'The Hub' with Michael Allen sponsored by Manpower Richmond
Welcome to "The Hub with Michael Allen," the podcast that dives deep into the stories of community leaders and business owners who are making a difference. Join your host, Michael Allen, as he uncovers the untold narratives, challenges, and triumphs of those shaping their communities.
In each episode, Michael sits down with remarkable individuals who have dedicated their lives to improving their neighborhoods, towns, and cities. These community leaders are passionate, driven, and committed to creating positive change. Whether they are activists, educators, philanthropists, or civic officials, they all share a common goal: to build stronger, more vibrant communities.
"The Hub" also showcases the journeys of business owners who have turned their dreams into reality. From small-scale startups to well-established enterprises, these entrepreneurs share their insights, experiences, and lessons learned along the way. Michael delves into the unique challenges they face, the strategies they employ, and the impact their businesses have on the local economy and society at large.
With engaging conversations and thought-provoking discussions, "The Hub with Michael Allen" provides listeners with valuable takeaways, inspiration, and actionable ideas. Each episode offers a glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who are actively shaping the fabric of their communities, providing a roadmap for listeners who want to make a difference in their own lives and surroundings.
Tune in to "The Hub with Michael Allen" and join the conversation as we explore the stories of community leaders and business owners who are leaving an indelible mark on the world around them. Get ready to be inspired, motivated, and empowered to take action. Together, we can create a better tomorrow for everyone.
Sponsored by Manpower Richmond.
'The Hub' with Michael Allen sponsored by Manpower Richmond
Ep. 22 | Wayne County's Future: Valerie Shaffer on Economic Development and Community Revitalization with Host Michael Allen
On this episode, host Michael Allen welcomes Valerie Shaffer, the dynamic president of the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County. Valerie's journey from her first job to her influential role in economic development is nothing short of inspiring. She shares her personal story and insights, highlighting her education at Indiana University East and experiences at First Richmond Realtors and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, all of which fueled her passion for community growth. Valerie’s commitment to Wayne County shines through as she discusses her vision and initiatives to foster local development.
We also take a closer look at the dedicated team at the Economic Development Corporation and their significant contributions to the revitalized depot district in Richmond. The strategic relocation of their office to a historic train depot is a testament to their commitment to economic revitalization. Valerie introduces us to her team, including Rhonda Fisher, Teresa Lindsay, Renee Doty, and Sarah Mitchell, whose roles are pivotal to the EDC's mission. The episode explores the structure of the 12-member board of directors and emphasizes the importance of community involvement in shaping Wayne County's future.
This episode tackles the broader challenges and opportunities in Wayne County’s development landscape. From addressing transportation and workforce issues to overcoming infrastructure barriers, we explore various facets of community development. Valerie sheds light on programs like Make My Move and the Housing Accelerator Program, aimed at attracting new residents and supporting local employers. We also discuss the critical role of educational institutions like Ivy Tech in bridging workforce skill gaps. Throughout, the importance of strategic planning, political stability, and community feedback in shaping Wayne County’s future is underscored.
Michael Allen from Manpower. We are a national brand, yet locally owned franchise. We are familiar with the challenges businesses face. It's tough recruiting and retaining qualified employees. That's why working with Manpower is a smart, cost-effective solution. Our entire focus is talent acquisition. We'll manage your hiring and training and provide ongoing, customized support. Since 1966, we have been your community-invested partner, uniquely positioned to help eliminate the hassles and save you time and money. Let us help contact Manpower today.
Speaker 1:Here on the Hub, we interview various local businesses, community partners and special guests, and our mission is to share and spotlight information and stories of companies and organizations and people who are making a difference in our community. And today's guest is Valerie Schaefer, and Valerie is the president of the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County. Welcome, valerie, good morning, thank you for having me Well, thank you for joining us today, and I'm looking forward to hearing about what's going on at the EDC and in our region. Going on at the EDC and in our region. But before we start, we kind of have a tradition here and it's where we ask each guest about their very first job. So going back not too far ago maybe.
Speaker 2:Longer than you think.
Speaker 1:So what was your like that first job you had where they took taxes out of your paycheck and all that kind of stuff? What was that job you had where they took taxes out of your paycheck and all that kind of stuff? What was that? Do you remember?
Speaker 2:Well, I was a West Sider and so when I was 15, I knew that I needed a job to save money to buy a car. So I worked at Racks and I cleaned the dining room and I stocked the salad bar and eventually worked my way into the cashier position Nice, but it was a really great opportunity. I met great friends there and learned a lot about work ethic.
Speaker 1:For a minute I thought you were going to say you worked at Henry's. Oh I don't know if you remember that I barely remember that that's where Subway is now, but it was kind of just like a local hamburger joint and you could go in and buy a pound of fries. Oh, my goodness, and local hamburger joint and you could go in and buy a pound of fries. Oh my goodness, and I remember that very much. But yeah, I mean that I remember back in the day that salad bar was a pretty impressive spread.
