EDC of Wayne County, Indiana

AnnualREPORT

2020

Overview
What a year 2020 was for our community, state, and country! In the firsttwo and half months of 2020, business was booming, unemployment
was at record lows, business expansion was prevalent, and the stock
market was at an all-time high! In March, the world may not havestopped but it sure came to a slow crawl.

Randy Templin, Chairperson

Looking back, we should be proud of the team efforts within the EDC!
That includes our fellow board members, and also spotlights the talent
we have within the EDC team, which is led by Valerie Shaffer, and includes
Sarah Mitchell, Renee Doty, and Theresa Lindsey. We accomplished a
lot in 2020. I’m especially proud of the work the EDC accomplished withtimely support to the local businesses that needed the help. Some of
the activities in 2020 were as follows:

Pandemic support - The EDC was a leader in the development of several relief programs for local
businesses including the PPE Marketplace, Wayne County COVID-19 Small Business Loan Program, and theRichmond/Wayne County Covid-19 Subsidy Program for locally owned restaurants. Additionally, the EDC
continues to lead today by providing support in the application to the OCRA Phase III COVID-19 Response
Program. At the beginning of the pandemic, the EDC swiftly created the COVID-19 resource page on the
EDC’s website to catalog local, state, and federal programs for employers to use and communicatedchanges to our employers regularly. All of this activity was done to help our local businesses.
New Business Attraction - During 2020, the EDC was able to successfully guide Phillips Tube Group andElement 13 into establishing new manufacturing plants in Wayne County. Collectively, those projects will
result in a total capital investment of $30.2 million and a creation of 60 new jobs paying an average wageof $23.28/hr. excluding benefits.
New 5 Year Strategic Plan - Valerie and her team were able to work with Ady Advantage to successfully
guide the EDC board and staff, elected officials, and our community partners through the creation of a
new five-year economic development strategic plan for Wayne County. Keeping a focus on the future
was a challenge due to the state of our local economy and dire business needs. But, we were able toaccomplish our goal of having the new plan finalized by the end of 2020. This is a great road map moving
forward. We are already implementing parts of the plan by working on new housing opportunities,
broadband expansion, talent recruitment strategies, including an audit of Home in Wayne, and industrial
park development.
21st Century Talent Region - The EDC was part of a local coalition that worked towards the creation ofa regional workforce development plan. This work helped the East Central Indiana region develop aplan to obtain state status as a 21st Century Talent Region. A lot of work lies ahead for implementation,
but the EDC through its involvement with Forward Wayne County, will help guide and collaborate withcounterparts in neighboring counties to play a strong role in this effort.
I’m sure there will be plenty of challenges in the years ahead. But I’m very proud that the EDC did sucha great job of getting us through 2020 while also planning for future activities through our strategicplanning process. We are all excited about our community’s future! (Randy Templin is serving his 2ndyear as EDC Board Chair.)Business
Development
In 2020 the EDC facilitated two newinvestment projects that ultimately led tothe decision by these companies to choose
to locate new production facilities in Wayne
County. These projects led to a pledge ofcombined new investment of $30.2 million
and the eventual creation of 60 full-timejobs. We’re pleased to welcome these newcompanies to our community.

Element 13, LLC

Jobs Committed – 30 full-time
Average Hourly Wage: $20.55/hour
excluding benefits
New Investment - $22 million
EDIT Grant Awarded - $146,000
The aluminum billet manufacturer plans toconstruct a new 60,000 square foot facility
on 15 ½ acres in the Midwest Industrial
Park located at the corner of North RoundBarn and Gaar Jackson roads in 2022. The
company projects creating 30 full-time jobs
and investing $22 million in a new state-ofthe-art production facility. Aluminum will besourced from recycling centers reducing thewaste stream and bringing scrap aluminumback into use. Element 13’s products will
be used in the construction, aerospace,recreation, and automotive industries,
among others. President and CEO, Chris
Rasmussen said Element 13 is very excitedand looking forward to becoming part of theRichmond community. While the pandemic
has caused progress on the project to be
slower than anticipated, plans continue
to move forward. The EDC will provide an
Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT)
Grant in the amount of $146,000 to assist
with construction, purchase of equipment,
and training of employees. In addition,
the company received incentives from theState of Indiana and tax abatements from
Richmond Common Council.

