An enviable lifestyle awaits in this northern Indiana city.

Looking for a city that checks all the boxes on your must-have list — great job opportunities, friendly folks, diverse neighborhoods, four-season weather? Good news! South Bend, a midsize city in northern Indiana, offers all of that and so much more — and people are taking notice.

Writer Lindsey Hyde highlights 8 Reasons to Move to South Bend.

Read Full Article

St. Joseph County is the largest County in Indiana without a Career Center. With the growing need for skilled workers, there has been a lot of discussion about the need to develop such a center in our area. Last year, two proposals emerged in the original call for potential READI (Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative) projects. The Chamber has taken a leadership role in this discussion to determine need and develop a unified St. Joseph County plan.

We have contracted with enFocus to gather baseline data on existing CTE programs and the current demand/interest in new programs within the potential "feeder" high schools in St. Joseph County. While the planning process dovetails nicely with the work being done by the South Bend Community School Corporation, the Chamber believes the scope needs to be broader and that it is necessary to really understand the demand/supply and level of interest in partnering to meet any existing and emerging needs.

The Chamber wants to ensure any center has a demonstrated need, is sustainable, meets the needs of businesses both today and in the future, and provides great opportunities for students seeking opportunities in various careers. The project is in its early stages as stakeholder meetings and information gathering have just begun.

If you have an interest in learning more about the planning for a center, or have thoughts you’d like to share, please email Chamber President & CEO Jeff Rea at [email protected].

Any magic wands, silver bullets or other cliche objects out there to guarantee your membership success? Too bad things don't work that way. Truth is, you play an integral role in a successful journey.

You see, we work on your behalf. If you are successful, we are successful. Companies become members of the South Bend Regional Chamber because they want (1) more business and visibility, or (2) to build a stronger business community.

Let's connect the dots to see how all of this works. First, do you patronize fellow Chamber member businesses? Or, if you have a need, do you simply google and select any online company that appears in your search list? Consider working with businesses, like yours, that made the decision to invest in the local business economy by being members of the Chamber. Remember, we have an online business directory of all of our members. Before you automatically google and select a random company, visit our online directory first, or contact our Membership Director Mark McGill who can provide you with referrals and connect you appropriately.

Beyond that, if you are looking to increase business, try to attend some Chamber programming where you'll have an opportunity to connect with other businesses. Some programming is perfectly suited to network with others, so you can learn more about them and they can learn more about you. Remember, it's a long game, and you need to have the patience and resiliency to build up relationships. That takes time but it's so worth it. Simply put, you do business with people you know and vice-versa.

You may not have the time to attend some programming. That's fine. What about other employees at your company? Your Chamber membership is not simply for the person who signs the checks. Rather, membership is for any employee of a member business. Make sure as you have personnel changes at your company, you update us with those changes to keep your staff current with what's happening at the Chamber.

What's making news at your company? Who are the people making the news? We're always looking for fresh content to share with our audiences.

As you can see, membership is really one big network of businesses and people. What makes it successful is the ability for those businesses and people working together to support one another, solve problems, and lift one another. Our role is to expedite connections, convene meetings for problem-solving, information and education; and to amplify opportunities, resources and stories.

Additional Tips

• Check your business description on the Chamber's business directory. If you are displaying along with others in the same category, does your description differentiate you?
• Include your logo and social media platforms on yor directory listing.
• Post your job openings on our free Jobs Board
• Post your events on the Member Events Calendar.
• Include a digital membership plaque on your website.
• Consider being a Chamber ambassador to gain further exposure for your company.
• Attend Chamber programming for information, education and connections.
• Participate in Chamber programming, as appropriate, such as MFG Days, BLDG Trades Week, etc.
• Partner with the Chamber to sponsor events or advertise in communications to gain additional visibility.
• Take advantage of Chamber initiatives, like the PHP health insurance program, Constant Contact emarketing, Office Depot, prescription savings and more.
• Offer a chamber REWARD - a discount/offer available on the Chamber website.

Hoosiers ages 12 years and older are eligible to schedule a vaccination appointment. 

Register at: ourshot.in.gov or call 211.

Governor Extends Emergency Public Health Order Through September 2021

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, bolstered by the delta variant, Gov. Eric Holcomb on Monday renewed the state’s public health emergency order for the 18th time. The latest renewal will run through the end of September. At the same time, Holcomb also issued a short-term order for handling the coronavirus spread, buying time to issue an order later this week that will extend through the month. Read full story in the South Bend Tribune.

St. Joseph County Face Mask Order Rescinded

St. Joseph County’s health officer on May 13 rescinded the order requiring masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Robert M. Einterz cited the CDC’s recommendation earlier in the day that fully vaccinated people no longer need masks in most cases. Einterz also asked the St. Joseph County Council to rescind a related ordinance that allowed businesses to be fined for not enforcing the mask order among employees.

Both the mask order and the fine ordinance were supposed to be in place until May 27.

The decision to lift the order does not apply to businesses, which can still require masks.

Even though Einterz has faced political pressure to lift St. Joseph County’s mask order, he said in an interview Thursday night that the decision was based entirely on the CDC’s new guidance for fully vaccinated people. But Einterz’s decision means unvaccinated people, the majority of St. Joseph County’s population, also will not have to follow an order mandating masks indoors.

Less than 37% of the county's residents are fully vaccinated, according to the latest numbers from the health department.

“I remain very concerned we have pockets within our community where the number of individuals who are vaccinated is low,” Einterz said. “They will continue to spread the virus among themselves, and we’re not out of the woods with the potential for new variants.”

Read the full story in the South Bend Tribune

Current CDC Guidelines

Go to cdc.gov

State COVID-19 Dashboard

Visit coronavirus.in.gov

COVID Symptom Checker

Visit CrossChecksjc.com.

Update on Employee Testing For Return-to-Work

The Indiana Department of Health is no longer recommending that employers require a negative test result before allowing an employee who has: 1) isolated for 10 days since their symptoms began; 2) seen improvement of symptoms; and 3) been fever-free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medication to return to work. A negative test should only be required of employees who wish to return to work before meeting the three criteria listed. An alternate return-to-work plan is recommended for employees who are severely immunocompromised. For more information, see the ISDH Indiana Health Alert Network Notification – July 28, 2020.