Speaker 2:Sundays were very busy. People would come after church and they loved that fried chicken.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, was that kind of a tough job having to deal with that salad bar?
Speaker 2:I mean, just just, it seems like people go, I mean you get it all nice and cleaned up and then people just come and destroy it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but we needed something to do, otherwise you just stood around. So it was fine. So, yeah, those were, uh uh, you know great restaurants and they were very popular for had a nice little run there.
Speaker 2:So yeah, there's still a few racks around yeah, a couple of them.
Speaker 1:uh, before, um, I go into you know things going on with the edc, I would like for you to share just a little bit about yourself for people maybe don't know about you and and, uh, you know, growing up here, education, maybe any work that you may have done prior to the edc, so you can share that.
Speaker 2:Sure. Well, I was a first-generation college student, so, growing up in the community, I knew that I wanted to go to college and I would be responsible financially for that education. So I made the decision to stay here and attend Indiana University East, where I received my bachelor's degree in business administration. And it was my last semester of college where I was working at First Richmond Realtors at the time as a receptionist, and I met the incoming president at that time who was looking to buy a house and he also needed an administrative assistant, and so that was my opportunity to get in and work at the EDC. I had no idea what economic development was, but was very excited about the opportunity to work on behalf of the community. But I am a lifelong resident, graduated from Richmond High School and married my high school sweetheart, brian, and we're married almost 17 years now. We do not have any children, but we have fur babies. We have two dogs that I'm just obsessed with.
Speaker 1:We've had several guests who are huge dog fans, so I think maybe that's a reoccurring theme. We may have to do like a podcast on just our fur babies or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's do it.
Speaker 1:I'll share all the pictures. There's so many people that have brought that up, so I think you just celebrated about 20 years, right Am.
Speaker 2:I right yeah At the EDC.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's wild. I mean this April I would have been at Manpower for 34 years and it just seems like it goes so fast.
Speaker 2:Does it feel like that to you? It does, it absolutely does. Yeah, I, I still can't believe it so who was the incoming?
Speaker 1:who was the president at that time? I don't know. If I recall don holbrook. Okay, all right, so is he. How many direct? How many presidents have there been from the time you came in to when you became president? I think in 12?.
Speaker 2:The end of 12, yeah. I worked for three.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Well, actually four, because Bill Martis was an interim director two different times in between presidents. But I did leave for one year and went over to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And learned about statewide economic development and was a regional project manager for east central indiana, so that gave me a lot of insight as to what other economic development offices were doing I would think that would have served you well to work with several different directors to kind of pick.
Speaker 1:You know, maybe the able to look at the good, the bad, the ugly of I mean not suggesting that any of those people did a poor job, but just to see how each one operated and how they dealt with businesses and whatever. I would assume that was a nice opportunity to learn from that.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I learned a lot from each and every one of them, and especially their different management styles, and kind of led me to be the type of manager that I am today.
Speaker 1:Well, you've obviously been doing a great job, because you've held this post for longer than all those people and you've, over the years, I've seen where your organization. You've received numerous awards and just recently the Chamber awarded you Nonprofit of the Year, so congratulations for that, thank you. Continue to do a great job in our community, and I really appreciate that. Tell us a little bit about your staff. There's five of you there and you're the wayne bank building no, you've moved there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're in the um former train depot in the depot district.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's right yeah, yeah, I forgot about that because you know your office were you when you were in, that. I mean, our office was there at one time and uh, so, uh, yeah, I I guess I've just kind of slipped my mind there that you've moved over there. So how was it being in the depot? How do you like being in that building?
Speaker 2:We love it. When the opportunity came to us to relocate, to me it was an important decision to make because at that time the depot district was really going through revitalization and we wanted to be a part of that revitalization and being the first tenant in that building after it was vacant since the 1970s. There was a lot of challenges right in a hundred year old building, but we love it. It's beautiful. It shows really well to prospects who come and visit the community. It's very impressive to see how it's been revitalized and preserved and so it's kind of showcases commerce too, with the railroad coming through. Anyone that needs rail can see how frequently the rail line runs through the community so is it?
Speaker 1:I mean, does rail come through there still on a perfectly? Oh fairly regular basis and do we see that changing at all?
Speaker 2:no, not at all.
Speaker 1:No, not at all so I I'll go back to my question. So you've got five staff, including yourself, right? So tell us a little bit about each person and kind of just a snippet of what they do.