Phillips Tube GroupJobs Committed – 30 full-time
Average Hourly Wage: $26/hour excluding benefits
New Investment - $8.2 million
EDIT Grant Awarded - $98,500
Governor Eric Holcomb attended the ribbon cutting forPhillips Tube Group’s newest facility, located in
Richmond’s Eastern Indiana Industrial Park. The project
brings back in to use a vacant building at 401 Industrial
Parkway. Phillips Tube Group is an industry leader
offering fabrication-ready tubing for customers including
Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, Toyota,
Nortek, and Lennox. CEO and owner, Angela Phillips said
Richmond, Wayne County, and Indiana did a fantastic
job of creating an environment of success for the newplant. She said the business-friendly environment, skilledworkforce, and interstate location make the new facility
primed for success. The company is investing $8.2 million
and anticipates hiring 30 new full-time employees. The
EDC provided an EDIT Grant of $98,500 to offset thecost of building renovations, purchase and installationof equipment, and employee training. In addition, thecompany received incentives from the State of Indiana
and tax abatements from Richmond Common Council.

Workforce Development
Attracting, developing and retaining talent continues to be a focus of economic development efforts not
only in Wayne County, but the East Central Indiana region. How can we upskill the talent we already have?
How can we recruit new people to live and work in our communities? How can we prepare our workforce for
employer needs of the future? The EDC is involved in several initiatives to address these pressing challenges.
21st Century Talent Region
The EDC joined stakeholders and leaders fromcounties representing the East Central Indiana(ECI) Region spending much of 2020 developing
a workforce development plan with the goal ofbeing designated a 21st Century Talent Region by
Indiana’s Office of Career Connections and Talent.
The designation was developed to encourage local
governments, businesses, educational institutions,nonprofits, and economic development partners tocreate and implement plans to increase educational
attainment, raise household income, and grow the
population in the region. Regions receiving thedesignation will take a comprehensive approach toidentify strategic priorities and projects to address
identified issues. Members of the ECI Region
worked with the George and Francis Ball Foundationand the Ball State University Office of Community
Engagement to develop four priorities:

1. Increase integration of East Central Indiana’s Forge Your Path lifestyle marketing initiative acrossstakeholder marketing and talent attraction efforts by December 2021. This will compliment Wayne
County’s Home in Wayne talent recruitment initiative which is already underway.
2. Establish regional coalitions to develop plans to increase achievement in early childhood, K-8, highschool, and adult/higher education by December 2021. Wayne County is fortunate to already have an
Early Childhood Coalition and Employability Coalition working under the direction of Forward Wayne
County.
3. Lay the groundwork for industry-specific networks to participate in regional implementation plans anddevelop talent pipelines in manufacturing, trades, education, healthcare, and technology by early 2022.
4. Define and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in all talent attraction, development, andconnection efforts through and beyond 2022.

The EDC, through its involvement with Forward
Wayne County, will help guide and collaborate
with counterparts in the region to be a partner inthis effort. A new organization, the East Central
Indiana Talent Collaborative, will be anchored byBall State’s Office of Community Engagement tooversee the regional progress. Seven counties
make up the ECI Region including Delaware,
Grant, Henry, Jay, Randolph, and Rush, along with
Wayne.

Recently the EDC began
focusing on marketing
to individuals considering
a relocation. Efforts tomarket Wayne County
as a great place to live
and work continue through the EDC’s Home in Wayne
initiative. This effort is especially important to local
employers as they continue to recruit new talent to join
their team from both near and far. The EDC receives
valuable feedback from employers about ways
in which we can enhance our talent recruitment
toolbox. Much of 2020 was spent creating anddesigning a new marketing piece comprised ofa collection of Wayne County photos from local
amateur and professional photographers. The
result is a view book showcasing the positive
aspects of living in Wayne County. Many of thephotos were sourced from Instagram using the#homeinwayne hashtag and a photo contest held
late in 2019 where first through third places and apeople’s choice award were chosen, all of whichappear in the view book. The new marketing
piece will be provided to local employers andother organizations involved in promoting Wayne
County in both print and digital formats. For
more information about our talent retention andrecruitment initiative visit homeinwayne.com.

Another platform to assist local employers
with talent recruitment efforts is our
regional Hoosier Opportunity website. The
website continues to be free to use by both
employers and job seekers. The use of thistool became an even better value during the
pandemic as employers struggled to findpersonnel and displaced workers lookedfor employment. To assist employers who
were already facing challenges from thepandemic the wage requirement of $10/hour
was temporarily removed in order to assist
our service industry with promoting open
positions. Advertising efforts continued using
radio, newspaper, and social media. Over 200
companies have created profiles and posted
jobs. New jobs are posted almost daily. We areproud to play a role in helping to connect local
companies to the workforce they need. If you
haven’t checked out Hoosier Opportunity
yet, go to hoosieropportunity.com and takea look.

