Chambers Are Taking a Regional Approach To Business Development
Published Apr 16, 2008
The U.S. 41 Twin Bridges cross the Ohio River into Henderson County, Ky., near Evansville.
Business is all about competition, and often the bigger player wins. With that in mind, four counties in the Southwest Indiana region have joined forces to enhance their individual efforts.
The Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana was formed in 2006, allowing Vanderburgh, Gibson, Warrick and Posey counties to pool their resources when the need arises. While each county will continue to recruit new business to its area – and work to grow its existing business base – acting as a unit will elevate the area’s national profile when it comes to leveraging marketing dollars and other efforts, says Greg Wathen, president and CEO of the coalition.
“The coalition really is an umbrella structure, and it will work with each county to be the primary marketer for the region,” Wathen says. “Now each county is creating its own economic development delivery system.”
Going forward, the coalition’s staff will be putting together a strategic focus with specific points about each county’s strengths and how they can all tie in together. This will include everything from workforce training and infrastructure to telecommunications setup and delivery.
“We’re going to be doing a lot of grants management and similar projects so we can help secure funding to help our partners build capacity and align to the strategy for each county and for the region,” Wathen says. “All of the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to come into play.”
This type of top-to-bottom planning will enable each county to work more efficiently, whether on its own or as part of the overall coalition. More importantly, it will enable the area to compete much more effectively in a changing business climate, says Matt Meadors, president and CEO of The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana.
“Our region’s units of government and economic development professionals must respond in a manner that is customer-centric,” Meadors says. “Corporate site locators and others interested in starting or expanding operations in Southwest Indiana must be able to easily and efficiently access information and necessary service providers. If we present ourselves as parochial and disorganized, we will be viewed poorly. We run the risk of missing opportunities to grow and diversify our economy, which is unacceptable.”
The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana is taking further steps in this regard, entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Warrick County Chamber of Commerce and a similar working relationship with the Henderson-Henderson County (Ky.) Chamber of Commerce. The chambers will exchange board seats and collaborate on major projects.
“These alliances create a regional team dedicated to working in a collaborative manner on important issues such as the construction of Interstate 69, the architectural lighting of the twin bridges that span the Ohio River and link Southwest Indiana to Northwest Kentucky, the construction of a new set of bridges across the Ohio River, workforce development issues and more,” Meadors says. “This coordinated, regional approach strengthens each county’s position and helps to maximize the likelihood for successful outcomes.”
“The chambers all have much in common, so this type of arrangement just makes good business sense,” notes George H. Warren, president of the Henderson-Henderson County Chamber of Commerce.
“Whether it be employment, people who work over here and live in Evansville or vice versa – or projects like the lighting of the bridge – we have some overlap,” Warren says. “We’re already working with other chambers on the Kentucky side of the river on legislative issues, so we look forward to this new partnership as it ties Southwest Indiana and West Kentucky together for a long relationship.”
Enhancing regional relationships is also the order of the day at the Warrick County Chamber of Commerce, says Tracy Holder, executive director.
“We work closely with all of the chambers in the Southwest region, discussing county and regional issues,” Holder says. “It is very important for the chambers as well as the economic development department and our elected officials to work closely together to accomplish common goals for the community and regional area to prosper.”
In the end, teamwork is the key.
“We share a workforce, and that knows no geographic boundary,” Wathen says. “When you get people engaged and involved in a regional effort, put everyone on an equal playing field and treat them in a fair and equitable manner, then you’re going to be fine.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Jeff Adkins
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