State Back on Track Reopening Plan

The roadmap is a five-phase plan developed by the State of Indiana to reopen the economy.
News Release | BackOnTrack Website | 5 Stages | Specific Industry Guidelines

Executive Order 20-26: Business Requirements

We recommend that all employers review Governor Holcomb’s most recent Executive Order, 20-26, thoroughly and carefully. Please note that all Hoosier employers shall develop a plan to implement measures and institute safeguards to ensure a safe environment for their employees, customers, clients and members. The plan must be provided to all employees and staff, as well as posted publicly. At a minimum, the plan must include an employee health screening process, cleaning and disinfecting protocols, hand-washing/hygiene opportunities; and social distancing measures. And all employers must adhere to the health and safety standards established by IOSHA. These requirements and more are found at the top of page 4 of the executive order. Executive Order 20-26

Sample Return to Work Plans

Manufacturing, Logistics & Warehousing Sectors

Office Environments

Sales and Services Operations

Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Returning to Work & Recovery Guide
Email Purdue MEP if you have any questions, or if your organization needs additional assistance. To obtain the free guide, please complete the form here.

Miscellaneous Resources

CDC Cleaning & Disinfecting Guide | Download PDF | Website

ISDH Cleaning Guidance for Businesses | PDF

OSHA Guidelines on Preparing Workplaces | Download PDF | More IOSHA Resources/Info

OSHA Guidance for the Construction Workforce  | Website  

OSHA Prevent Worker Exposure | More

10 Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk | More

OSHA Guidance for Retail Workers | More

National Restaurant Association’s Guidance for Restaurants | Website

Brand & Marketing Recovery Guide, by Villing & Company | Download PDF

South Bend Clinic COVID Consulting | Download PDF
Call Dr. Brian Huber at 574.807.4697 | [email protected]

Barnes & Thornburg Labor & Employment Business Return to Work Checklist | Download PDF

Business Furnishings Post-COVID Workplace Solutions Guide | Download PDF 

PPE Supplies

State PPE Directory | Website

Chamber PPE List

The Chamber has compiled an extensive list of PPE suppliers: face masks/coverings/shields, hand sanitizer/disinfectants, gloves, gowns, acrylic partitions, signage and more. View list

Purdue MEP COVID-19 Critical PPE Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative | Website

Purdue MEP COVID-19 PPE Manufacturing Design, Specifications & Instructions Portal | Website 

Mishawaka Small Business COVID Relief Program

More at lakecitybank.com/mishawakabizloans

Other Funding Options

Indiana Small Business Development Center: Relief Options

SBA Update Links

Access the latest links from sba.gov about funding sources for small businesses.

Path Forward Series

The U.S. Chamber Foundation, in their Path Forward: Navigating the Return to Work webinar series, looks at the different phases and challenges of how we reopen the economy. Each episode features conversations between the U.S. Chamber president Suzanne Clark and experts with practical recommendations for businesses of all sizes. Episodes air every Monday and Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. You can register to attend, however, episodes are also recorded and can be found on their Facebook page and YouTube channel. Learn more

CDC Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting

Download PDF

ISDH Guidance for Businesses

View the Indiana State Department of Health's new (as of April 15) Guidance for Employers During COVID-19

ISDH COVID-19 Cleaning Guidance

View the Indiana State Department of Health's COVID-19 Cleaning Guidance for Businesses

Indiana Unemployment Insurance Employer FAQs

FAQs Link

Indiana Unemployment Insurance Claimant FAQs (How to File)

Download PDF (As of March 26)

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

All employers, with under 500 employees, are required to give their employees this Families First Paid Sick Leave Notice.  Download notice. If you have any question, please reach out to the Chamber's Director of Operations Mari Bishop at 574.400.4001. Download Families First Employee Rights Poster.

Labor & Employment Law

COVID-19 Employer Update: Barnes & Thornburg Webinar (March 23). Access Webinar

Benefits Playbook

View the Gibson COVID-19 Employee Benefits Playbook

Tax Information

With the impending federal $2.2 billion federal relief legislation, RSM shares their Tax Alert on the Legislation.

Preparing and Responding to COVID-19

Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers from the CDC

Workplace Tips - Tips and resources for employers to combat the virus

U.S. Chamber's Business Resources: Preparedness Tips and Guidelines

Corporate Aid Tracker - How businesses are helping nationwide

Survey on Business Impact - Results from the American Chamber of Commerce in China

Resilience in a Box - A toolbox to help businesses put a plan in place (created by the US Chamber Foundation in partnership with the UPS Foundation)

More Resources - Including consolidated, business-specific guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Coronavirus Resource Page

COVID-19 Safety and Health Standards

Key Planning Recommendations for Mass Gatherings

CISA Guidelines on Essential Businesses

Rapid Recovery for a Stronger South Bend - Elkhart Workforce

Employers may apply for up to $100,000, capped at up to $5,000 per employee, via the Employer Training Grant (ETG) – which is an increase from the previous cap of $50,000 per employer. Individual learners may apply for up to $10,000 in scholarship resources available via the Workforce Training Grant (WTG)– which is also an increase from a previous cap of $5,500. Eligible training programs are highlighted on the Next Level Jobs resource page, with eligibility for funding being focused on the following sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Building & Construction, Health & Life Sciences, IT & Business Services, and Transportation & Logistics. Interested employers may complete the below form or contact South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership Director of Education and Workforce, Leighton Johnson via email at [email protected] for more information. Read news release

Rapid Recovery for a Stronger South Bend – Elkhart Workforce Employer Signup Form

Goodwill Industries of Michiana

View their Facebook page

HR Resources

View HR COVID-19 resources provided by the Society of Human Resource Management

Chamber Jobs Board

Post job openings on the Chamber Jobs Board and view job openings.

Bendable

Online lifelong learning tool launched by the St. Joseph County Library | Website

View School Reopening Plans

The following are some reopening plans from area school systems. We recommend that you view the schools’ individual websites for more information and updates.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation 
School City of Mishawaka
South Bend Community School Corporation

Career Launch Virtual Tour

While we had to cancel the March 24 and 25 Career Launch event at the Century Center. We now bring it to you virtually! Our area employers are ready to show high school students and adults what entry-level or internship opportunities that have available. Use this page as a great learning exercise for high school students learning from home. Take the tour.

Home Learning

WNIT and WORLD to Broadcast Daily At Home Learning Programs for Grades 6-12. More Info

City of South Bend

City of Mishawaka

St. Joseph County Department of Health

Gov. Holcomb Announces COVID-19 County Metrics & Requirements

Governor Eric J. Holcomb today signed Executive Order 20-48 to implement pandemic requirements for all Hoosiers and targeted restrictions for counties that have high levels of COVID-19.
Local governments may impose more restrictive guidelines. The Indiana Department of Health has established a color-coded county map that measures weekly cases per 100,000 residents and the seven-day positivity rate for all tests completed. Each county is assigned a color based on the average of scores for the two metrics. Restrictions are assigned based on the map, which is updated each Wednesday at www.coronavirus.in.gov.

Click here for an in-depth description of the requirements for all Hoosiers and targeted restrictions for counties:

St. Joseph County is in orange.