Speaker 2:Sure. Rhonda Fisher she's a lifelong resident of Richmond as well. She's our office manager. She keeps everything going and making sure we all have everything we need to do our jobs. She pays all the bills, keeps the lights on and is really a fantastic support person for the whole team. And then we have Teresa Lindsay. She is our manager of existing business and workforce development. She has a really big responsibility of going out and meeting with all of our existing businesses to check in on them, see what kind of tools and resources they may need, what kind of challenges are they facing that we might help alleviate and then also understand their workforce needs and kind of be that linchpin between education and business to make sure we're communicating educational needs, both k through 12 and higher ed.
Speaker 2:And then we have Renee Doty. She's our manager of marketing and communication. So she does just that. She manages two websites, multiple social media platforms, new marketing efforts, and so she works really closely with our marketing team at Iron Gate Creative for a lot of the EDC efforts that we're putting out. And then Sarah Mitchell she's our economic development manager. That's somewhat of a broad title because she handles a lot. She's the former city planner for the city of Richmond, so she brings a wealth of knowledge with her, and so she works a lot on industrial park development. Housing development helps develop new programs that we implement, such as the blight elimination program and our housing accelerator program that are both underway right now. So she's a huge asset to the team.
Speaker 1:Well, I've been impressed with your staff. I think you have a really great team you do, and I've probably had more interaction with Sarah and Teresa more than the other two Worked with. Well, I continue to you do too, because we're on the board at the Boys and Girls Club but worked with Sarah on a project at the club once and really enjoyed spending time with her and working on that project and I've known Teresa forever and she's had different jobs where we've crossed paths over the years and she has a tremendous amount of energy.
Speaker 2:She does, she does and I'll say so myself Rhonda, sarah and Teresa, we're all lifelong residents of. Richmond, and so I think that brings such a wealth of passion to the work that we're doing. And Renee, she's lived in wayne county for I don't know 25, 30 years, so, uh, she's very passionate as well well, uh, congratulations on bringing together a great team.
Speaker 1:Uh, you also have a board of directors, and when I've reviewed that, there's several that are almost are all of them appointed every one of them yes so there's a cross-section of uh of board members who are appointed and uh the different organizations or entities that that appoint those board members, and they normally serve like three-year term is that correct. So just how many board members are there currently?
Speaker 2:there are 12.
Speaker 1:Okay, and who, for those that don't, are followers who don't know where. Where do they come from? As far as the being, appointed, sure? So I'll first explain how we're funded, because that kind of leads us into how the board is made up, the EDC.
Speaker 2:We are a 501c3 not-for-profit organization but we are contracted by the Wayne County government to be the lead economic development agency and with that we sign a four-year agreement with the county Excuse me and every four years after we extend our contract then the EDC goes out and we meet with cities and towns throughout Wayne County to ask for their participation in countywide economic development through a unit contribution agreement, and what that means is they're committing to provide one half of their economic income tax revenue to countywide economic development. Those funds are pulled together into what we call the consolidated edit fund. That's jointly controlled by the EDC board of directors and the Wayne County commissioners, with final approval of the Wayne County council who has to appropriate the funds. So with that, if a community signs on, if they are within a community with a school district, they have a board seat.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So a good example is Fountain City. They have not been a participating community for numerous years. They do not have a board seat currently, but they could if they decided to sign on. So currently we have three board members are appointed by the Chamber of Commerce and that is to ensure we have great representation from the business community. And then we have three representatives from Wayne County, three from the city of Richmond and then one each from Cambridge City, centerville and Hagerstown.
Speaker 1:Okay, when you're working on projects and bringing in prospective clients and just the different activities that you're involved in, how do you, how do you make the small that you know, the small towns that are part of it, like centerville, and I think you mentioned hagerstown and cambridge city? Yes you know, sometimes I feel like in you know, in the state government, there's indianapolis and like everything sometimes it's probably not true, but evolves around them and then you have, like richmond, we're out here, you know, on the edge of the state, and it's like, you know, don't forget about us, or whatever.
Speaker 1:And so what do you? How do you manage that? As far as in a smaller level, you know, don't forget about us, or whatever. And so how do you manage that? As far as in a smaller level, you know, richmond being a big part of the county, but other participants in the smaller towns feel like they're not being forgotten about. How do you kind of balance that? Do you understand? I absolutely understand.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have that conversation all the time and really over the years, you know, the EDC has stayed true to its mission of primarily being focused on business development. So that's through cultivating business retention here, making sure businesses don't leave, cultivating business expansion opportunities but then also bringing in new businesses. So that is core to what we do, and so everyone who lives in Wayne County can benefit from working at any of those businesses that we're supporting. So I think that's primarily the ways in which the smaller communities benefit from the work that we do. No matter where a company is located in the county, they have an opportunity to work there.
