ADAMS COUNTY, IN, May 15, 2013:  Adams County and the surrounding area has seen local industries struggle to fill industrial maintenance positions. In an effort to fill the gap, Adams County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC) and WorkOne have teamed up and developed the Adams County Industrial Maintenance Training Program.  The training is being structured to cover the specific subject areas needed by Adams County industries to educate their employees with the needed skills to fill their industrial maintenance position.

    “This is a pilot program with WorkOne and Ivy Tech.  It is designed for incumbent workers.  We are pleased to be a part of it,” said Larry Macklin of the ACEDC.  “We have met with several of our industrial leaders across the county who have expressed the need to move this project forward and we are grateful to some who have helped develop the curriculum”  Macklin continued. 

    The class curriculum will soon be fully developed by Ivy Tech and then the ACEDC will again reach out to the industries for students.  Classes are expected to include about 100 hours of training.  The structure is being designed for production workers, identified by each industry, who have the desire to advance within the company. . 

The training program will be taught by Ivy Tech, utilizing their equipment and instructors.  Ivy Tech will bring their state-of-the-art equipment to the Bellmont High School campus for classroom instruction and hands-on learning experience in the lab for each subject area. 

The program is free to both the employers and employees, thanks to funding from the Northeast Indiana Workforce Investment Board, offering unheard of opportunities for growth.  

Macklin said, “This is a great opportunity for our workers and we are thankful to the Workforce Board folks who are making this possible.”

This is a two county pilot program.  Classes are underway in Wells County and then will move to Adams County.   

The Adams County program is being planned to begin in June and run for approximately 3-4 months.  A few openings remain for the program. A second session of the program may be offered as well.  Industries interested, may call the ACEDC office at 260.724.2588 to learn more on enrolling.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Northeast Indiana is filled with Millennials – those roughly between the ages of 15 and 25 – who have ideas on how to change the story of the region. By attending Millennial 2020's (M2020) Spark Tank, they will share their community project ideas and business opportunities with peers and regional leaders. A panel of judges will award the top two ideas with $500 in seed money to help move the ideas from concept to reality. Millennials from across Northeast Indiana are invited to Spark Tank, which will be held Friday, May 31 at Huntington University in the Habecker Dining Commons.

Millennials who don't have ideas of their own are still encouraged to attend. They will have the opportunity to offer feedback, network with regional leaders and collaborate with their peers on projects that spark their interest.

Several prize packages will be given away throughout the day.

When: Friday, May 31, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm; Lunch provided

Where: Habecker Dining Commons, Huntington University, 2303 College Ave, Huntington, IN 46750

Keynote Speaker: Ray Angel, startup enthusiast, co-founder of Founders in downtown Fort Wayne and former CEO of Startup Weekend

Who: Millennials (ages 15-25) and Regional Leaders

Admission: Free

Registration: Register online at www.millennial2020.com/spark-tank/spark-tank-registration by Wednesday, May 29th.

Questions: Contact Jordan McArdle at Jordan@neindiana.com or 260-469-3465

Spark Tank is hosted by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership's Millennial 2020 program. The event is focused on college-aged Millennials although all Millennials in Northeast Indiana are welcome to attend.

This will be the third Spark Tank event. Previous winners include Hapn.co, a central hub that connects Millennials with local businesses through social media; Connect Fort Wayne, a social network for small businesses and start-ups in Northeast Indiana; Keep it Simple, a smartphone app to help consumers shop for clothing online; and Trash Titans, an organized lake clean-up projects dedicated to cleaning up Northeast Indiana's lakes.

Millennial 2020 is an extension of Vision 2020 , a regional initiative stewarded by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, working to transform Northeast Indiana through the five pillars of 21st Century Talent, Competitive Business Climate, Entrepreneurship, Infrastructure, and Quality of Life. Millennial 2020 gives Millennials an active voice and role in Vision 2020 and directly aligns with Vision 2020's mission for Northeast Indiana of developing, attracting, and retaining talent.

The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership was formed in 2006 to help build a globally competitive economy in Northeast Indiana. It is a public-private partnership focused on generating business leads and building regional capacity through product development and effective regional collaboration. The Northeast Indiana Fund was created in 2005 to operate as a supporting organization of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, focused specifically on product development and regional collaboration. In 2010, the Partnership launched Vision 2020 to bring the region together around key areas for economic growth. Through its combined efforts in business development and capacity building, the Partnership supports its 10 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties. For more information, visit www.NEIndiana.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Courtney Tritch
Marketing Director
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.469.3460
 

The Adams Public Library has grand plans for the donated lot across from the Decatur branch. First Merchants Bank donated the property to the library in the fall of 2012. The library plans to develop the area into Storybook Park, a green space to be used for story times and other outdoor activities.  To learn more about the plans and fundraising for Storybook Park: http://www.genevapl.lib.in.us/

"Northeast Indiana is a growing hub for food processing as can be seen by the intense interest shown by the journalists this week. We are now telling our story on a national level, and we definitely have a story worth telling," said John Sampson, president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.

Northeast Indiana is leading the U.S. in food manufacturing growth. In fact, employment in the food manufacturing sector in Northeast Indiana is up 29 percent since 2001, while nationally the subsector employment is down 6 percent.

This is the third media tour the Partnership and I&M have hosted since 2011 in an effort to increase national awareness of Northeast Indiana, and ultimately, attract business investment.

"By focusing economic development efforts on growing key industries in the region like food processing, the region's asset base is strengthened, creating a support framework for business expansion, new business formation and new business attraction," said Sampson.