Orange: The county’s community spread is approaching high levels. These requirements are in effect when a county reaches the Orange metric and remain until a county moves to Yellow or Blue for two straight weeks.
• Social gatherings of any kind, indoor or outdoor, are limited to 50 people.
• A special, seasonal or commercial event for which more than 50 people will be in attendance, must submit a plan to the local health department at least seven days in advance and receive approval before proceeding. College and professional sports are included. This requirement is effective Nov. 22.

A special, seasonal or commercial event for which more than 25 people will be in attendance, must submit a plan to the local health department at least seven days in advance and receive approval before proceeding. College and professional sports are included. This requirement is effective Nov. 22.

Regardless of a county’s color code, face coverings are required for all Hoosiers. Businesses of all types are required to place clearly visible signs at their public and employee entrances notifying all that face coverings are required. All customers in restaurants and bars are required to be seated. Tables, counters, or other seating arrangements must be spaced six feet apart.
The executive order takes effect on Sunday, Nov. 15 and runs until at least Saturday, Dec. 12. More

State Face Covering Requirement

Executive Order 20-37 requires face coverings in the state of Indiana for anyone 8 years old or older in the following places:
•    Public indoor spaces and commercial entities
•    While using public transportation or other vehicle services such as a taxi or ride share
•    Outdoor public spaces when it’s not possible to socially distance from people not in the same household
The order has exceptions for medical purposes, disabilities, exercising, and eating and drinking. The governor also modified the mask order for school children. Students can remove their masks during classroom instruction when they are able to maintain at least three to six feet of distance between students.

#MaskUpHoosiers Campaign | Website

St. Joseph County Public Health Ordinance Requires Face Masks

Public Health Order 3-2020, effective through December 31, 2020, requires all St. Joseph County residents to wear face coverings when in public spaces and any business open to customers must have hand sanitizers available (60% alcohol-based) at entrances | Order 3-2020

Indiana Continues in Stage 5 in Back on Track Plan

Governor Eric J. Holcomb has advanced the state to an updated version of the Stage 5 Back On Track Indiana plan and extend the state’s face covering mandate until at least Nov. 14. Executive Order

COVID-19 Response Team Coordination Updates

View current & archival information

Positive Cases | Deaths | Testing Data

As reported by the ISDH on November 11, the county’s (St. Joseph) total number of confirmed cases is 12,798 with 190 deaths (104,211 tests). Statewide, it is 224,374 (3.3M tested), with 4,512 deaths. View ISDH county by county map.

CrossCheck Self-Assessment

The county’s online self-assessment tool is now live. Here, residents can go through a series of questions and checks to assess their symptoms. Visit CrossChecksjc.com.

Update on Employee Testing For Return-to-Work

The Indiana Department of Health is no longer recommending that employers require a negative test result before allowing an employee who has: 1) isolated for 10 days since their symptoms began; 2) seen improvement of symptoms; and 3) been fever-free for 24 hours without use of fever-reducing medication to return to work. A negative test should only be required of employees who wish to return to work before meeting the three criteria listed. An alternate return-to-work plan is recommended for employees who are severely immunocompromised. For more information, see the ISDH Indiana Health Alert Network Notification – July 28, 2020.

State Back on Track Reopening Plan

The roadmap is a five-phase plan developed by the State of Indiana to reopen the economy.
News Release | BackOnTrack Website | 5 Stages | Specific Industry Guidelines

Executive Order 20-26: Business Requirements

We recommend that all employers review Governor Holcomb’s most recent Executive Order, 20-26, thoroughly and carefully. Please note that all Hoosier employers shall develop a plan to implement measures and institute safeguards to ensure a safe environment for their employees, customers, clients and members. The plan must be provided to all employees and staff, as well as posted publicly. At a minimum, the plan must include an employee health screening process, cleaning and disinfecting protocols, hand-washing/hygiene opportunities; and social distancing measures. And all employers must adhere to the health and safety standards established by IOSHA. These requirements and more are found at the top of page 4 of the executive order. Executive Order 20-26

Sample Return to Work Plans

Manufacturing, Logistics & Warehousing Sectors

Office Environments

Sales and Services Operations

Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Returning to Work & Recovery Guide
Email Purdue MEP if you have any questions, or if your organization needs additional assistance. To obtain the free guide, please complete the form here.

Miscellaneous Resources

CDC Cleaning & Disinfecting Guide | Download PDF | Website

ISDH Cleaning Guidance for Businesses | PDF

OSHA Guidelines on Preparing Workplaces | Download PDF | More IOSHA Resources/Info

OSHA Guidance for the Construction Workforce  | Website  

OSHA Prevent Worker Exposure | More

10 Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk | More

OSHA Guidance for Retail Workers | More

National Restaurant Association’s Guidance for Restaurants | Website

Brand & Marketing Recovery Guide, by Villing & Company | Download PDF

South Bend Clinic COVID Consulting | Download PDF
Call Dr. Brian Huber at 574.807.4697 | [email protected]

Barnes & Thornburg Labor & Employment Business Return to Work Checklist | Download PDF

Business Furnishings Post-COVID Workplace Solutions Guide | Download PDF 

PPE Supplies

State PPE Directory | Website

Chamber PPE List

The Chamber has compiled an extensive list of PPE suppliers: face masks/coverings/shields, hand sanitizer/disinfectants, gloves, gowns, acrylic partitions, signage and more. View list

Purdue MEP COVID-19 Critical PPE Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative | Website

Purdue MEP COVID-19 PPE Manufacturing Design, Specifications & Instructions Portal | Website 

Mishawaka Small Business COVID Relief Program

More at lakecitybank.com/mishawakabizloans

Other Funding Options

Indiana Small Business Development Center: Relief Options

SBA Update Links

Access the latest links from sba.gov about funding sources for small businesses.

 
877.820.0890 or email [email protected] (For business & industry questions only)

CDC Guidance for Businesses

General Info from the CDC

Prevention Steps for Close Contact (St. Joseph County Department of Health)

State Department of Health Dashboard

Feel ill? Don't have a doctor? Call 211.

Path Forward Series

The U.S. Chamber Foundation, in their Path Forward: Navigating the Return to Work webinar series, looks at the different phases and challenges of how we reopen the economy. Each episode features conversations between the U.S. Chamber president Suzanne Clark and experts with practical recommendations for businesses of all sizes. Episodes air every Monday and Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. You can register to attend, however, episodes are also recorded and can be found on their Facebook page and YouTube channel. Learn more

CDC Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting

Download PDF

ISDH Guidance for Businesses

View the Indiana State Department of Health's new (as of April 15) Guidance for Employers During COVID-19

ISDH COVID-19 Cleaning Guidance

View the Indiana State Department of Health's COVID-19 Cleaning Guidance for Businesses

Indiana Unemployment Insurance Employer FAQs

FAQs Link

Indiana Unemployment Insurance Claimant FAQs (How to File)

Download PDF (As of March 26)

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

All employers, with under 500 employees, are required to give their employees this Families First Paid Sick Leave Notice.  Download notice. If you have any question, please reach out to the Chamber's Director of Operations Mari Bishop at 574.400.4001. Download Families First Employee Rights Poster.