Speaker 2:But outside of that, over the years we have really broadened the definition of economic development. It is no longer just business development, it is quality of life and it's talent recruitment and retention. You have to have all of those things to have a very viable community. No longer do businesses locate in a community who don't have adequate opportunities for their employees, right, because it's tough to attract the right talent, and so we have to have amenities for individuals to want to live and work here, and so we have created a lot of other initiatives to support those other areas, such as housing development. We have to have adequate places for individuals to live, such as housing development. We have to have adequate places for individuals to live and so right now the Housing Accelerator Program we just launched is to help extend infrastructure to platted unfinished subdivisions and that's available to any developer builder in the county to apply for those funds to start new housing.
Speaker 1:Michael Allen from Manpower. We are a national brand, yet locally owned franchise. We are familiar with the challenges businesses face. It's tough recruiting and retaining qualified employees. That's why working with Manpower is a smart, cost-effective solution. Our entire focus is talent acquisition. We'll manage your hiring and training and provide ongoing, customized support. Since 1966, we have been your community-infested partner, uniquely positioned to help eliminate the hassles and save you time and money. Let us help contact Manpower today.
Speaker 1:We have foods, Taconic and Sugar Creek all located out there and I guess if you add up all those jobs, there's several hundred jobs that are in that part of our county where people could go and find employment there and don't have to drive as far if people live in that part of the county.
Speaker 2:And I will just add that the smaller communities we ask them to reach out to us and we can find creative ways to support them. We're not their planning department, we can't handle everything for their communities, but if they bring us alongside their plans, you know we can help cultivate interest from outside investors, whether that is a commercial venture or housing development, whatever that may be, we want to be their partner. So as long as they're communicative with us and we understand what their needs are, we'll help support them.
Speaker 1:It's been great to see how the Boys and Girls Club has really branched out into the county and offered kids opportunity to be part of the programming that the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County offers to them.
Speaker 1:So I think about things like that too. You've mentioned so many things and all these questions are swimming in my head and I have all these notes too. But what's your what's kind of on your wish list for amenities that we don't have? If you could, I mean, do you have a couple in mind that I wish we could have this or had that in our community? It would be so awesome. I mean, do you think come to mind on that?
Speaker 2:I dream of a hustling and bustling downtown. You know, you see newer communities, what Fishers and Carmel and you know even downtown Indianapolis has been able to do over the years. You know, obviously we won't be to that scale with our population size, but just thinking of the different types of amenities that exist in most downtowns, you know better nightlife, more things for kids to do, just different services and restaurants and bars that exist that collectively provide different amenities that appeal to different types of people. And so I truly believe we are on the cusp of that here in Richmond with the Elder Beerman Redevelopment Project that's underway, combined with Earlham's Revitalize Richmond Project. We have numerous buildings that are targeted for revitalization downtown and I just am excited to look back in three or four years and see what we've accomplished.
Speaker 1:It seems like, at least to me and I've been in this community my whole life uh, going back as early as when we had the explode. I was a child when we had the explosion here uh, tragic, and quite a few people lost their lives. And then they're rebuilding from that and I think the build manpower's building is one of the first buildings that was built later after that Not the first one, but part of some of the redevelopment of infrastructure and buildings and it seems like we've been on this cycle of trying to revitalize and then kind of stub our toe and then it goes again. And I really feel like, when I look back over the years, that what we have going on now is probably one of our best opportunities to really make it happen and I just I'm a little fearful that if we don't do, if we don't get it right this time, then it's going to be like game over.
Speaker 1:And it's going to be like game over and you never say never. But we've had so many cycles of initiatives that I feel like we really, hopefully, can come together and make it happen this time, because it seems like there's a lot more money available. There seems to be, I hope, uh, more of um, uh, people, different groups, coming together. We, we with the same goals, that that we want to see it happen. Um, you know, I'm, I'm excited, I think it's great that the housing is going to be built where elder Berman was. I'm, I'm sorry for those who kind of had that sentimental feeling about that building being torn down and and, uh, you know, I, but I just don't know, and I mean obviously it coming down was going to be the majority thought that because it wouldn't have been torn down if, just if, the right people come together and decide, okay, it's, it's got to come down, and uh, so, uh, uh, it's down now.
Speaker 2:so we just need to move on and uh and see how this development goes we held that building for four years and for three years we market it, marketed that building to outside developers. It just wasn't a viable redevelopment opportunity. It was a concrete fortress. There was nothing aesthetically pleasing about the building. It wasn't a historic structure, in my opinion. We tried our best and there was no reason to save it. To pass on this new development opportunity I think would have been silly of us to have high-end, market rate apartments in the heart of our downtown that will help cultivate additional investment and other retail and services downtown. I really feel like this is a great project to help move us forward.
Speaker 1:And I think if those, once that's developed and people live there I think that will it's surely going to feed the other properties and businesses all throughout.
Speaker 2:I mean that's what we're hoping on right, absolutely Banking on it and you have to have residents in order to cultivate new businesses downtown. They're a built-in customer base. Without that, we've experienced that already We've had hardly any housing down here and businesses are not surviving, and so we've got to increase that built-in clientele and you do that through residents living in the area.