Publications attending the media tour included Industry Week, Food Processing, Food Manufacturing, Dairy Foods, Food Logistics, Food Product Design and FoodNavigator-USA.com. The journalists visited the region for two full days, meeting with industry executives and touring their Northeast Indiana facilities. Companies participating in the tour included Bunge, Red Gold, Pretzels Inc., Ellison Bakery, CK Products, Kraft and Edy's Ice Cream.

"Indiana Michigan Power is proud to be a partner in this effort to grow our region's economy. Food processing companies provide steady jobs with competitive wages and benefits to area residents. We want to do everything we can to support their needs and encourage them to continue to grow right here in Northeast Indiana," said Rob Cleveland, manager of economic and business development at Indiana Michigan Power.

The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership was formed in 2006 to help build a globally competitive economy in Northeast Indiana. It is a public-private partnership focused on generating business leads and building regional capacity through product development and effective regional collaboration. The Northeast Indiana Fund (Fund) was created in 2005 to operate as a supporting organization of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, focused specifically on product development and regional collaboration. In 2010, the Partnership launched Vision 2020 to bring the region together around five key areas for economic growth: 21st Century Talent, Competitive Business Climate, Entrepreneurship, Infrastructure and Quality of Life. Through its combined efforts in business development and capacity building, the Partnership supports its 10 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties. For more information, visit www.NEIndiana.com.

Millennial 2020 Spark Tank Rescheduled for March 15

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The second annual Millennial 2020 Spark Tank has been rescheduled for Friday, March 15 at the Kendallville Event Center. The event was originally scheduled for Friday, February 22, but was rescheduled due to inclement weather. Millennials – roughly between the ages 15 to 25 – who have ideas on how to change the story of Northeast Indiana are invited to attend.

Spark Tank encourages Millennials to come up with ideas for business or community engagement projects and pitch them to their peers and regional leaders. After all of the ideas are pitched, groups will be formed and real, tangible strategic plans will be created. At the end of the day, groups will present their ideas to a panel of judges, and the top two ideas will receive $500 in seed money.

Don't have an idea? No problem – you are encouraged to attend, offer feedback, network with regional leaders and collaborate with peers on projects that spark your interest.

Representatives from colleges throughout Northeast Indiana will set up informational booths to answer questions and provide more information about career choices. As added incentives, several prize packages will be given away throughout the day. Prizes include Fort Wayne Mad Ants tickets, Crazy Pins passes, Carmike and NGC movie theater tickets, gift certificates to area restaurants, a Vera Bradley tote bag, an OFabz swimsuit, Kernel Coladas Gourmet Popcorn gift basket and much more.

When: Friday, March 15, 8:15 am – 2:30 pm; Lunch provided

Where: Kendallville Event Center, 615 Professional Way, Kendallville, IN 46755

Who: Millennials (ages 15-25) and Regional Leaders

Admission: Free

Registration: Register online at www.millennial2020.com/spark-tank/spark-tank-registration by Wednesday, March 13th.

Questions: Contact Jordan McArdle at Jordan@neindiana.com or 260-469-3465

Adams County Brownfield Outreach Meeting – February 28, 2013 @ 2:00 PM

The Northeast Indiana Brownfield Coalition has scheduled Brownfield Outreach Meetings in each Coalition county.  The Brownfield Coalition, comprised of 7 area counties (Adams, Allen excluding Fort Wayne, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley excluding Columbia City) has received a Brownfield’s Coalition Grant from the EPA to conduct environmental assessments of potential Brownfield properties within the coalition counties.  The overall goal of the Brownfield Coalition is to promote economic development in the form of expansion, redevelopment, or development at potential Brownfield sites. 

The Brownfield Coalition is currently seeking properties to be assessed.  The purpose of the Outreach meetings in each county is to provide information regarding the assessment program to county and city officials, police and fire representatives, county and city building officials, redevelopment commission members, developers, realtors, and commercial bankers.  The participation of the entities listed above is integral to the success of this program and in identifying potential properties that would benefit from assessment.  In addition, interested property owners and the general public are encouraged to attend. 

The Brownfield Outreach Meeting in Adams County has been scheduled for Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 2:00 PM at the Riverside Center, Garden Room, 231 E Monroe St, Decatur, IN 46733.  Please plan to attend to learn about Brownfields and how this program can benefit your community, business, and property.

For additional information regarding the Brownfield Outreach Meetings, please contact Matt Vondran with NIRCC at (260) 449-7903 or matt.vondran@co.allen.in.us. 

If you know of a potential Brownfield site in Adams County, please let us know.  To learn more about what Brownfields are and how they are revitalized view the brochure below.

Brownfields Brochure

CHINA BUSINESSMEN VISIT ADAMS COUNTY

ADAMS COUNTY, IN, AUGUST 22, 2012:  On Monday and Tuesday of this week, two businessmen from China were touring the county.  Their visit is another positive result from Mayor John Schultz and ACEDC Director, Larry Macklin’s trade mission to China in June, along with Lt. Governor Becky Skillman and NE Indiana Regional Partnership CEO John Sampson.

The businessmen, Qian ChangSheng and John Zhang, visited local businesses, industries, our Adams Memorial medical facilities, and the Shovel Ready Industrial Parks to learn more about Adams County. Mr. Zhang was impressed with the Adams County products and community, stating how beautiful Adams County is and gratitude for the generous hospitality they received during their stay.

There are business opportunities that could result in Adams County products being sold to the Chinese and Asian markets. ACEDC Director, Larry Macklin, expressed his excitement in the opportunities, “The Asian market could really open up new business for Adams County products and growth would continue from there.” Macklin continued, “I couldn’t be more proud of our businesses, industries and the hospital for their reception. The Chinese were impressed in learning of the quality of our workforce.”