Labor & Employment Law

COVID-19 Employer Update: Barnes & Thornburg Webinar (March 23). Access Webinar

Benefits Playbook

View the Gibson COVID-19 Employee Benefits Playbook

Tax Information

With the impending federal $2.2 billion federal relief legislation, RSM shares their Tax Alert on the Legislation.

Preparing and Responding to COVID-19

Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers from the CDC

Workplace Tips - Tips and resources for employers to combat the virus

U.S. Chamber's Business Resources: Preparedness Tips and Guidelines

Corporate Aid Tracker - How businesses are helping nationwide

Survey on Business Impact - Results from the American Chamber of Commerce in China

Resilience in a Box - A toolbox to help businesses put a plan in place (created by the US Chamber Foundation in partnership with the UPS Foundation)

More Resources - Including consolidated, business-specific guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Coronavirus Resource Page

COVID-19 Safety and Health Standards

Key Planning Recommendations for Mass Gatherings

CISA Guidelines on Essential Businesses

Rapid Recovery for a Stronger South Bend - Elkhart Workforce

Employers may apply for up to $100,000, capped at up to $5,000 per employee, via the Employer Training Grant (ETG) – which is an increase from the previous cap of $50,000 per employer. Individual learners may apply for up to $10,000 in scholarship resources available via the Workforce Training Grant (WTG)– which is also an increase from a previous cap of $5,500. Eligible training programs are highlighted on the Next Level Jobs resource page, with eligibility for funding being focused on the following sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Building & Construction, Health & Life Sciences, IT & Business Services, and Transportation & Logistics. Interested employers may complete the below form or contact South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership Director of Education and Workforce, Leighton Johnson via email at [email protected] for more information. Read news release

Rapid Recovery for a Stronger South Bend – Elkhart Workforce Employer Signup Form

Jobs Progress Online Portal

The City of South Bend and Goodwill Industries of Michiana, along with several other regional partners, like the Chamber, launched the Jobs Progress initiative, aimed at connecting community members facing unemployment or reduced hours with employers who are hiring in the region. View website at jobsprogress.com

Goodwill Industries of Michiana

View their Facebook page

HR Resources

View HR COVID-19 resources provided by the Society of Human Resource Management

Chamber Jobs Board

Post job openings on the Chamber Jobs Board and view job openings.

Bendable

Online lifelong learning tool launched by the St. Joseph County Library | Website

View School Reopening Plans

The following are some reopening plans from area school systems. We recommend that you view the schools’ individual websites for more information and updates.

Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation 
School City of Mishawaka
South Bend Community School Corporation

Career Launch Virtual Tour

While we had to cancel the March 24 and 25 Career Launch event at the Century Center. We now bring it to you virtually! Our area employers are ready to show high school students and adults what entry-level or internship opportunities that have available. Use this page as a great learning exercise for high school students learning from home. Take the tour.

Home Learning

WNIT and WORLD to Broadcast Daily At Home Learning Programs for Grades 6-12. More Info

City of South Bend

City of Mishawaka

St. Joseph County Department of Health

Childcare Resources

Brighter Futures Indiana

Disinfecting/Sanitizing

1-800 Water Damage of South Bend

First Response

Face MasksCoverings

Running list of suppliers

Insurance Coverage for COVID-19

Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP: Why you should be looking at  your insurance coverage 

Mental Health and Well-Being

Counseling/Mental Health Business Category

Signage (COVID-specific)

ARC

Guidance Regarding COVID-19 and Travel

List of Canceled/Postponed Events

Restaurants Offering Take Out

South Bend Clinic Hotline 574.307.6870
Beacon Answerline 855.523.2225
Call 211 for those people without access to a health care provider

Hygiene and Social Recommendations

• Practice social distancing, six feet apart. Note: the CDC is recommending gatherings of no more than 10 people.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water is unavailable, use hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, preferably with your elbow.
• Avoid handshakes.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick. 
• If you don't feel well, stay home

Celebrating 40 years in business in 2020, it’s only fitting that Pathfinders Advertising receives recognition as Small Business of the Year. Founded by CEO/Owner Stephen Ball, the strategic marketing communications firm has succeeded over the years by delivering the “Pathfinder Way.” This means to build relationships and partnerships, start with strategy, work with urgency, be resourceful, exceed expectations, and eliminate surprises through transparency.

Five years ago, the agency employed 36. Today, the firm employs 67, an 86% increase, while also elevating sales by more than 60% between 2015 and 2019. Many of their team members are seasoned veterans with 15-30 years’ experience in the industry. The firm has been successfully hiring local talent, as well as bringing new talent into the market from Illinois, Michigan, Arizona, California, Ohio, Texas and Tennessee.

In 2016, the agency transformed the dormant Frank’s Wholesale Florist warehouse at 1250 Park Place in Mishawaka into a creative office space, relocating from its Edison Lakes Parkway, Mishawaka, office. The 15,500-square-foot building, which had been vacant for nearly a decade, features an open environment to bolster creativity, collaboration and employee productivity. The new space, which
saw both internal and external renovations, now includes a 2,500-square-foot, full-service photo/video studio to accommodate this growing client requirement. Since its move to the new space four years ago, the firm has continually made property improvements to keep up with their growing staff and capabilities.

Client partners include PayPal (California), EcoShell (California), Kasasa Financial (Texas), Whirlpool (Michigan), Stryker (Michigan), Amway (Michigan), PNC Bank (Pennsylvania), Fifth Third Bank (Ohio) and First Student (Ohio). Core segments of experience include financial products and services, consumer package goods, business-to-business, durables and health care.
In order to move their clients’ business forward, Pathfinders puts innovation first. Their proprietary archetypal branding process helps get to the heart of customer and consumer motivations. Other tools such as consumer benefit road mapping and post-purchase journey exploration help clients streamline their messaging and grow their business year over year.

“As an organization, our goal is to be the first partner our clients think of when a communication challenge or opportunity comes across their desk,” said Vicky Holland, president of Pathfinders Advertising.

Awarded “Best Places to Work” in Indiana two years in a row, Pathfinders supports the community through their engagement with Girls on the Run Michiana, Junior League, La Casa de Amistad, Center for the Homeless, South Bend Museum of Art,
St. Joseph County FOP and WNIT Public Television.

It’s a pretty simple concept. Communities that don’t grow, die.

Ours suffered through several decades where population growth lagged, and more people left each year than came in. That, of course, didn’t help your business—from a customer or an employee standpoint, as you sought to attract top talent.