Speaker 1:One thing that's been a challenge or issue with the downtown is some of these absentee owners that have kind of bought up the properties. I think there's been a move to try to wrestle those away from those folks. To your knowledge, I think we still have some more that we would like to bring back in local ownership and work on. I mean, how do you feel that's going?
Speaker 2:It's going really well. There are numerous buildings under contract currently as part of Revitalize Richmond and I want to distinguish the difference between an out-of-town owner. So we often say you know, out-of-town owners are bad, we want it under local control, you want it under the right control, with individuals that have the wherewithal, to redevelop a property, that have the resources and the knowledge.
Speaker 2:These are very unique properties we have downtown. They're historic and so in order to adequately preserve them, you need people who are experienced in historic preservation and who have the appetite for big, risky projects like these.
Speaker 1:Right Now I misspoke on that. For the thousands of you that watch this podcast, I meant no offense to that, because we do. I mean great point the right kind of owner, because we have local owners that don't manage these properties well either. That's correct. So it's not about that. It's just the right owner who really want to develop that property and have it contribute to the overall community, whether it's housing or retail or services provided or whatever.
Speaker 2:And I would like to go back to the point you made earlier about. You know different visions over the years and how we've tried different things downtown, and I really think it's because there's been a lack of consistent leadership. So with every new mayoral administration the vision changes and the focus changes.
Speaker 2:Main Street Richmond has evolved numerous times over the years. With every new director there there was a different focus and so we haven't had a consistent downtown development corporation focused on our downtown. And I just joined the Main Street Board of Directors and we're going through a strategic planning process now and I really believe that Main Street Richmond has the opportunity to be that entity and help us carry all this work and momentum forward so that it's a continued focus by a single organization and they don't lose sight of that mission.
Speaker 1:Sure, I mean, with the political turnover, I mean that's, that's tough. You know, um, mayor Oler is only guaranteed four years, you know, and then if he decides to run again, then he's got to get elected. If he wants to continue and with his agenda and vision that he has as a leader that he hopes that you know, the residents would have elect him to do so, yeah, it would be interesting to see as things move forward, but I do like the feel, the vibe, right now and I think it's great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've got a great group of people who are working collaboratively together.
Speaker 1:So just kind of going back now, looking back over last year as far as certain topics, I have here the first one's, business development, any highlights regarding that that might want to share, or just kind of review that maybe some of our followers weren't aware of.
Speaker 2:Sure. So last year we worked with Richmond Beverage Solutions and TransCindia Both had sizable expansion projects, and so collectively, those two businesses are in the process of investing almost $62 million in their facilities and creating about 95 new jobs. That's coming off the heels of 2023, where we had over $500 million in new commitments, and the majority of those are in the Midwest Industrial Park. So Blue Buffalo is just finishing a $220 million expansion, and green ingredients just opened late last year with a $40 million pet food processing facility I'm sorry, pet food ingredient processing facility and then we have liberation labs. That is under construction currently. That construction was paused for a short period, but it's resuming now.
Speaker 2:And then, lastly, menasha quietly invested about $66 million in their facilities. They came in and bought Colorbox a couple of years ago, and so we're very fortunate that they chose to reinvest in these facilities, because oftentimes, when a company is acquired, you fear that they will shutter it and just take the book of business with them to their other existing plans yeah, minasha, that would be on my list of my early jobs oh, really, I worked in the plant, uh, when it was color box, back in uh, 1983, wow, in the summer of 83, and I just really enjoy the opportunity to get to looking back now.
Speaker 1:I really liked the opportunities I had through manpower as a temporary employee at that time, uh, to work in manufacturing companies. Quinex is another one. I worked in Okay, used to be called Imperial products and uh. So I really enjoyed the, just the experience of what it meant to be in manufacturing and build things be a part of that process.
Speaker 1:So that's just always stuck with me and something that I'm very grateful that at least now, as an older adult, maybe at that time maybe I wasn't excited about it but I'm really, really thankful for that.
Speaker 2:I love my job. I get to tour Menasha later this afternoon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:It's awesome to see how things are made.
Speaker 1:So are you going out on the north side?