Manufacturing Day is the first Friday in
October. It’s a day that showcases theimportance, diversity, and career potentialof the manufacturing sector. This year highschool students experienced manufacturing
virtually, but still got a first-hand look at
local manufacturers and learned aboutcareer opportunities. Belden, DAK Americas,
SmithFoods, Hills Pet Nutrition, and Primex
Plastics provided virtual tours of theirfacilities and company representatives wereable to interact and engage with students
from Lincoln, Richmond, Hagerstown andNortheastern. This year’s event was a big
ask of local companies and they rose to thechallenge presented by the pandemic. We’refortunate to have such dedicated employers
in our community who are willing to share
their knowledge with students who areinterested in careers with their companies.

Economic Development
Partnership Award
The EDC recognizes individuals or organizations who have gone
above and beyond to strengthen Wayne County’s economic
development efforts. This year the EDC is recognizing twoorganizations that continue to make significant contributions
to the future of our community.

The Economic Growth Group (EGG) typically provides
funding for economic and workforce development programs
not typically funded by federal, state or local programs.
When local government officials were working to fund COVID
relief programs to assist struggling small businesses EGG
was the only private sector group to participate by making
a $100,000 donation to the pool of funds created by Wayne
County Government, City of Richmond and the EDC throughthe Consolidated EDIT Fund. The funding contributred to
two rounds of 0% loans which assisted 32 small businesses
for a program total of $746,000 and later 17 restaurants withsubsidy payments for a program total of $50,180. Without thecontribution of EGG, the programs would not have been able
to assist as many businesses struggling due to the pandemic.
(For more information on COVID-19 assistance programs visit
page 5.)

Forward Wayne County (FWC) is a county-wide effort to aligncommunity resources to foster a vibrant economy and promote
prosperity. The organization was developed to highlight theroles of human capital development and quality of place inattracting, developing, and retaining a highly competitive
workforce. FWC plays a key role in the county’s economic
development efforts supporting several areas of focus in the
newly created five-year economic development strategic plan.
Through FWC’s Employability Coalition, Wayne County playeda strong role in the East Central Indiana Region’s efforts to
be designated a 21st Century Talent Region by the State ofIndiana. The designation allows alignment of local goals withthe region that work together to accomplish those goals
through shared visions and resources. FWC’s leadership withforming this coalition and working with our regional partners
is the key to Wayne County moving this work forward. FWC
is a true partner and asset in strengthening Wayne County’s
economy and workforce for the future.

EDC COVID-19 Response
When we ushered in 2020 none of us expected byMarch to be wearing masks, working or going toschool remotely, and quarantining in our homes,
but that was our reality. The pandemic caused
disruptions in virtually every facet of our lives. Nonessential businesses, restaurants and bars closed.
Travel and tourism virtually halted. Employers wereforced to make substantial changes to everythingfrom schedules to floor layout to safety procedures.
In those early days of the pandemic, amid shortagesof food, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper we
didn’t know what to expect. But it’s not the Wayne
County way to sit by and do nothing. Individuals
and organizations alike pulled together and asked
where can we help? People volunteered, nonprofits
pivoted their mission to meet the changing needsof their clients, and businesses found ways to adapt
and some even to innovate to meet the demand for
additional PPE.

through the Consolidated EDIT fund, and private
sector investors in the Economic Growth Group.
Two funding rounds saw 32 businesses receive loans
totaling $726,000.

It was no different at the EDC. Fast paced changes
led to a demand for information. Whether it was
financial assistance, safety or unemployment the EDC
gathered, organized and posted it on our website
via the newly created COVID-19 Resource page. We
backed the resource page up with social media andeblasts. Additionally, we reached out to employers
to find out how they were being impacted and if
there was anything we could do to help. As a staff
we kept up-to-date on information we knew our
stakeholders and clients would need.

PPE Marketplace
The City of Richmond and Wayne County
Government, along with the EDC, worked together tolaunch a local Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)Marketplace to distribute free PPE to businesses andnonprofits around the county so they could safely
remain open, or re-open. PPE included gloves, facemasks, antibacterial cleaner, hand sanitizer, andsocial distancing floor decals. Over 150 businesses
and organizations took advantage of the program.