The trajectory has changed over the past decade, and St. Joseph County has experienced slow and steady growth. In recent years, that growth has mostly been attributed to more people being born than people moving away or dying. Out-migration continues to be
a concern.

While the overall growth has been positive, it still trails growth numbers in other major Indiana counties, and has been slower than many of the peer communities around the country that we like to compare to. To simplify, even though we’re growing, each day we fall further behind our competition.

We realize this needs to change, and the Chamber has set an ambitious goal of growing St. Joseph County to 300,000 people over the next decade. The Chamber intends to help drive progress toward that goal. 2019 has St. Joseph County population at approximately 271,000.

To achieve this goal, a number of things needs to fall in place. First, we must do all we can to retain the people we have—attract new people. Good paying jobs and key quality of place improvements will contribute to that. We need to convince young people to stay or come back. We need retirees to see the benefits of living here. We need immigrants to see this area as a good option for them. And, we need more students being educated here to stay here. A broad strategy will get us to where we need to be.

The Chamber and Visit South Bend Mishawaka serve as information resources for people seeking to visit or move to our area. In addition, both serve as the voice of the local community, and you’ll see an improved communication effort aimed at better telling our story. After visiting other communities, those communities are not better than ours, but many simply tell a better story.

You’ve told us your chief challenge is attracting top talent. Attracting that talent is a tag-team effort. You introduce prospective hires to an outstanding employment opportunity at your company, and we’ll introduce them to an outstanding community experience. We’ll work closely with your HR team or company leadership to best align efforts and provide you with the appropriate community information to help “seal the deal” when recruiting.

As part of this effort, our army of volunteers will be integrated more. For example, if you are trying to land a young professional to fill that key post, let us know. We’ll send a young professional volunteer your way to help your prospect better understand the community through a peer’s eyes. We are all in this together, and one at a time, as champions, we need to get more people here.

The job situation is still a critical component to attracting new people. Our economic development efforts will play a critical role, and the Chamber will team up with key partners across the region to make sure opportunities exist for those that want to come here. Similarly, our advocacy efforts will ensure key quality of place improvements happen in the region, the tax and business climate is welcoming, schools are improving, and other key elements like roads, trails, trains and planes add to the effort.

This population priority also closely aligns with the work our partners at the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership are doing. One of their five primary regional goals is transforming net domestic migration from -2.13 persons per 1,000 persons annually to a positive net domestic in-migration. In the region, population grew 2.16% between 2010 and 2018. In 2017-2018, that net domestic migration number fell to .8 persons per 1,000. The best way we can help obtain the regional goal is to make sure St. Joseph County is doing its part, and the Chamber will lead that effort.

2020 is an important year, and it's crucial we get off to a good start toward this goal. The 2020 Census should affirm population estimates seen in recent years and help us better project what the future looks like. Please, make sure you, your friends, neighbors and family get counted; a complete count is critical for the area.

Epoch, an 11-person architecture design firm located in South Bend, Indiana, has joined Shive-Hattery. The integration complements design capabilities for both firms and creates a stronger Indiana presence for Shive-Hattery.

Founded in 2012, Epoch will operate as Epoch, a Division of Shive-Hattery. Through the integration, client offerings will be enhanced with the ability to provide a full suite of in-house design services including architecture, engineering, interior design and landscape architecture.

“Both of our organizations value being a trusted part of our communities and have an unwavering focus on earning and keeping long-term relationships with clients,” said Jim Lee, Shive-Hattery President. “Epoch joining Shive-Hattery is an intentional step towards sustainable growth and demonstrates our commitment to providing comprehensive design solutions with the best talent.”

Epoch’s leadership and staff will continue with the firm for a seamless transition with no disruption to client relationships or projects, an important consideration for Epoch founder, Kyle Copelin.

“Creating the right client experience depends on having the right people in place. We have a solid foundation built upon our cultural fit with Shive-Hattery,” added Copelin. “We can now expand our reach to better serve clients and create new opportunities for our designers.”

Shive-Hattery’s addition of Epoch expands on the firm’s recent growth; earlier this year, Lincoln, Nebraska-based studio951 also joined with Shive-Hattery.

For more information about Epoch, visit epoch-design.com.

In an effort to inform and educate our members, we are sharing content provided by Interlink Group, a full-service web design, high-speed networking and managed IT services company.

There is a multitude of working parts within your organization that can impede your pace of production, but few are as significant as being limited by network bandwidth. Lapses in productivity occur every time that employees have to wait on a slow upload, download or transfer of files. These network impediments can often be seen as an annoyance, but they combine to form a surprisingly significant decrease in the company-wide workflow. Interlink Group has continually aided businesses across the Northern Indiana region to eliminate this exact issue.

Comprehending the importance of fiber networking can be accomplished by first establishing an understanding of the basics of enterprise networks. At the most basic level, your organization’s network has a speed limit, which is determined by the number of megabits per second (Mbps) that you receive. The oldest and most widely utilized bandwidth option for business customers is a T1 line, which provides anywhere from 1 Mbps to 3 Mbps.

To determine how much bandwidth your business is currently receiving, do a quick Google search for “internet speed test.” Google has integrated an easily accessible tool to see your current upload and download speeds.

Thankfully, in today’s continually accelerating world of technology, the issue of sluggish networks no longer needs to be a necessary evil for doing business. Fiber networks, a recent innovation in
the enterprise IT world, have allowed for hugely increased
network speeds.

Fiber networking service is slowly being offered by IT companies throughout the nation. Interlink Group already specializes in connecting organizations to fiber network rings so that you can reap the rewards of this vastly improved solution. It opens the door to utilizing fiber optic cabling for better speed and stability, rather than older, slower metal cabling. This new form of enterprise networking allows for connections ranging from 1.5 Mbps up to 1 Gigabyte per second (1000 Mbps).

As companies continue to increase their investment in fiber networking, entry pricing has become significantly more affordable for businesses across the nation. For instance, Interlink Group offers a fiber networking service called Metro Ethernet Connectivity, which offers scalable Metro Ethernet options that provide speeds up to 100 Mbps. This connection allows organizations to access fiber networking speeds at a fraction of the price of what it used to cost.

Your business can eliminate the problem of network-induced production slowdowns with this newly accessible option. Fiber networking is the new frontier of our ever-connected world. The massive leap in network capability creates the ability to accomplish more and retain the productivity that is currently lost to slow business networks.

Reprinted with permission by Interlink Group

Local voters made some important decisions this week in municipal elections in South Bend and Mishawaka. South Bend is ready to welcome a new mayor and both cities will welcome some new council members. And, several dedicated public servants won re-election. Both cities will have a little bit of a different look come January 1, 2020.

