2014-2015 JCEDO Annual Report

Jasper County Economic Development Organization, Inc.
Bos Dairy’s State-of-the-Art “Robotic Dairy” Building Under Construction
2014-2015 JCEDO Annual Report
About Us
The Jasper County Economic Development Organization, Inc.
(JCEDO) is the countywide economic development entity for
Jasper County, Indiana. A public-private partnership incorporated in 1986 as a 501(c)(3) corporation, JCEDO’s Mission
Statement is: “Strengthen and diversify the local economy,
attract quality jobs, and encourage entrepreneurial growth
to create opportunities for Jasper County and its residents.”
Contents
About Us – 2
Marketing Our Advantages – 3
Economic Development Partners – 4
Strategic Vision – 5
Business Assistance Initiatives – 6
Dear JCEDO Stakeholders:
Thank you for your support of JCEDO during our
most recent fiscal year that ended June 30, 2015!
For nearly 30 years, we have worked to assist local businesses, attract new businesses, encourage
entrepreneurship, and promote Jasper County
and the municipalities of DeMotte, Remington,
Rensselaer and Wheatfield as attractive places for
investment and job creation. Recently, we have
also embraced and helped lead the new Jasper
County Tourism Initiative.
This Annual Report describes and quantifies
JCEDO’s numerous activities and programs as well
as celebrates the success of entities investing in
Jasper County. As we look forward to 2015-2016,
we’re optimistic our local economy will continue
to thrive and overcome weather-related challenges impacting the agricultural sector. Together
we’ll make a positive difference throughout Jasper
County in the coming year. Thank you again for
your commitment to our collective effort!
Dirk Eggleston, Chairman
FY 2015 Financial Results
(less extraordinary gain)
Total Revenue $193,185
Total Expenses $164,096
Net Income
$29,089
Investment Projects – 7-9
2014 – 2015 Board of Directors
Dirk Eggleston – T&M Limited Partnership
Chairman
Bryan Washburn – Jasper County REMC
Vice Chairman
Bill Del Principe – Del Principe & Allie, CPA’s
Treasurer
John Dyke – Town of DeMotte
Secretary
Tony Albrecht – Lafayette Bank & Trust
Rein Bontreger – Jasper County Council
Kendell Culp – Jasper County Commission
Gunner Greene – Iroquois Bio-Energy
Kenny Haun – City of Rensselaer
Alan Hurley – Evers & Gratner Farms
Larry Kosanovich – AmeriMac McDonalds
Steve Marsh – Titan Construction Services
JoAnn McElfresh – Jenkins Realtors
Brian Melchi – Town of Remington
Todd Sammons – Randle & Sammons
Tim Schreeg – Jasper County Hospital
David Schrum – Kentland Bank
Jon Schwab – Presidio Group
Barry Seaton – NIPSCO
Robert Smith – CenturyLink
Rodney Urbano – Town & Country Paving
Mitch Van Kley – The Hamstra Group
James Wakefield – Christian Clinic
Steve Wilson – Wilson Industrial Sales
Kevin Kelly – President
Jasmine Hall – Community & Business
Relations Coordinator
Sheila Schroeder – Director of Tourism &
Community Relations
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2014-2015 JCEDO Annual Report
Marketing Our Advantages
One of JCEDO’s principal priorities is to tell Jasper County’s positive story and strengthen its brand recognition and favorable reputation in the marketplace. In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, our emphasis continued to be on improving the promotional activities launched in previous years and to expand their reach.
Our primary means of communications were:
JCEDO’s News For You E-Newsletter is distributed electronically on the first
day of each month to over 1,000 people and organizations. The purpose of
the publication is to regularly communicate with our stakeholders and contact network, provide meaningful information
about development and related activity taking
place in Jasper County, and to positively promote
Jasper County and its attributes.
The 2015 Guide to Jasper County Indiana supplies
information on topics important to people evaluating business investment decisions. The guide is
updated annually at the beginning of each calendar year and contains data related to demographics, transportation infrastructure, work force, education,
utility services, and quality of life.
Visit JCEDO’s website at www.jaspercountyin.com and access
Available Property Information, Interactive Maps, Jasper County
and Northwest Indiana Profiles and descriptions of DeMotte, Remington, Rensselaer and Wheatfield. Understand the Reasons To
Invest in Jasper County, discover how we’re Building From Within
to improve our attractiveness as a business and residential location,
and review the Jobs Available page.