But as the pandemic drug on, it was obvious more
was needed. Even with federal and state funding
assistance, businesses were still suffering with thethreat of losing many of them a frightening reality.
The EDC, along with several partners, was heavily
involved in the development of the Wayne County
COVID-19 Small Business Loan Program, the PPEMarketplace, and the Richmond/Wayne County
COVID-19 Subsidy Program.
Wayne County COVID-19 Small Business
Loan ProgramThis program offered 0% interest loans of up to$25,000 to businesses with a six-month payment
deferral period. The $900,000 of pooled funding
was made possible by contributions from the Cityof Richmond, Wayne County Government, the EDC

Richmond/Wayne County COVID-19
Subsidy Program
With roughly $130,000 of available funds remaining
after two rounds of funding from the Wayne County
COVID-19 Small Business Loan Program, the EDC
recommended shifting funds to a new program aimed
at helping locally owned restaurants experiencing aloss of 20% or more in sales compared to 2019 due tothe pandemic. The goal was to keep locally owned
restaurants from closing because of COVID-19.
Qualified restaurants could receive up to $1,000 amonth for three months to cover lease/mortgage
or utility payments. The program assisted 17 local
restaurants providing a total payout of $50,180.

Strategic Planning
Back in 2014 the EDC completed its first-everstrategic plan for the organization. Through a
lot of collaboration with our community partnerorganizations and elected leadership, we were able
to successfully implement the strategies set forthin the plan. At the beginning of 2020 we knew that
it was time to embark on a new planning processthat would go a step further this time and create

an economic development strategic plan for Wayne
County, not just the EDC. The new plan required evengreater input from our partners across the county.
This virtual six-month planning process has resulted
in a new economic development strategic plan willthat serve as our roadmap for the next five years.
Here are the goals developed for the plan.

Economic Development Goals
Alignment: Continue collaboration andalignment among stakeholders to create
innovative solutions to economic andcommunity development.

Location Decision Process

Targeted Growth: Retain, expand andattract businesses that align with thepriorities of the county and promotesynergies with existing clusters.
Quality of Place: Enhance quality ofplace assets and remove barriers totalent attraction/retention andeconomic equity.
Talent: Ensure businesses in Wayne
County have the talent they need tocontinue to grow and provide living
wage jobs.

Each of the goals listed above have specific strategies
outlined in the plan that identify project partners andtactics that will help us accomplish these goals. We
call this our Implementation Map. This plan broadens
our economic development priorities to now include
housing, broadband, transportation, childcare, anddowntown development, all identified as priorities
to support Wayne County’s efforts to attract andretain talent that ultimately improves the quality oflife for all citizens, new and existing. The diagram

above shows how compaines are now making
location decisions. This expansion of priorities does
not diminish our continued efforts for the EDC to leadbusiness development activities for existing businessretention and expansion and new attraction efforts.
This means that the EDC must spearhead county-wide
collaboration to accomplish the goals set forth in theplan. For a copy of the entire economic development
strategic plan, please contact the EDC office.

EDC Officers and Board Members
2020 Officers
Valerie Shaffer
President
valerie@whywaynecounty.com
15 years of service

Chair – Randy Templin (Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce)
Vice Chair – Chad Bolser (Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce)
Treasurer – Peter Zaleski (Wayne County Council)
Secretary – Larry Parker (Richmond Common Council)

2020 Board of Directors
Renee Doty
Manager of Community Affairs
renee@whywaynecounty.com
18 years of service

Roger Golden (Wayne County Commissioners)
Sayward Salazar (Mayor of the City of Richmond)
Jim Tanner (Mayor of the City of Richmond)
Jim King (Cambridge City Town Council)
Kyle Turner (Centerville Town Council)
Brad Robinson (Hagerstown Town Council)
Tim Frame (Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce)(Appointing Body)

Sarah Mitchell
Manager of Existing
Business & Education
sarah@whywaynecounty.com
3 years of service

Theresa Lindsey
Office Manager
theresa@whywaynecounty.com
1 year of service

Partnering
Communities
Cambridge City
Centerville
EconomyHagerstown
MiltonMt. AuburnRichmond
Wayne County

Board Member Recognition

We would like to thank outgoing board member Roger Golden for his time and expertise.
Roger was appointed by the Wayne County Commissioners and served a three-year termon the board.

Follow us:
whywaynecounty.com
homeinwayne.com
hoosieropportunity.com

www.linkedin.com/company/EconomicDevelopmentCorporationofWayneCountyIndiana
twitter.com/edcofwayneco
https://www.facebook.com/homeinwayne

900 North E Street, Suite 100,
Richmond, Indiana 47374
765-983-4769