LCEDC CEO Sherri Johnston is

LaGrange County's Professional of the Year!

LCEDC Emilee Fincher Becomes OCRA Grant Administrator

Living in rural Indiana comes with a host of benefits and an abundance of beauty, however it also has its drawbacks. There are pressing community needs that often require outside financial assistance. With a shortage of locally derived funds, that funding is frequently sourced from State and Federal grant programs, such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. CDBG is a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funded Federal grant program that is funneled through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. CDBG funding is used for infrastructure projects such as sewer, waste, and drinking water, emergency services such as fire/EMS stations, downtown revitalization, community facilities, strategic planning and community master plans, housing, and other projects which benefit communities.

Beginning in 1994, the State of Indiana requires that anyone administering these funds complete a formal certification process. Currently, the certification process requires sixty-two hours of in person training and achieving passing scores on 4 exams. In December, after several months of training and testing, Emilee Fincher of LaGrange County Economic Development Corporation (LCEDC) officially completed all requirements and became an OCRA certified Grant Administrator.

According to OCRA’s website, these funds help communities to improve quality of life and to ensure the health and safety of their residents. In turn, this enhances their ability to create places where citizens can grow, thrive, and prosper. It is with this knowledge and the LCEDC mission to encourage sustainable economic growth, opportunity, and prosperity in LaGrange County that Fincher pursued the certification.

“There is a shortage of OCRA certified CDBG Grant Administrators in the Northeast region which has resulted in a lack of accessibility to this type of funding to our area. Improving quality of life for our current and future residents has to be a priority. If our residents and communities are happy, thriving and prospering, then so are their businesses and our local economy. People notice those things when considering where to live and work,” said Fincher. It is her hope to use the certification to act as a resource for the communities in LaGrange County. 

LCEDC 2023 Top 5

#1 Pushing Ahead on Housing Growth

Above: A mock-up of the 151 unit project proposed by the Town of Topeka

A lack of housing slows a local economy and detracts from a county's ability to attract new industry and business - where will employees live if there is no housing? It is with this in mind that housing has been one of our office's key initiatives for the last several years. In 2020, in conjunction with Housing Resource Hub, LCEDC completed a Countywide Housing Strategy that showed potential growth in LaGrange County if new housing was created. In 2022 our office hosted the LaGrange County Housing Symposium in hopes of spurring conversations on new housing and potential housing developments in the County. In 2023 there was a great deal of progress made when the Town of Topeka received a $3 Million READI Grant to help fund their 151 unit, $28 Million catalyst housing project. Additional housing projects are in the works around the county in the Town of LaGrange, with discussion about possibilities in Shipshewana as well.

Additionally, LaGrange County's building department issued 144 permits for single family and modular homes in 2023.

#2 Working to Help Meet Childcare Needs

In LaGrange County we know that access to affordable childcare and early learning affects everyone – both our residents and our businesses alike. In order for our county to retain businesses and help them expand, it is critical that they be able to retain employees. It’s no secret that parents miss work due to a lack of childcare, and LaGrange county falls into what is classified as a childcare desert. This is why LCEDC is a part of the Early Childhood Coalition and is supporting the efforts of Thrive by 5. Thrive by 5 is an organization that is dedicated to helping the community thrive by increasing capacity, affordability, and quality of childcare in both LaGrange and Noble Counties. Click here to find out how you can get involved:

#3 Sharing About Manufacturing Readiness Grants

In 2023 LCEDC had several conversations around the county with manufacturers to increase awareness about Manufacturing Readiness Grants through Conexus Indiana. This resulted in the first LaGrange County recipient of this type of grant, Lake Area Designs. LCEDC also hosted a lunch and learn with representatives from Conexus Indiana, Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) and Next Level Manufacturing Institute to raise awareness of the grants which spurred several other area businesses conversations with the organizations to begin the application process in hopes of bringing more of these funds to LaGrange County.

Conexus Indiana is a non-profit organization in Indiana with a mission to accelerate Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industry success by engaging a diverse network of industry, academic, philanthropic, and public-sector partners aligned and activated around a unified vision. The Manufacturing Readiness Grant program was originally launched as part of the IEDC’s Economic Activity Stabilization and Enhancement (EASE) program and was extended through a new appropriation from the Indiana General Assembly. By encouraging private sector investments, these grants have already made a substantial impact—and have helped set the stage for future innovation and growth in AML throughout the state. Manufacturing Readiness Grants assist manufacturers planning to make innovative capital investments in smart manufacturing within their Indiana operations—leveraging technologies from advanced communications to cobots to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and beyond. As of 2023, 526 Manufacturing Readiness Grants have been made to businesses across the state. For more information, or to apply, please follow the below link. Please feel free to contact our office with questions.

#4 Working on Business Retention & Expansion

BR&E Strengthens the social and economic fabric of our community. Through the use of one-on-one meetings with local business leaders and our office, we are able to address individual business issues while providing insight into broader community concerns to aid us in developing a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem and healthy business environment in LaGrange County.

In 2023 our office visited 72 businesses in LaGrange County to discuss available resources, retention and expansion, issues they're experiencing, and future plans. It was as a result of this type of meeting that the first LaGrange County recipient of the Conexus Manufacturing Readiness Grant learned about that program and the application process.

Additionally, the economic growth in our community is demonstrated by the 50 commercial permits that were pulled in LaGrange County in 2023. These permits accounted for over 282,000 square feet in new buildings and additions to existing businesses, and a number of capital improvements, with nearly $23 Million in capital costs.

#5 Founders Forum

In 2023 LCEDC launched a series of meetings called Founders Forum which seek to provide a space for local entrepreneurs to connect with each other, network, brainstorm and share ideas and solutions for problems they may be encountering. LCEDC is working to build a network of resources in LaGrange County to help local entrepreneurs succeed and to bridge any gaps that may currently exist. These meetings are held monthly in Topeka and Shipshewana on the Second Tuesday of each month at 8am and 3pm respectively, and typically are hosted in conjunction with a business resource, county or state representative that is there to provide insight and answer questions about a relevant topic.

YOU'RE INVITED!

Additional Resources

Indiana has a brand new entrepreneurship portal, ConnectIND! This portal of over 2000 entrepreneurship resources and organizations will only help further innovation and success across the state. Below, we have included a portal link - the portal was designed to empower ESOs and Hoosier entrepreneurs to connect with each other and our state's entrepreneurial ecosystem. You're invited to join this community of like-minded ESOs and entrepreneurs who share your passion for success. Start exploring today!

As advocates for Indiana’s thousands of manufacturers, Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) provides high-value solutions to help businesses maximize their success. Our staff identifies areas for improvement, streamlines processes, and ultimately increases competitiveness.

Since 2005, Purdue MEP has helped Hoosier manufacturers collectively achieve over $6.6 billion of economic impact and assisted our state-wide network of 8,000 manufacturers with:

• Producing products faster, better, and more economical
• Introducing engineering and technology solutions
• Training and upskilling the manufacturing workforce
• Overcoming employee attraction and retention challenges
• Achieving and maintaining customer-required certifications
• Securing state and federal funding or grants to lower costs
• Making products more profitable
• Clean, sustainable manufacturing processes

To learn more about how Purdue MEP provides affordable solutions for all of your manufacturing challenges please feel free to reach out to our LaGrange County Purdue Extension Office at 260-499-6334. To view a full catalog of courses offered, please click below. Workshops are available online, in person, and on demand!