Speaker 2:Yes, okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's where the production continues to grow in that facility rather than the G Street. Anything else. As far as last year, I think Vandor had a little bit of investment last year they did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I forgot about Vandor. They've been great partners in the community. So the city of Richmond actually owned the building at 1400 Industries Road, formerly occupied by Wolverine Worldwide. At the end of Wolverine's lease, they decided they were just going to go all remote. It worked so well during COVID. They did not see a need for their customer service representatives to be in a building any longer, and so suddenly I had that building to market. And along came Vandor and they entered into a lease of the building with an option to purchase, and since then they have purchased the building and are making it their company headquarters. Many don't know Vandor has other locations across the US, and so we're very fortunate that they call Richmond home to their corporate headquarters, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Extremely important that we have land under control and available for development, because when we get requests from the Indian Economic Development Corporation for leads, a company wants X amount of acres close to the interstate, within so many miles of an international airport. This is the zoning that they need. We need to have sites in our database that we're able to submit right away, and having additional land, with larger tracts of land, is enabling us to compete for larger projects. The largest tract of ground that we have now is 160 acres, and so we haven't had a piece of ground that large since Blue Buffalo purchased their 90 acre lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how bad do we want that I-70 work to be to start and be done? I just want it to be done, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean it's going to be good to start and be done. I just want it to be done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean it's going to be good but, it's going to be a little painful.
Speaker 2:We're used to pain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're loose, we're used to I said maybe we won't even. It won't even mean anything to us, we can get through it. Yeah, yeah. So I think that's I'm so happy it's going to finally it's getting close to starting. Yes, it's kind of already kind of started. They're doing little things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they are.
Speaker 1:They are.
Speaker 2:And it'll be very important for truck traffic. Oh, for sure For industry, both deliveries in and out of Wayne County, but also for our ability to attract additional industry.
Speaker 1:They'll be able to get moving quicker industry, they'll be able to get moving quicker. You touched on a little bit earlier in our conversation about talent attraction and also retention is important for our community Anything that you can share about that. As far as what the EDC is involved in, Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Well, outside of the Home and Wing campaign, you know, we really try to just work collaboratively with our employers to find out. You know what are the challenges that you're having in recruiting talent, because it's pretty widespread. But we are hopefully later this year our regional economic development group is going to embark on a skills gap analysis and really dive into what are the skills that we're lacking here and I think that will really help us understand what kind of additional training and higher educational needs that we have, but then also help us understand the challenges that our employers really are having recruiting specific skill sets into the community.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean with Manpower. I mean we have a lot of companies that do have those skill positions that it seems like they always have openings and various different skill sets.
Speaker 1:I mean, there's still an ongoing recruiting for entry-level manufacturing, which is important. And one of the impediments that we experience is one thing I wanted to ask you I talked to the mayor about it and I'll just get your opinion about it is I find that child care is one, but also I found that transportation is a huge impediment for, uh, for part of our local workforce, you know, to be able to take certain jobs and or keep jobs, because you know they'll, they'll miss work a lot because they can't get there and then and then they end up losing their jobs. And one thing about about our development, especially on the industrial side, is those developments are outside the city limits. You know we are in Cambridge City and far in the west side of Richmond, so the bus lines don't really address some of those needs we do not have.
Speaker 1:I mean, we have some taxi companies who are trying to make a go of it, but I don't think we have a real solid taxi cab base here that can address all the needs of the citizens. And then the problem is is if I were to take a cab to work every day and home I'm going to spend at least a hundred dollars a week for just those fees and I don't really out well. I mean it's helping me get to work and and you know, but still it's at $20 a day. It takes a chunk out of their checks which and a lot of these folks can't don't really have the means to secure a loan for a vehicle. I'm not sure what $400 can get you for a car these days.
Speaker 2:Maybe, maybe.
Speaker 1:I don't know. I don't know I'd have to. I haven't shopped for a used car in a while. So, and that price range so I don't because you have the insurance and gas and you know car payments I don't know if $400 is really going to cover it. So it's just that to me is tough. But I don't know how you get people from where they live within the community out to those places economically and efficiently?
Speaker 2:Absolutely, you're right. It's something we hear from employers, especially those out in the industrial parks that are outside of the city bus route, and it's a challenge and it's not a challenge that the EDC has decided to tackle, but I believe the city is embarking on a transportation plan this year. And so I'm really hoping that will shed some light on some potential areas of improvement, but that still doesn't tackle our countywide issue Right, so it's a tremendous challenge.
Speaker 1:There's only so many things that your organization can do Right, and we are not.
Speaker 2:that is a big challenge to tackle and I don't think our organization can do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So, but just to validate though. I mean, you're hearing that from different employers, yeah, and so at least for those who who can make try to make an impact on it, I mean you support the idea that we definitely need to continue to find ways to help people get to their job absolutely um, make my move.
Speaker 1:Uh, program. I'm kind of been a little bit interested in that lately because, uh, one of my, one of my sons, is a remote worker in Tennessee and we're trying to get him to come back to Richmond and made him aware of that program and so kind of where does that stand Is that? How long is that going to keep being available? And you could tell maybe a little bit about it?
