This is going to be a challenging year for our businesses and in turn, our community. Collaboration between industry, government and education are critical components in our short and long-term strategies for job retention and growth.

The economy will eventually rebound but the big question is when and what business sectors will lead the way? 

These questions present two others for our community.  Will we be ready to hit the ground running when the economy turns around, and what can we do to assist companies in retaining jobs and training people until that happens? 

MCED is revising our strategic plan and acting quickly in anticipation of some amount of attrition to the economy.  We have increased our contacts and data collection with key employers to identify potential issues or opportunities to provide community assistance. Adding value by expanding on state and regional services is a key focus area for workforce development and job protection.

The objective is to be proactive and increase reaction time, which will allow local officials and workforce development partners to be more effective in providing services if needed. We have initiated a training needs assessment study to secure a training grant with our adult education partners in Tippecanoe County.

Some of our local companies are growing and we know that even in robust economic cycles that over 80% of our growth will come from local businesses.

Retention of those jobs and support for local companies will continue to be our number one priority and the internet plays a large role in providing the communication necessary to maximize our collaboration.

Thanks to a grant from the Indianapolis Municipal Power Association, MCED was able to commission Voltedge, a web-site consulting firm out of Chicago specializing in economic development web sites, to assess our site and help design new content.

We have added many new business and community features that are already paying dividends in increased potential new company visits and utilization by a growing number of companies.

The compound website supports clients searching from outside and inside the community that can be found by two domain names, www.HoosierEmployer.com and www.MCEDinc.com.

The HoosierEmployer.com site is designed to assist local employers locate skilled employees in the community and throughout the region. Montgomery County companies can actually post their own job openings with usernames and passwords provided by MCED. People seeking employment can follow the employers’ instructions to present their resumes.

MCED partner firms display their Logo’s on the homepage that act as links to their websites, or they can post an unlimited number of job listings for as long as needed throughout the year. All other Montgomery County and Crawfordsville employers are invited to post job openings on the site for $50.00 each posting, for one week.

Other new features for the website include a new Ride Share link, links to Work One regional and state employment and retraining opportunities, education options, and plenty of other employment support information.

Our partner firms and MCED have been advertising our own employment web site HoosierEmployer.com throughout the region, state and nationally for a couple of years. Traffic is growing on the site averaging over 20,000 hits per month. 

The other side of the website, MCEDinc.com, is designed to be efficient for companies and consulting firms looking to locate in our community. We present a comprehensive look at the entire community featuring the Nucor Road Industrial Corridor, Crawfordsville Commerce Park, and other sites and buildings. It’s important to note that there are still companies contacting us with intentions to locate new facilities here.

One of the new features on the site is a push through to the state’s “Sites and Buildings” feature with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. The idea is to co-market with the state to make it easier for perspective companies to get information about our development opportunities. We are also traveling with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation again next year to market the community and our sites.

Like everything else these days, new companies are finding communities on the internet and making initial evaluations from the information on their website. With every community trying to attract those high quality jobs, it is important that their initial visit to the community is providing essential information and a pro business attitude.

Companies and entrepreneurs wanting to do business in Crawfordsville or Montgomery County will expect to find a business friendly community with efficient regulatory systems providing robust services in a more than helpful atmosphere.

Our new internet gateway to the community plays a key role maintaining and attracting business.  Montgomery County is blessed with a diverse manufacturing base, proven agricultural assets and many service businesses that drive our local economy. 

MCED has consistently assumed a leadership role in supporting workforce development and now shares a common goal with Governor Daniels in providing post secondary education to all qualified high school graduates. Education is the cornerstone of economic development and MCED continues to push the concept of an Ivy Tech campus in Crawfordsville and the goal of doubling our two-year degree attainment levels by 2020.

The MCED Board will be working with our industry partners and elected officials to define tactics to respond to the struggling economy by focusing on these priorities.

 

  • Retaining jobs
  • Attracting globally competitive companies
  • Supporting local entrepreneurs
  • Promoting post secondary and vocational education.

Every situation can contain opportunities and the current downturn of the economy, taken as a challenge, can produce rewards for communities that respond quickly and boldly.  

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Bill Henderson

Executive Director