On behalf of the Chamber and the 1,000 member businesses we serve, we want to congratulate South Bend Mayor-Elect James Mueller and Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood, and applaud both for their visions of improving our communities, driving economic growth, improving our infrastructure and neighborhoods, and enhancing public safety. We look forward to continuing to work closely with both mayors.

We also want to congratulate Mishawaka councilpersons Emmons, Bellovich, Voelker, Compton, Banicki, Mammolenti, and Hixenbaugh on their re-elections, as well as Maggie DeMaegd and Tony Hazen on their elections. In South Bend, congratulations to councilpersons Scott, McBride, Teshka and White on their re-elections, and Henry Davis Jr., Troy Warner, Sheila Niezgodski, Rachel Tomas Morgan and Lori Hamann on their elections.

Each of these positions has a chance to influence the business climate and either help catalyze growth or potentially stifle it. We plan to keep a close eye on what’s happening for the benefit of our member businesses, and we’ll be vocal champions or critics on the issues we believe enhance or hinder community growth plans. We’ll agree with all of these candidates at sometimes, disagree at others. But whether we agree or disagree, we’re committed to ensuring the voice of the business community and the needs of our businesses are understood by our elected officials.

The commitment to run for office is no small endeavor; we are grateful for this year’s candidates for making this important sacrifice. Campaigns are an important time to share vision and bounce new ideas around; we appreciate all the candidates bringing forward ideas on how to build upon past successes and improve our communities and region. Now it’s time to get to work! We look forward to working with each of this week’s winners across the two communities to connect, convene and take action to move our region forward.

Last week, I was in Washington, D.C. with Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, United States Representative, for an update on the USMCA Trade agreement. The agreement is one of the Chamber’s top federal priorities and should be considered by Congress some time later this year.

Lighthizer commented, “Without question, the USMCA is the strongest and most advanced trade agreement ever negotiated. The agreement rebalances our trading relationship with Mexico and Canada in a way that benefits American workers and it modernizes the rules of trade among our countries to reflect the needs of our 21st century economy.”

In 2018, United States trade with Mexico and Canada totaled more than $1.4 trillion and supported 12 million jobs. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement offers certainty for future investment in North America, builds on market access that was created by NAFTA and enhances protections for new market opportunities. Mexico has already ratified USMCA – the time is now for Congress to act!

In Indiana, one out of four manufacturing firms do business in Canada or Mexico. 75% of those firms are small-medium sized businesses. Currently, 233,600 Indiana jobs are supported by trade with Mexico and Canada. More than 61,900 of those are manufacturing jobs. Those jobs have an average wage of $75,000.  Indiana companies exported more than $19.2 billion in goods to Canada and Mexico in 2017.

I was honored to join many of my chamber colleagues from around the country for this important conversation with Ambassador Lighthizer. We’re grateful for his work advancing this important agreement, it is critical to the Indiana economy and our region. We’re hopeful Congress will act soon to move this agreement forward and give companies in our region and across the state some comfort as they plan for future growth.

Change can be hard. But after 16 years of presenting a Business Expo, it was time to give our businesses in the South Bend Region a new experience. Say goodbye to Business Expo and hello to Momentum. Consider Momentum more of a gathering where you can make catalytic connections and businesses and organizations collide to showcase their forward-thinking ideas by exhibiting and thought leaders deliver helpful 20 to 30-minute Rally Sessions on a variety of topics helpful to business professionals. 

What we think is pretty awesome is the use of the word Momentum to describe this gathering. We think our region has Momentum. Let's face it, South Bend has made national headlines for its presidential candidate, Garth Brooks concert at Notre Dame Stadium, U.S. Senior Open golf tournament, and every home Notre Dame football game. Our community is getting national, even global attention. Let's capture that--led by our business community--and celebrate! C'mon, let's toot our own horn!

To help you understand Momentum even more, we've developed FAQs to answer your questions. With partners like Centier Bank, South Bend - Elkhart Regional Partnership, IDEA Center at Notre Dame, IT Sector Partnership, HR Collaboration Group and more, we're well on our way to making the October 29 Momentum gathering one of those FMO events!

It’s the Chamber’s Business Expo but bigger and better! Think of it as Expo 2.0. We’ve tweaked and tucked our former Business Expo to create a different kind of gathering and new experience for you.

It’s a hybrid of a B2B B2C trade show combined with the energy and feel of a street fair. You’ll experience exhibitors, speakers, catalytic connections and fun!

Because we want to tap into the energy and movement happening in the region. Don’t you feel it? We do. Let’s capture it, celebrate it and tie it into businesses who are leading the momentum.

Heck yes! Are you a forward-thinking company? What makes you unique? How are you doing things differently to stay relevant and offer solutions? Are you innovative? If you answered “yes” to any of these, you have Momentum, and you need to exhibit.

No. To be innovative and forward-thinking doesn’t necessarily mean you are a tech company, but you might use technology to move your company forward. If you are part of the fabric of this business community, and you are growing and evolving, collaborating with others to make a difference, showcase your efforts at Momentum.

We are using both the Convention Hall and Discovery Ballroom at the Century Center. While the Convention Hall will be filled with exhibitors, we will have a few block areas of industry concentration, such as The LIFT Network Innovation District, IDEA Park by IDEA Center and IT Sector Partnership. The Block Party in the middle will provide a fun, social experience for exhibitors and attendees to continue to connect. Across the way, Discovery Ballroom will welcome speakers offering their expertise in 20 to 30 minute Rally Sessions. Also, new is a YPN event within Momentum! That’s right, YPs will be participating in the ever-popular Big Talk YPN event.

These are sponsored areas of industry or sector concentrations. You’ll see the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnerships LIFT Network Innovation District, IDEA Park by IDEA Center and the IT Sector Partnership, with more blocks to come. These areas help to tell a story. Only exhibitors selected by the block host will be included in a specified block area. Other exhibitors will be placed appropriately throughout the Convention Hall.

This year we are thrilled to partner with the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership and IDEA Center at Notre Dame to widen our message and influence. They are sharing Momentum with their customers via email and social media marketing. Plus, we’re hitting it hard with our social media, in addition to communication to our member contacts and coverage on radio, TV and print.

If you are exhibiting, we encourage you to also display and talk about your Momentum Moment.

Every business has a story. And every story has a Momentum Moment—the tipping point that launched a business into a new endeavor. Someone quit their job to start their own business. That’s a Momentum Moment. A business added a new service that took sales across the $1M. That’s a Momentum Moment. A foundation came together to spark new ideas in a stale environment. That’s a Momentum Moment. A new innovative app was developed to streamline your customers' experience. That's a Momentum Moment. You get the idea. We can’t wait to watch people connect over these stories during Momentum.

We’ll use this content to not only market Momentum but also market you through our website and social media platforms.

