Thank You Abbey Carpet Double H Manufacturing Advanced Cabinet Systems Duke Energy AFENA Federal Credit Union Dulin Ward & DeWald Agricor Dunham’s Sports American Mobile Power E & J Investments American Woodmark Earthwise Plastics Ardagh Group Ewer & Moritz Armes-Hunt Funeral Home Faegre Baker Daniels Atlas Foundry Fairmount State Bank Avis Industrial Corporation Findlay’s Tall Timbers Bahr Brothers Manufacturing, Inc. First Option Trucking Barns and Thornburg Franklin Electric Best One Tire & Auto Care Garcor Supply Company Big R Stores Gary Williams Remodeling BKD General Motors Bowman Construction Good Neighbor Pharmacy Café Valley Gorman Center for Orthodontics Canine’s Choice GP Designs Cannon Real Estate Grant County Carol Myer Grant County Abstract Central Indiana Ethanol, LLC Grant County State Bank Christen Souers Grant County Steel City of Gas City Hartson Kennedy City of Jonesboro HJ Umbaugh & Associates City of Marion Hometown Express Collins Group, Inc. Hoosier Jiffy Print Colonial Oaks Health Care Center Horner’s Butcher Block Computer Age Engineering Huhtamaki Inc. Dawson Oil Co., Inc. Hutchens Construction Denise Alexander-Pyle, Attorney at law IMI Dollar General Indiana Michigan Power20

Contributors!Indiana Wesleyan University R & R EngineeringInsurance Management Group Rea Logan & AssociatesIvy Tech Community College Realtor Association of Central IndianaJ. Trans, Inc. Rex Collins ElectricJ.G. Bowers Riverside Community Federal Credit UnionK & L Dental Southworth FordKennedy’s Inc. Spitzer, Herriman, Stephenson,Kiley, Harker & Certain Law FirmLein Corporation Holderead, Conner & Persinger LLPMaidenberg Associates STAR Financial BankMarion Family Optometrist StifelMarion General Hospital T.J.R.Marion Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Taylor UniversityMarion Tire, Inc. TLC ManagementMarion Utility Service Board Town of ConverseMason Village Town of FairmountMatthew’s Feed & Grain Town of FowlertonMatthews Buick Town of MatthewsMcClure Oil Corporation Town of SwayzeeMike Anderson Dodge Town of SweetserMutual Bank Town of UplandNeedham Storey Wampner Funeral Home Town of Van BurenNorth American Manufacturing Tri Green TractorOlynger Corp VectrenOral & Facial Cosmetic Surgery VIA Credit UnionOwen Weilert Duncan Funeral Home Wal-Mart Distribution CenterPeerless Machine & Tool Walnut Creek & Club RunPeerless Printing Welch Packaging MarionPrecision Tool & Die Wiley Metal FabricatingPro Prints Gear Winterfield LLCProgressive Cancer Care Zacher Company 21

Community Partners22

2017 Board MembersPRESIDENT VP STRATEGY & EVALUATIONBill Gartland Scott AdamsPRESIDENT ELECT VP MARKETINGBrett Carey Kyle HawkinsTREASURER VP RESOURCEJosh Matchette Anne DuncanBOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSULTANTSDave Abernathy Chuck BinkerdJess Alumbaugh Jerry BreeckJeff Aupperle Scott DeetzMark Bardsley Jacquie DodykMichelle Bunker Judy FitzgeraldAaron Caudell Mike FlynnTerry Cheney Brett GarrettTom Gallagher Kayla JohnsonPhil Herring Kylie JacksonDave Homer John LightleAlex Huskey Brad LindsayLarry Leach Joel MartinTrevor Martens Tab McKenzieJim McWhirt Bob McNuttScott Murphy Tequilla PageShane Nevers Ashley SavieoJodi Pomeroy Larry StrangeWendy Puffer Larry TerwillegarAdrienne RinesRandy Sneed 23Tim Street-Past PresidentKelly TurnerJeff Wakefield

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