What is going on in your county?
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MOORESVILLE INDUSTRIAL PARK BRINGS
OPPORTUNITY TO MORGAN COUNTY
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“
What is your product?”
That query is usually at or near the top of the list of questions asked by those involved in expanding or relocating business operations. Thanks to the Mooresville Redevelopment Commission (RDC) and its development of Mooresville Industrial Park, Morgan County now has an answer to the question with a 100-acre product that will bring new manufacturing, jobs and capital to our landscape.
Mooresville Industrial Park’s development starts with a spec building construction project by MCEDC partner Runnebohm Construction. That project will be complemented by infrastructure improvements (roads, sanitary sewer, water and telecommunications) designed by MCEDC partner Banning Engineering to bring the area to market-ready standards. The RDC selected Runnebohm to build a 75,000 square-foot building that is expandable to 150,000 square feet, and as a result of this initial work, MCEDC has already engaged several prospects that have expressed interest in the spec building and other development acreage within the new industrial park. These contacts are from local companies that have been interested in expansion and new companies interested in locating into Morgan County that had been unable to find a site that would meet their needs. Because our previously depleted supply of development sites has been replenished, the market’s demand for space is already consuming our new product. Growth and change are imminent!
Mooresville Industrial Park benefits all of Morgan County. What’s good for Mooresville is good for all of our county’s communities and vice versa. Mooresville’s commitment to commercial and industrial development will send positive ripples through the Morgan County economy with higher wage opportunities for our workforce. (Are you aware that 40% of our workforce leaves Morgan County each day for employment?) The industrial park will increase property values resulting in additional tax revenues to pay for public services, it will create new opportunities for small businesses and not-for-profit organizations, and it will result in undoubted market pressure to increase our housing inventory so that more working families can reside here instead of commuting from and to other counties each day. MCEDC encourages community leaders to think beyond their municipal boundaries when investing in economic growth and to recognize local economic development as the extensive partnership that it is. As leaders, we want to demonstrate commitment that results in new opportunities for our constituents and neighbors. History indicates that, when we reinvest in ourselves, others want to invest in us. Shouldn’t this be a primary objective of economic development in Morgan County?
When you have a product to sell, the market will pay attention. If you don’t have a product to sell, the market will ignore you. This has been the case for several years in Morgan County – without an inventory of sites and capacities for economic development, our county has been the Indianapolis region’s growth laggard. Because of the work of many good people and organizations such as the Mooresville RDC, Morgan County’s product and capacities for growth are being developed. Let’s not be burdened by perspectives that would distract us from this moment. Growth and change are not only imminent but they are now occurring each day in Morgan County. Are you ready to capitalize the opportunity?
“What is your product?”
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FAST-GROWING MOORESVILLE-BASED PROP MAKER PLANS TO ADD 70 JOBS
By: Greg Andrews,
IBJ
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Creative Works, which makes props and attractions for the entertainment industry, announced Wednesday that it will invest $1.1 million into renovating and expanding its Mooresville headquarters and plans to add up to 70 jobs by 2022.
The company, which has 67 full-time employees, plans to hire for sales and marketing associates, project managers, 3D modeling and graphic designers, fabricators and attraction installers.
“This expansion will ensure Creative Works’ long-term success in Morgan County, allowing the company to grow and increase its client base around the world,” Elaine Bedel, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., said in a written statement.
Founded in 1997, the company
creates about 300 projects a year
for entertainment venues, including escape rooms, virtual reality and esports venues and indoor miniature golf courses.
It has grown explosively in recent years, with 2018 revenue reaching $20 million, up from less than $7 million in 2016.
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Creative Works, which operates out of a four-building, 33,000-square-foot campus, has not finalized its construction plans. But the firm said the upgrades will include installation of new 3D modeling equipment and fabrication machines.
The IEDC offered Creative Works up to $575,000 in tax credits based on the company’s job-creation plans. It also offered up to $100,000 in tax credits from the Hoosier Business Investment tax credit program based on the planned capital investment.
The Mooresville Town Council and Redevelopment Commission will consider additional incentives. Details on those were not immediately available.
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"Growing Mooresville Company helps create memorable experiences"
By: Susan Orr,
IBJ
Creative Works Inc. is a small company with a big presence in the world of fun.
Established in 1997, the company designs, makes and installs set pieces and props for a host of entertainment venues, including escape rooms, virtual reality and esports venues and indoor miniature golf courses.
The company creates about 300 projects a year, delivering them to customers all over the United States and abroad. And it’s in a serious growth mode.
“We’ve tripled in size the last three years,” said Armando Lanuti, the company’s president and co-owner. The other co-owners are founder Jeff Schilling and his wife, Kim.
In 2016, the company had 25 employees and just under $7 million in annual revenue. Today, Creative Works has more than 70 employees, and its 2018 revenue was $20 million. The company expects to grow both its revenue and workforce by 20% to 40% this year, Lanuti said.
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One reason for Creative Works’ growth: In an age where more and more of life happens online, consumers want a memorable occasion when they do go out.