To give our attendees and you the best possible experience, we need to view the show in its entirety. Keeping in mind not to have competitive companies beside one another. We look at traffic flow, engagement opportunities, aesthetics and other factors to present the right look and feel for the Momentum gathering.

Momentum IS:

• Where businesses connect with like-minded collaborators
• An inspirational event with speakers from forward-thinking companies
• Your place to network, learn about regional businesses and explore how to build your own momentum

For questions, contact Briana Stiner at 574.400.4010, or view the Momentum Landing Page.

In July, Tri-Pac, Inc., a contract filling and packaging firm, officially cut the ribbon to signify its relocation from Vandalia, Michigan to South Bend to better align with its growth plans. Their state-of-the-art facility is located on the corner of Nimtz Parkway and Kenmore Street. The company bought the building previously occupied by Plastic Molding Manufacturing Inc.

Phase 1 of their growth plan is an $8 million investment to expand their strategic focus into manufacturing of consumer health care products, including OTC (over-thecounter), medical devices and personal care products.

The company currently employs approximately 40 people with the addition of 20 new jobs over the next few years expected, with the jobs paying anywhere from $18 to $33
per hour.

Founded in 2009 by Vikram Shah, the company contracts with multinational manufacturers of liquid cosmetics and chemicals—i.e. aerosols—to fill and package custom orders. Their mission is to provide the highest quality contract development and manufacturing and chemical management services to marketers of aerosol, liquid and specialty packaged products while achieving results that protect and increase the value of the customer’s brand equity and theirs. Tri-Pac believes that integrity is one of the most important characteristics a company can possess. The Tri-Pac team, management and associates work very hard to focus on quality, integrity, sustainability and continuous improvement.

At the end of 2018, the company successfully upgraded its Quality Systems to encompass the current good manufacturing practices as dictated by the 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), continuing their "customerfocused, quality-driven" policy.

Tri-Pac, Inc.
3333 N. Kemnore St.
South Bend, IN 46628
Website

“We assist clients and communities in seeking and defining  their next horizon. We refer to this process as transforming horizons,” says Chuck Lehman, president and CEO of Lehman & Lehman. Landscape architecture, planning and placemaking are at the heart of this Mishawaka business, which was awarded with the Small Business of the Year honor by the South Bend Regional Chamber earlier this year.

Now entering its 31st year, the company practices with an emphasis on social economic and purposeful design strategies. It crafts sustainable landscapes, sites and places that create positive change through cross-disciplinary collaborations.

Lehman & Lehman is more than a landscape architecture firm; rather, the company is a visionary of the land, present and future. Their approach is holistic, shaping human perspectives to encourage richer thinking that is deeper and more meaningful in both scope and magnitude.

Their project involvement includes the planning and design of Mishawaka’s Central Park, land use planning of the proposed Indiana Enterprise Center, planning and design of South Bend’s West Bank Trail, Mishawaka High School’s Steele Field Renovations and Alumni Plaza, master plan development for Mishawaka’s Ironworks project, and a 10-county Greenways and Trails Vision for Indiana and Michigan.

The key to the company’s sustainability lies with its ability to collaborate when needed with other firms, engineers and other specialists to implement and execute clients’ vision. For the past eight years, the company has experienced at least 15% growth per year, and it has done so with less staff than in previous years. In 2006, the firm had 14 staff members and four licensed professionals, with projects in 11 states.

But the economic downturn in 2008-09 required the company to reinvent itself, making the decision to stay small to offer enhanced focus. Currently, Lehman & Lehman has three full-time and one part-time staff, serving clients throughout Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.

While the company reinvented itself, so did Chuck, building relationships and investing time in the community. This engagement means participation on various boards and committees, including serving on two Regional Cities advisory committees and serving on the board of the South Bend – Elkhart Regional Partnership. He is also board chair of the South Bend Heritage Foundation and member of the Mishawaka Education Foundation.

Since 2004, John Affleck-Graves has served as the executive vice president of the University of Notre Dame. Prior to that, he served as its CFO and served as a professor. In August of last year, he announced that he would be retiring effective June 30, 2019. During his tenure, 36 new buildings were constructed on campus, financial aid for students grew from $58 million to $147 million and the annual operating budget grew from $650 million to $1.5 billion. In addition to his position with Notre Dame, Affleck-Graves also served as chair of the Regional Development Authority and played key roles in our region’s economic development efforts. In this interview, chamber asked Affleck-Graves about some of his accomplishments and views of the region.

1.) You have often said that the University cannot succeed unless the region succeeds. What steps have you seen the region take that is moving it in the right direction from an economic development and talent attraction standpoint? What steps has the University taken? JAG: One of the biggest steps that I have seen our region take in recent years is to form partnerships and collaborations between city leaders, businesses, nonprofits, schools and universities. This new drive to collaborate grew out of the Regional Cities Initiative that was initiated by our governor in 2015. That state funding inspired our local cities and counties to collaborate in unprecedented ways to create a vibrant, thriving economy in all of the South Bend-Elkhart region.

JAG: The University is a member of our local community, so just like everyone else, we have an obligation to contribute to our region’s economic growth. We want to see not only St. Joseph County succeed, but also Elkhart County, Marshall County, Berrien County and our entire region prosper.

When I worked with community leaders in our area through my role in the Regional Development Authority, we realized that we could achieve so much more if we pooled our resources and worked together as a region. I’m so excited about the role of the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership under the tremendous leadership of Pete McCown and Regina Emberton. The natatorium in Elkhart was the largest-funded project in the Regional Cities Initiative, and it will have a significant economic impact on the community. Undertakings like the workforce housing projects in Marshall County would not have occurred without the hard work of community leaders like John DeSalle and Gary Neidig.

Our IDEA Center at Innovation Park is one way we engage with the local community, and we would like to see even more collaboration over the coming years. We also work with the City of South Bend and encourage entrepreneurs to grow their businesses at the city’s Ignition Park. A few businesses that are there, such as Aunalytics, began at Notre Dame and are attracting talented analysts, software engineers and data engineers to our local community.

As a University, we also play a role in supporting our local nonprofit organizations. Our students, faculty and staff contribute their time and expertise to many great organizations in the community such as Center for the Homeless in South Bend and the Center for Community Justice in Elkhart. In 2001, the University opened the Robinson Community Learning Center south of campus for the residents of the local community, and every week 600 children and adults participate in programs there.

Lastly, we want to contribute to the quality of life in our region. While football games in Notre Dame Stadium have boosted the local economy by bringing business to our area hotels, restaurants and shops, we also invite visitors to enjoy the performing arts, lectures, conferences and special events. With the completion of the Campus Crossroads project, we have been able to host events for the community such as the Garth Brooks concert and the NHL Winter Classic. And, we want to do more in the future.

