Economic Development Officials Highlight Daviess County Achievements at Annual Stakeholder Update

July 8, 2022

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Denny Spinner, and Bryant Niehoff at the 2022 DCEDC Annual Stakeholder Update

ODON, Indiana – On July 6th, the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) hosted a Stakeholder Update at the WestGate Academy in the WestGate@Crane Certified Technology Park in northern Daviess County.  The meeting featured special guests Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and Denny Spinner, Executive Director of  the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), who joined local leaders in exploring the topic of the economic outlook for rural Indiana. 

DCEDC Board of Directors’ Chairman, Eric Lane opened the event by welcoming the organization’s investors, stakeholders, and partners, and by thanking the event’s sponsors:  the Indiana Municipal Power Agency, Daviess-Martin County REMC, and RTC Communications.

Lane then introduced Bryant Niehoff, executive director of the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation. Niehoff provided an update on the community’s economic and community development achievements, efforts, and programs in recent years.

Updates included DCEDC’s business support efforts, including the COVID-19 Small Business Relief Program and the ongoing Business Retention and Expansion Program in partnership with Purdue Extension. 

Additionally, the EDC touted talent and quality of life initiatives, such as the establishment of an Infrastructure Development Zone to promote investment in rural broadband infrastructure, $26 million in new housing projects, the planned $4 million Daviess County Commons project, and regional workforce attraction/development programming.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Niehoff reported that the organization has assisted in projects that have brought nearly $151 million in direct investment and 433 new jobs to Daviess County in recent years.  Meanwhile, the community has also experienced six percent population growth since 2010. 

  Niehoff said that, in the coming months, the community can expect engagement in regional efforts such as the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) and the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP).

The Economic Development Corporation also honored the Immediate Past Chairman, Tony Graber of Graber Construction and Graber Crane, and announced two recipients of the Arthur R. Boddy Legacy Award:  Tara Brower and Joe Singleton. 

The event concluded with a Fireside Chat with Lieutenant Governor Crouch and Denny Spinner of OCRA.  Crouch and Spinner discussed strategies for rural Indiana communities, such as Daviess County, and efforts at the State level, including the recently announced “In Indiana” campaign and the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program.

#     #     #

About the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation

As a private/public partnership for county-wide economic development, the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) is working to build a foundation for a better tomorrow in the communities within Daviess County, Indiana. A founding organization of the WestGate @ Crane Technology Park, DCEDC's mission is to improve the standard of living in Daviess County by expanding and diversifying the economic base, promoting quality employment opportunities, and enhancing the overall quality of place. For more information, please visit www.developdaviess.com