“Consumers as a whole are looking for experiences, and they’re looking for more of an emotional and physical connection than they would have in the past,” said Kim Donahue, a senior lecturer in marketing at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business at IUPUI. “The whole way you can compete [as a venue] is by the experience that you can create.”
And that’s what Creative Works does.
“People go to a venue for one of two reasons—to celebrate or escape something,” Lanuti said. “It’s giving them that emotional R&R, so to speak.”
Creative Works makes actual objects: recreations of famous Chicago landmarks for a miniature golf course; an intricate steampunk-themed set for a laser tag venue; or a simulated Egyptian archeological site for an escape room where customers can solve hands-on puzzles with lights and moving parts.
But what the company is really selling is less tangible.
“The product is the emotions and the memories that we create,” Lanuti said.
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MARTINSVILLE OKs DOWNTOWN ACTION PLAN
Lance Gideon,
Reporter-Times
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The Martinsville City Council approved the proposed $20 million downtown master plan during its Monday night meeting, a plan the city has been working on for the last several months.
During the Aug. 27 meeting of the Martinsville Plan Commission, commission members gave a favorable recommendation to the city council.
City engineer Josh Messmer, who has been spearheading the plan, was not able to attend Monday’s meeting and city attorney Anne Cowgur spoke in his place.
Cowgur said that she handed each member of the council a copy of the resolution.
“So, what we are looking for from you all is approval of the resolution that approves the downtown master plan,” Cowgur said. “This will become then part of the actual plan document.”
Martinsville native Kyle Baugh, who works for the architect and design firm
Kimley-Horn
, spoke during Monday’s meeting.
Kimley-Horn is the design firm which the city contracted with to complete the downtown plan.
Baugh said a project in the downtown was a passion of his when he was in high school and college.
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“I have always wanted to see a better downtown Martinsville,” Baugh said. “This is kind of a moment in time for Martinsville. It is very important.”
City councilman Eric Bowlen asked about parking in the downtown area, and about public safety.
“From a courthouse perspective, with what goes on and takes place in a courthouse, public safety is obviously an issue,” Bowlen said.
Baugh said that parking is always an issue in a downtown.
“But, when it comes to revitalizing a downtown, … one of the greatest impacts of the revitalization of the downtown is the safety of that revitalization,” Baugh said.He said the more activity and vibrancy brought to a downtown, the safer a downtown becomes because there are more people and lighting on the streets.
“You may lose some parking spots, but you are going to increase the safety in a downtown revitalization project,” Baugh added.
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The members of the city council approved the plan unanimously, 7-0.
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Click here
to read the latest news from the
Morgan County Business Leader
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Morgan County Labor Market Update- August 2019
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Click the image above to download the full list of labor force estimates provided by the DWD
*Not seasonally adjusted
August 2019 Unemployment Rate IN: 3.2%, US: 3.7%
Source: Indiana Department of Workforce Development
Labor Force does not include retired persons, students, those taking care of children or other family members, and others who are neither working nor seeking work.
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Check
Visit Morgan County
's handy calendar to find all sorts of fun events coming up throughout the county. Take a look at what's going on
this month
, or search by date, event category, keyword or location.
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-COMMUNITY EVENTS
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Oct 10th-13th
Courthouse Square,
Martinsville
Oct 28th, 7PM
First Baptist Church,
Martinsville
Nov 9th, 9am - 3PM
Mooresville Christian Academy,
Mooresville
Nov 23rd, 6PM - 10PM
Martinsville
Dec 6th, 6:30PM - 7:30PM
Morgantown Fire Department,
Morgantown
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-BUSINESS EVENTS-
Oct 17th, 8AM - 10AM
Muncie, IN
Oct 23rd, 6PM - 8PM
Valparaiso, IN
Nov 11th, 3PM- 5PM
Evansville, IN
Nov 15th, 9AM - 1PM
Crown Point, IN
Dec 6th, 8:30AM - 9:30AM
Richmond, IN
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No listing currently available
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If you have a space you would like to list in our monthly newsletter, contact LeeDa Allen-
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Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States, supplying and delivering electricity to approximately 7.4 million U.S. customers.
Duke has approximately 52,700 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Carolinas, the Midwest and Florida - and natural gas distribution services serving more than 1.5 million customers in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
Their commercial business owns and operates diverse power generation assets in North America, including a portfolio of renewable energy assets.
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MIBOR is the professional association representing central Indiana's REALTORS.
Founded in 1912, MIBOR was established by 43 charter members and today serves the needs of nearly 8,000 members in Boone, Brown, Decatur, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, and Shelby Counties.
In addition to serving these counties, MIBOR also provides a Broker Listing Cooperative listing service to REALTORS in Bartholomew, Jennings, and Putnam Counties.
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Officer: 317.831.9544
Fax: 317.831.9548
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Mike Dellinger
Executive Director
317.760.4150
LeeDa Allen
Director of Business Operations
317.777.8290
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The MCEDC works to attract new companies to the county and assists existing companies by providing educational opportunities and resources that foster growth.
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