Speaker 2:Sure, and you could tell, maybe a little bit about it. Sure, so Make my Move is a remote worker attraction program that Wayne County has signed up for. And Make my Move they have the website, they do all of the marketing, they do all of the back-end background checks and validating candidates. I simply review applications and approve individuals into the program based on our parameters. So an individual has to make a minimum of $55,000 a year. That's one of the qualifiers, and once they get through that application process and they're approved, then they can essentially qualify for a $5,000 relocation package as well as choose from community packages such as different arts organizations provide memberships or fitness passes, and passes to golf courses are in our sports package, and then we have a history package, and so there's different avenues of packages they can choose from.
Speaker 2:That also gets them out into the community to experience some of our assets and amenities. But once they decide to move here, upon providing proof of residency, they get their initial $2,500. And then, after they stay for one year and prove that they're still here, they get their second installment of 2,500. So we have 24 people in the program today. I believe eight have been here for their one year, and so we have six spots remaining, because our goal is 30. And we have until September to get there. That's how long our contract is with Make my Move to provide their services.
Speaker 1:Okay. So, sam, if you're watching Dad's podcast, you better get in quick, because there's only six left son. So you've got to make a move on that as soon as possible. Do you think that will be renewed? Do you think there will be a move to try to do once you've kind of gone through that? Do you think you'll kind of try it again, or is there funds available to do that?
Speaker 2:I'm not sure, but there has been discussions with local leaders about trying something different on our own, where we're actually helping our existing employers recruit high-demand jobs and we're supporting them in their recruitment efforts by maybe doubling down or increasing their financial package for recruitment, because the remote worker program is great. You know, individuals can work anywhere and we have such a low cost of living that it's an appeal to them to move from major markets here and, you know, stretch their income further. But it's not supporting our existing employers. So we'll talk about how we might pivot in that direction.
Speaker 1:You mentioned earlier in our conversation. It's just the span of what you're trying to do has expanded and you mentioned one of them was housing development, and part of it you mentioned the Housing Accelerator Program was housing development and part of it? You mentioned the Housing Accelerator Program, I believe from my notes, there is a half a million available to support infrastructure extensions.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And has that been? How much of that money has been dipped into so far?
Speaker 2:So none yet the applications are open.
Speaker 2:So, if you are a housing developer or builder that has an interest in the program, you can get a hold of me and we will get you the application. I think the applications are open until mid-March March 15th I believe and then at that time we will evaluate all the applications. We're thinking we might be able to support two to three developments with that money and in our work with Wayne County government they've said that if there is a high need then we'll look to see if there's additional funding available.
Speaker 1:So does the Smith Hill subdivision or the project at the Elder Behrman site. Do they qualify for that?
Speaker 2:They do not. So Smith Hill is a new subdivision and so we're looking at current platted, unfinished subdivisions. So think about neighborhoods where you see a stub at the road and there's vacant ground right. There's an additional section of that subdivision that could be developed, but a lot of those have not because of the barrier of the cost of extending that infrastructure, and so we're trying to eliminate that barrier and finish some of these subdivisions throughout the county.
Speaker 1:And are there significant ones? I mean out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there are. Okay, yeah, by our counts there's about 20.
Speaker 1:Really Okay, all right ones. I mean out there. Yeah, there are okay. Yeah, by our counts there's about 20. Really okay, all right. Um, the blight program we did touch on that a little bit, where we're just going in and removing buildings that are in disrepair, primarily uh, I I think some of the the cleanup that wasn't funded through the federal government, part of the cleanup from the fire that we had over at the. What's the street, is it h?
Speaker 2:oh, what's what?
Speaker 1:where the hofko building right and the recycling did some of that? Some of that money was used to help with some of the costs, wasn't it or not?
Speaker 2:no, no these blight funds um.
Speaker 1:They're the consolidated edit and county edit funds that we've pulled for this program I know there were some, some local monies used to help that I was talking to mayor. I just can't remember if that was it could have part of that fund.
Speaker 2:it could have been part of the city's budget for unsafe structures, all right.
Speaker 1:How long do we let a rundown residential home just sit and sit and sit? I mean, unfortunately in our community we have our fair share of those. I mean it would be interesting if you just take some drive in certain neighborhoods in our community. It's amazing how many that we have. And whatever we can do to kind of clean those up I think in the long run is probably to our benefit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, we definitely need some more neighborhood stabilization projects um you know funding available for that so that we can try to save some of these homes before they get so far deteriorated that there's no bringing them back.
Speaker 1:We talked about. I had written a note. I think we kind of talked about a little bit about what are some of your thoughts that may be about the available workforce and how. I mean I think we have people available for jobs, but I think the skill issue is, you know, people with the right skill set is still an ongoing issue and I'm not sure what different relationships or programs are you aware of that are trying to address that other than anything that we may have mentioned already or hit on.
Speaker 1:I mean, is that part of discussions that you have on an ongoing basis?