The Jasper County Tourism Initiative was initiated in 2012 and is being led by the Jasper County Tourism
Commission. JCEDO supplies administrative and staffing support for the initiative and coordinates with
tourism interests and advocates across Jasper County. In addition, we actively partner
with regional and statewide advocates including the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, the Indiana Tourism Association, and the Indiana Office of Tourism
Development. Learn more at www.discoverjaspercounty.com and from the 2014
Jasper County Tourism Report.
JCEDO’s 4th Annual Golf Outing and Annual Meeting in August 2014 at Sandy Pines Golf Club was a celebratory success attracting over ninety attendees. The Town of Remington golf team took home The
JCEDO Cup and the JCEDO Board of Directors annual election was held. In December 2014, JCEDO hosted its 5th Annual Christmas Open House to share the blessings of the season with approximately 60 colleagues and friends. JCEDO also co-hosted Ivy Tech Northwest’s Society of Innovators’ Expedition event
promoting entrepreneurship in June 2015 that attracted 50 people.
Stay current on economic development and tourism news by tuning
in to WRIN 1560 The Bear radio the first Monday each month to hear
JCEDO representatives provide updates and also visit the Facebook pages of the Jasper County
Economic Development Organization and the Jasper County Tourism Commission.
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2014-2015 JCEDO Annual Report
Economic Development Partners
Cultivating relationships and collaborating with JCEDO’s economic development partners is a crucial
component of our outreach strategy. We also participate in numerous economic development related
meetings and events at the regional, state and national levels. JCEDO works with our economic development colleagues primarily on business attraction and expansion projects, marketing initiatives, and public
policy advocacy. Our principal partners include:
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation promotes Indiana as a business location and provides leads from entities considering relocation and/or expansion. They
also offer tax and related incentives to stimulate capital investment and job creation.
In addition, they operate the ZoomProspector online search engine and demographic
database - which includes 72 industrial, commercial and office properties located in Jasper County representing 381,689 square feet of building space and 4,194 acres.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is one
of Indiana’s leading pro-business advocacy
organizations. JCEDO is represented on the
Economic
Development Policy Committee and regularly
participates in the
Chamber’s legislative activities.
The Indiana Economic Development Association is the statewide membership group
for economic development professionals
and affiliates. JCEDO is
represented on the Board
of Directors.
The Northwest Indiana Forum is the economic development entity for our sevencounty region including Jasper, Lake,
LaPorte, Newton, Porter,
Pulaski and Starke Counties. JCEDO is involved in
the Economic Development and Public Policy Committees.
JCEDO’s Electric Utility Partners include the
Indiana Municipal Power Agency, NIPSCO
and the Wabash Valley Power Association.
They engage in marketing initiatives and
also provide sponsorships that support networking, promotion and training activities.
Regional, State and National Events Attended
DTZ State of Real Estate Event
Duke Energy Economic Development Holiday Reception
IEDA Annual Conference and Legislative Day Events
IMPA Economic Development Partners Meeting
IMPA Main Street Sustainable Community Workshop
Indiana Association of County Commissioners Conference
Indiana Chamber 2015 Legislative Preview Luncheon
Indiana Economic Forum Annual Meeting
Indiana Farm Bureau Waters of the U.S. Meeting
Indiana OCRA Regional Conference
Indiana Tourism Association Faces of Tourism Luncheon
Indiana Utility Partners Dinner
International EDC 2014 Annual Conference
International EDC Credit Analysis Course
Jasper County REMC Annual Meeting Event
KIRPC Comprehensive ED Strategy Meeting
Lake County Economic Alliance Reception
Mid-America Commerce Park Ribbon Cutting
NFIB Small Business Day at the Capitol
Northwest Indiana Forum Christmas Reception
Northwest Indiana Forum Economic Update/Market Report
Northwest Indiana Forum Regional Cities Briefing
Northwest Indiana Leadership Luncheon
Purdue College of Agriculture Community Listening Session
SSCVA Annual Tourism Luncheon
SSCVA Annual Legislative Dinner
The Forum for Indiana Livestock, Forage & Grain
The Times Business & Industry Hall of Fame Luncheon
USDA Rural Development Public Private Partners Meeting
Visit Indy Partners Event
2014 Indiana Logistics Summit
The International Economic Development Council and the National Federation of Independent Business
are large national organizations in which JCEDO participates that represent the interests of economic development professionals and small business owners at the federal and state levels.
