It\u2019s interesting to find out how certain regions have become centers for specific industries. I recently had the opportunity to interview economic development and business leaders in northeast Indiana to learn about the region\u2019s advantages for manufacturers and what types of industries have flourished in the region. One of these unique industries is musical instrument manufacturing.<\/p>\n
During my interview with John Sampson, President and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, I learned that the region is highly concentrated in manufacturing.<\/p>\n
Sampson said, \u201cWe cover 11 counties and collaborate with other counties in the south and east.\u00a0 The business climate is very favorable for the Midwest \u2013\u00a0 we rank #2 in taxes and are in the top ten for other factors.\u00a0 We have a very supportive and responsive part-time state legislature to the interests of employers.\u00a0 The corporate tax rate is down to 6% and is headed to 4.9% in 2021 in a tiered decline.<\/p>\n
On our website, we list the target industries [see below]. Back in 2006, we partnered with the regional workforce investment board, Northeast Indiana Works, for a drive to improve skills training. We make sure that all the training is targeted to what industry needs and made sure that students get transportable certifications. We got a $20 million grant in 2009 for a Talent Initiative to align the region\u2019s talent efforts to the direct needs of defense, aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries.\u00a0 Ivy Tech is the principle partner in providing training, designing skills training for employers.\u00a0 They have a center for advanced manufacturing and have career technical studies and apprenticeships for high school students.<\/p>\n
We have united with other organizations and are trying to better connect students with the trades. We have a statewide organization, called Conexus Indiana<\/a>, to organize the logistics of the programs devoted to skills training such as CNC machining, welding, etc.\u00a0 Conexus Indiana brings together a diverse advanced manufacturing and logistics community to build tomorrow\u2019s skilled talent through industry-endorsed classroom curriculum, experiential learning and earning opportunities, and industry partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n From their website, I learned that there are three major universities:\u00a0 Purdue U. Fort Wayne (IPFW), Ivy Tech, Northeast, and Indiana Tech. The Indiana Manufacturing Extension<\/a> Partnership (Indiana MEP) is in Indianapolis, but Indiana\u00a0Purdue University is satellite<\/a> MEP site, located about 100 miles from Fort Wayne.<\/p>\n Ivy Tech<\/a> is the largest public postsecondary institution in Indiana \u2014 and the largest singly-accredited statewide community college system in the entire country.\u00a0 The system has 45 campus and site locations in more than 75 communities, and serve nearly 160,000 students a year.<\/p>\n I asked if the region has any Makerspaces and he replied, \u201cYes, we currently have two Maker Lab locations as part of the Allen County Public Library<\/a>: \u201cThe\u00a0Main Library\u00a0and\u00a0Georgetown. \u00a0Both labs have 3D printers, 3D scanners, electronics workbenches and other specialized equipment.<\/p>\n We also have a new Makerspace in development at the former General Electric campus where GE made electric motors.\u00a0 The campus and is now being redeveloped as a mixed-use campus, called Electric Works<\/a>. There is an opportunity for another Makerspace to be incorporated into the 1.2 million sq. ft. campus.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n From supplemental information I was emailed after the interview, I learned that it\u2019s 47% more affordable to buy a house in Fort Wayne ($116,000) compared to the national average ($222,000), and property tax is capped at 1%.<\/p>\n The region has a high rate of employment in the manufacturing sector:\u00a0 28.8% compared to the national figure of 8.9%. Also, Indiana was the first right-to-work state in the Great Lakes region of the U. S.<\/p>\n The supplemental information provided more information on training, saying that the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership is partnering with regional workforce development organizations like Northeast Indiana Works<\/a> and WorkOne Northeast<\/a> career centers to invest in the region\u2019s talent. Northeast Indiana Works oversees 11 WorkOne Northeast career centers in northeast Indiana and provides Skill-Link training at little cost to employers.\u00a0\u201cSkill-Link is a program that offers certification-based training tailored to employers\u2019 specific skill needs. Employers select high-potential employees for the training, which promotes talent retention, career-pathway development, and, in many cases, leads to promotions and pay increases. WorkOne Northeast assists employers in filling positions left open by the promotion of employees who complete Skill-Link training.\u201d<\/p>\n The Northeast Indiana Regional Profile states that Northeast Indiana \u201cserves as a strategic distribution hub for businesses targeting the Great Lakes and Midwest. The region is located only two hours from Indianapolis and three hours from Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio. The region is served by two major interstate highways, I-69 (North\/South) and I-80\/90 (East\/West), also known as the Indiana Toll Road. Fort Wayne International Airport is home to four major carriers: Allegiant Air, American, Delta and United. There are also two Class I freight railroads, CSX and Norfolk Southern, servicing the region.<\/p>\n It states, \u201cThe region currently ranks<\/a> eighth in best tax environments in the United States and the best in the Midwest based on the 2016 State Tax Environment Index by the Tax Foundation. This business-friendly tax climate creates a thriving community for innovative businesses and growth\u2026Due to legislation in 2011, Indiana\u2019s corporate income tax rate fell by 2 percent. This was the continuation of a scheduled multiyear reduction, which will ultimately see the corporate income tax rate reduced to 4.9 percent by 2022, which would make Indiana\u2019s the second lowest corporate tax rate of any state levying the tax.\u201d The current corporate income tax rate is only 6%, and the personal income tax rate is 3.23%.<\/p>\n The profile also states, \u201cThe region has an abundance of water and natural gas, as well as a reliable supply of electricity. \u201cThe region\u2019s largest municipal water system, Fort Wayne City Utilities, has an excess water capacity of more than 35 million gallons per day. Our excess water supply is a competitive advantage that fuels our growing target industries, such as food processing and agriculture.\u201d<\/p>\n According to a 2016 Target Industry report from Community Research Institute, research identifies the region\u2019s target industries in Northeast Indiana as:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The top industrial employers are:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n