Speaker 2:Ivy Tech. Right now they have a program they're working on it's called Manufacturing Reimagined where they're working with manufacturers in the region on developing a new manufacturing lab and really focusing on those skill sets that are needed by our primary employers. So I applaud them for that effort and reinvesting in technology and new training opportunities for existing employers. But back to your question about having an adequate workforce. Our commuter base has grown and grown over the years because we have added employment opportunities, and so we have over 12,000 people now that commute to Wayne County every day to work. The nut that I think we have to crack is our labor participation rate, which sits at about 55%. So what's the remaining 45% of our age-qualified workforce doing? So that's a question no one seems to be able to answer. So I think it's about those who are able-bodied how do we get them back to work and in a career that they really enjoy?
Speaker 1:That all kind of I hate going back and talking about the pandemic. I think I've already said that comment on several former podcasts.
Speaker 2:You can't avoid it, but yeah it's tough.
Speaker 1:It was a moment in our country's history that just had an impact on us, and every community was affected by it, probably some more than others, but I think that workforce participation was greatly impacted by that, and maybe forever.
Speaker 1:I don't know I mean it's until you move through some generations, but that definitely had an impact on that and I don't know what we do to get people back. You know, and now they're living, now they're surviving, not being gainfully employed. I don't know if assistance is involved and they're just learning to kind of survive on less. So I don't know.
Speaker 2:I have no clue. I look to Department of Workforce Development and others at Eastern Indiana Works to try to solve that issue for us. They're the experts, yeah.
Speaker 1:Who goes switching gears we're going to wrap up here in a minute, but community feedback sessions who runs those?
Speaker 2:The ones that are underway right now are managed by Ford Wayne County, which is the community development arm of the Wayne County Foundation.
Speaker 2:So right now Ford Wayne County and Wayne County government are joining forces for a new countywide planning process.
Speaker 2:We just went through that two years ago, through the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program, otherwise known as HELP, where we had numerous jurisdictions, cities and towns volunteer to be a part of that planning process, and at the end of it we had a plan and each community contributed 30% of their ARPA funds.
Speaker 2:But Wayne County contributed 30% of their ARPA funds, and that was $5 million, I believe, and so all of those dollars were reinvested into the programs and projects that were identified in that planning process. We've completed that plan, and so now we're embarking on a second planning process. The difference is there's no money at the end of it to implement the projects, but our hope is new programs always develop, whether it's at the federal or state level or even at the local level. We could come up with some funding to help implement some of the projects that are identified, and so I believe there are 10 or 11 different towns in the city that are participating this time, and so we want community feedback as to you know what's important to you and your communities as we develop the plans there are some sessions that you have where you actually go.
Speaker 1:you have a location and people come and so who conducts? I mean, who's the person that goes and tries to answer those questions? Because those kind of meetings can be very interesting. You know, people have a lot of passion about what they feel like and they come and you know, I mean I think it's great to try to have those open forums and be transparent and go and answer those. But it also can be kind of interesting moments can come from those times.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. That's why we hire professionals at HWC Engineering who are consultants that manage that. They collect all the feedback and they know how to consolidate it into information that we can then read and review and determine what we do with it, okay, all right, uh, touched.
Speaker 1:We've kind of been all over the gamut of things, so hopefully it makes some sense when, uh, I, we go back through this again and watch it. But, uh, anything else that is noteworthy that you'd just like to share? Maybe not. We've covered, I think, a lot, but I may have missed something. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Just sitting in my seat. It's very interesting of the public's opinion of the work that's being done in the community. So as you hear about projects and programs that are launching, try to be open-minded about how it impacts other individuals. Not everything is going to be appealing to you. Not every project or business is going to be a place that you visit personally. But try to be open-minded about how different the needs of individuals are in the community and how it might be supporting someone else's family, someone else's livelihood or someone else's interests. So I just want people to be more open-minded about the work that's being done.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Just not always say well, what's in it for me, and it's easy to fall in trap about being self-introspective about what I want but, I, think you make a great point about what's good for us as a community and and how other lives can be enriched by different programs and initiatives that go on, and if it's for the greater good, then I think everyone's going to benefit from it in the long run so no I appreciate your words about that.
Speaker 1:so, valerie, thank you for coming on and speaking with me today and appreciate the work that you and your team are doing, and just keep up the great work. We appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thanks for coming. So, whatever platform that you're watching or listening today, I just ask you to please spread the word, like, share and subscribe Michael Allen from Manpower. We are a national brand, yet locally owned franchise. We are familiar with the challenges businesses face. It's tough recruiting and retaining qualified employees. That's why working with Manpower is a smart, cost-effective solution. Our entire focus is talent acquisition. We'll manage your hiring and training and provide ongoing customized support. Since 1966, we have been your community invested partner, uniquely positioned to help eliminate the hassles and save you time and money. Let us help contact Manpower today.