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2014-2015 JCEDO Annual Report
Strategic Vision
Jasper County and the communities of DeMotte, Remington, Rensselaer, and Wheatfield each have a
vision for the future and are making strategic investments designed to preserve and enhance an environment where businesses and residents prosper. JCEDO supports these strategic efforts by our local partners and regularly attends their public meetings to provide input
and encouragement. The most significant investments made and
Local Government Meetings
underway include:
Attended in 2014-2015
Jasper County Government purchased equipment that accelerated
and increased road rehabilitation and also achieved having zero
structurally deficient bridges. They approved the sale of Jasper
County Hospital to the Franciscan Alliance and transferred 132
acres to the Jasper County Airport to provide for future improvements including fuel service expansion.
Jasper County Commissioners (10)
Jasper County Council (8)
DeMotte Town Council (7)
Remington Town Council (7)
Rensselaer City Council (13)
Wheatfield Town Board (5)
The Town of DeMotte will complete the effort to enlarge all the drainage
culverts in the community with a $150,000 investment in those under 8th
Street and 15th Street. Their NORWEJ Water and DeMotte Wastewater
Utilities are both evaluating expansion of their respective service districts.
Planning is also underway for a $450,000 reconstruction of the Forsythia
Street and U.S. 231 intersection area.
The City of Rensselaer extended Saint Gasper Drive and related utilities
through the Drexel Industrial Park for $900,000 and are preparing to construct a new water main to serve the State Road 114 corridor to I-65 at the
cost of approximately $1,250,000. Ground was broken on a new $4,000,000
fire station and bids are being processed for a $6,900,000 wastewater
treatment facility to eliminate combined sewer overflows. A new well for the water utility and substation for the electric utility are also being contemplated.
The Town of Remington constructed a new Splash Park for $571,000 that will
benefit residents and enhance the community’s efforts to attract new residents. They are also planning to execute Phase I of their Trails Plan by installing a 1-mile paved asphalt trail to surround New Town Park. Planning is
also continuing on the proposed $3.5 million Remington Water Treatment
Plant that is anticipated to meet long-term growth needs with a 1.7 million gallon per day capacity.
The Town of Wheatfield is investing approximately $410,000 in Wheatfield
Wastewater Treatment Plant enhancements and related sewer line connections. They made storm water drainage improvements on Center Street
and are evaluating other areas for similar projects. In addition, they are
repaving sections of Center, Jackson and South Streets and participated
with private property owners in financing the installation of new sidewalks.
JCEDO actively cultivated elected and appointed officials at all levels regarding Jasper County interests. In
addition, JCEDO supported Main Street Rensselaer and Remington Main Street and similar organizations
to help improve historic and commercial areas. We also participated in ribbon cuttings, retail promotions,
parades, holiday events, and planning for parking and related streetscape amenities.
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2014-2015 JCEDO Annual Report
Business Assistance Initiatives
Jasper County offers a favorable business
climate and JCEDO is dedicated to helping
maintain and enhance this environment that
consistently stimulates the expansion,
attraction, creation and retention of profitable businesses. Through our network of
stakeholders and strategic partners, we supply information and expertise, make real
estate recommendations, and provide access to financial incentives such as tax increment financing and tax abatement designed
to help businesses grow and prosper.
JCEDO defines a Prospect as a business retention, expansion, attraction or creation project. Informational assistance furnished to other entities is classified as an Inquiry. The charts on this page quantify the New Prospects (58), Inquiries (52), Visits/Presentations (21), Prospects By Source, and Property Recommendations (137)
made in the past fiscal year. While the statistics for New
Prospects were similar to 2013-2014, significant increases occurred with Inquiries (40.5%), Visits/Presentations
(162.5%), and Property Recommendations (63.1%).
