Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels s
The role
of business attraction for St. Joseph County will now be led by The Chamber of
Commerce of St. Joseph County, according to both The Chamber and Project Future,
the organization that previously performed this function. The purpose of this
transition is to provide a clearer picture, in terms of economic development, to
those customers the county seeks and to offer “one-stop shopping” for the
prospect and customer.
The
Chamber will now guide economic development efforts as it relates to attracting
new businesses, marketing the community, as well as business growth and
retention. The attraction/community marketing piece is a new function, as The
Chamber has been performing the other functions for many years. As the leading
economic development organization for the county, The Chamber will continue to
work collaboratively with key constituents, such as other economic development
organizations in the region, government, education, business groups and the
business community.
“Both
The Chamber and Project Future have been evaluating how we do business and how
our efforts can be best defined to attract new businesses, foster growth among
our existing businesses, and encourage new businesses to start up. Our goal is
to better leverage the many resources available and bring clarity and focus to
our countywide and regional efforts. This led to the decision to make these
important and necessary changes,” said Phil Newbold, chairman of the board for
Project Future.
“There
is currently no issue more important to our area than jobs and economic
development. With stiff competition for those jobs from across the country and
around the world, now more than ever we need to make sure we are well positioned
to be a welcoming community that encourages business activity,” said Brad
Toothaker, chairman of the board for The Chamber.
According to Jeff Rea,
Chamber president and CEO, “We are excited about these changes and believe they
are in the best interests of both organizations and this community. This clarity
and focus, the clear delineation of roles and responsibilities and the
leveraging of key assets and resources, better position St. Joseph County for
future prosperity.”
The Chamber will serve as the
county’s single point of contact for all business needs, whether it’s new
businesses wanting to start up, existing businesses looking to grow and those
looking to relocate here. As convener, The Chamber will point customers in the
right direction to facilitate their inquiries and needs. “We intend to connect
the dots for the customer and help serve in that project management role to
navigate the customer through the process in a streamlined manner. We will guide
customers in communicating with them what groups to work with to best achieve
different parts of their overall goal,” said Rea.
The Chamber of Commerce of
St. Joseph County was established in 1909. Its current strategic direction
emphasizes economic development, public policy and education. It focuses on
promoting a pro-prosperity environment where businesses thrive and jobs are
created. Said Toothaker, “The Chamber brings a proven team to this added
responsibility, including a combined 42 years of economic development
experience, garnering $1.348 billion in private investment and more than $35
million in public investment.”
As of January 1, 2012,
Project Future will cease to exist as an organization. Pat McMahon, executive
director of Project Future, will be working with the University of Notre Dame on
a contract basis, consulting with businesses starting up at Innovation Park and
helping to bring the research and innovation to commercialization. “In recent
years, Project Future’s efforts have been in this arena, and I think this
partnership with Notre Dame will help leverage our resources and bring focus to
this important piece of our community’s economic development strategy,” said
McMahon. “I’m looking forward to the collaborative work in front of us.”