Direct outreach is fundamental to JCEDO’s Business Retention and Expansion Program. Last year 142 Jasper County businesses and organizations were visited to identify growth opportunities, help address challenges and express appreciation. This was a 15.4% increase over the 123 visits made in 2013-2014. We
also value networking with business leaders through the Demotte Chamber of Commerce, the Remington Wolcott Community
Development Corporation, the Greater
Rensselaer Chamber of Commerce, and
the Wheatfield Chamber of Commerce.
JCEDO’s E-Blast Marketing Initiative is the
primary promotional component of our
Business Attraction Program. Principal
target markets remain real estate and industrial entities generally located along
the I-65, I-80, I-90 & I-94 corridors in the
central and northwest quadrant of Indiana as well as those located in the Chicago metropolitan area. Electronic distribution of
marketing materials to our target markets reached 45,768 flyers in
2014-2015, a 58.5% increase from 28,881 in the previous year.
Working with our numerous economic development allies (see Page
4) to identify companies that may be considering investment is also
an important aspect of JCEDO’s business attraction efforts.
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2014-2015 JCEDO Annual Report
Investment Projects
During the July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015 period, investments were made across Jasper County that
contributed to the growth of the local and regional economy. These investments demonstrate Jasper
County’s attractiveness as a premier location for business growth and profitability. Briefly described below and on the following pages are the most visible new and expanded investment projects that created
additional tax base and employment in Jasper County. While JCEDO was not directly involved in all of
these projects, we are proud of the success of these companies.
JCEDO is pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate 14 significant investment projects that were either
completed in the past year or are currently under construction with completion expected in the near future. We are also optimistic that the trend of development in Jasper County will continue in the next year.
In alphabetical order, the projects we are highlighting are:
Bos Dairy –
DeMotte, in
Constructing a state-of-the-art 80,000 SF “robotic
dairy” expansion with a capital investment of $6 million that will contain 700 cows and be operational in
October 2015
Bos Dairy
Davis Veterinary Service –
Rensselaer, in
Full service veterinary practice employing 7 constructed a new 4,000 SF building and relocated from a
nearby facility in March 2015
Family Dollar –
DeMotte, in
Relocated from within the community and expanded
the discount retail store into a new 7,000 SF building
in June 2015 with 9 employees
Iroquois Bio-Energy Company –
Rensselaer, in
Invested $5.5 million in process enhancements including fermenting, cooling, storage and maintenance
facilities as well as opened a
retail ethanol fueling station
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2014-2015 JCEDO Annual Report
Investment Projects (cont.)
Kaeb Sales –
Rensselaer, in
Seller and servicer of dairy and related agricultural
equipment constructed a new 11,500 SF facility and
relocated from Pulaski County with 12 employees in
March 2015
Leggett & Platt –
Rensselaer, in
Leased an additional 10,000 SF of storage/warehouse
space in October 2014 to supplement the space they
leased in the same building in January 2014
Max L Barrow Farm –
Rensselaer, in
Part of the Belstra Group Farms, this hog production
facility is nearing completion of a 32,000 SF, $1.2 million, 3,300 animal expansion with opening planned
for September 2015
Mid-State Bolt and Nut –
Rensselaer, in
Fastener distribution company expanded their facility
by leasing 3,000 SF of warehouse space after initially
entering the market in 2013 with a 7,000 SF office/
warehouse
New Leaf Resources –
DeMotte, in
Constructed a new 1800 SF Christian oriented professional counseling center and relocated in September
2014 with 3 employees from a two room office in
Wheatfield
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2014-2015 JCEDO Annual Report
Investment Projects (cont.)
Royal Oak Family Restaurant –
Rensselaer, in
After acquiring and remodeling a prominent vacant
building, this family owned/operated restaurant
opened in July 2015 with approximately 30 full and
part time employees
Shopko –
DeMotte, in
Opened a name brand, discount retail department
store in 35,000 SF of leased space with 25 employees
in March 2015
Taco Bell –
Rensselaer, in
Indi-Illi Mexican Food Company completed construction and opened their 9th franchise restaurant in September 2014 with approximately 40 full
and part time employees
Town & Country Paving –
DeMotte, in
This asphalt paving contractor and materials supplier
invested $765,000 to expand by establishing a concrete crushing capability with project completion in
March 2015
Treasurer Keepers –
Remington, in
Newly constructed Christian Daycare and Preschool
center employing 5 with a capacity for 82 children
between the ages of 6 months and 12 years opening
in August 2015
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