2.) With the impact of Notre Dame as a leading employer in the region, it is a huge responsibility. We understand that, as the University needs to attract top talent, there is often a trailing spouse. What are some thoughts you have on how to combat this?

JAG: We are continually partnering with the leaders of the cities in our region to strengthen our economy. As entrepreneurs build companies, they create jobs. When we recruit leading faculty and administrators from diverse parts of the world, oftentimes, they will accept our offer if there are attractive job opportunities for their partners. We have a Dual Career Assistance Program for our faculty and staff who are recruited through regional or national recruitment efforts, and we network with local employers who can utilize their expertise. The spouses also enrich our local workforce. Recently, the spouse of one of our recruits took her technical expertise to the City where she leads innovation efforts.

One of the goals of the Regional Development Authority is to improve the quality of life in our region, and one of the many ways we will accomplish that is by transforming the net out-migration to a positive in-migration by 2025. As we attract and grow great companies and invest in the quality of life, more of our residents will stay in this community. Recently, the Regional Cities Initiative invested in 26 quality-of-life initiatives throughout the South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart region, and our community will certainly reap the benefits of those investments.

3.) What are the University’s goals in terms of becoming a preeminent research university?

JAG: We want to be a great Catholic university for the 21st century and one of the preeminent research institutions in the world. We want our research to fulfill the vision of our founder, Fr. Sorin, to be a source for good in the world. There are so many exciting research initiatives on our campus, and we want to create a new paradigm. We want to work together with entrepreneurs to commercialize our research in areas such as cancer, energy, global health, environmental change and nanotechnology. We want to be a resource for companies to help them innovate and compete in the global marketplace. And, we want their companies to flourish in our region.

Much of this activity occurs in collaborative relationships. Innovation Park, which was launched in 2009 with the support of the local community, has nurtured over 100 startups, and many of those companies have created jobs for local residents. We know that our University is stronger when our community succeeds. In 2016, the University opened the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory (ND Turbo) at Ignition Park in South Bend, on the site of the former Studebaker Autoworks assembly plant. ND Turbo conducts research and development for customers like Pratt & Whitney and Honeywell, and attracts talent and capital to the region. We want to see more successes like this.

Through a recent grant, Notre Dame partnered with Johnson and Johnson, the University of Pittsburgh, and ITAMCO, a manufacturing company based in Plymouth. Researchers at Notre Dame developed a physics-based software that improves the process of 3D printing metals. The local manufacturing company, ITAMCO, licensed this new technology from Notre Dame and used it to launch a new company, Atlas 3D, to apply the technology. Through this collaborative process, ITAMCO developed into a sophisticated software and applied technology company through its partnership with researchers on campus.

Through examples like these, we see our research efforts leveraging economic growth to the benefit of all in our region.

4.) What are your proudest accomplishments while at Notre Dame? And, what’s next?

I came here from South Africa in 1986, and the region has been a wonderful home for my wife, Rita, and our family. The region and the University have given me so many opportunities to work alongside gifted and talented colleagues and students. As the executive vice president, one of my proudest memories is the way Fr. John and the University responded to the 2008-2009 recession. During that time, we did not lay off any employees. Instead, the University was prudent with its resources, so that families would not be impacted.

I have seen so much growth in this community. I am humbled to have served as the chair of the Regional Development Authority, and worked alongside many of our area’s great leaders from St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties as we secured a $42 million grant from the state in 2015 for economic development. Our counties will continue to benefit from those important projects for many years to come.

After I retire in June, I plan to continue to teach in the Executive MBA program and enjoy more time with my grandchildren. My wife, Rita, and I love this community and Notre Dame. It has made a lasting impact on us, and we treasure all of the friendships that we have made.

5.) What is your impression of the South Bend-Elkhart region now compared to when you first started?

When I came to South Bend from Cape Town, South Africa, I knew very little about this community. I had visited Notre Dame briefly to give a lecture for the Finance Department, but I did not know that much about the region. Over the past 30 years, this community has really blossomed. Collectively, we are making progress to improve our regional economy and provide more compelling career opportunities and increase the cultural vibrancy of our region. This is a great time for the South Bend-Elkhart region, and I could not be more optimistic about the future.

As my senior year at Saint Mary’s College concludes, I have been reflecting on my college experience.  While I am going to miss my friends and going to class, I am also going to miss being an intern.  Yes, I said it.  I am a Communication Studies major with minors in Public Relations/Advertising and Business Administration and really enjoy my major, but career opportunities are so broad it can be overwhelming.  This is where being an intern comes into play.  Internships have allowed me to weed out careers.  I have had three internships over the past four years and each company has provided an amazing learning experience.

My first internship, I worked at Gibson on their marketing team.  I assisted with writing blog content, worked with their social media, and helped develop marketing strategy for a new service they provide to their clients.  I was fully immersed in a marketing role and learned the practical use of marketing principals that could not be learned inside the classroom.  I also learned a lot about insurance, which is important to everyday life.

My second internship, I worked with Purdue Extension-Elkhart County assisting with all things 4-H.  Growing up in Goshen, I was never involved in 4-H, which is rare.  I had the opportunity to interact with community members from all walks of life and of course I got to eat fair food during fair week.  While this internship was not directly related to my major, it gave me the opportunity to further develop core skills such as leadership, time management, and interpersonal communication which will be an integral part of any job, regardless of the industry I enter.

My third internship is with the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce.  With the Chamber, I get experience with many different things, including economic development, writing articles, preparing presentations, and researching policy affecting Chamber members.  Again, this internship is not directly related to Communications, but it is my favorite experience so far.  I must use problem-solving and writing skills in order to understand and relay a variety of information to a variety of people.  Before this internship, I never realized how many people must work well together to support economic growth in the South Bend Region.

Obviously, there many benefits to internships for the student, but the host company also wins when they have interns.  Innovative and eager minds enter the culture and are ready to work.  Companies are also exposed to fresh talent in their area and have the opportunity to recruit interns for full-time jobs after they finish school.  Regarding finding talent, Indianaintern.net is a great source to post an internship opportunity.  It is a job board for students seeking internships in all industries across the state of Indiana.  It is a “one-stop shop” for students to explore internship opportunities and where employers can connect with EARN Indiana, a program that provides funding for internships.  Now is the time to post openings for interns, since summer is right around the corner!

I would highly recommend an internship to any college student and company.  Experiential learning is a unique and fun way to learn new skills.  I am so grateful to my past employers for letting me build practical skills to be successful in the workforce.  If you have questions about internships,  IndianaINTERN.net, or the EARN program, contact Kate Lee at [email protected]. 

From the South Bend Regional Chamber on using earn money To Pay for Your Intern

“The South Bend Regional Chamber has provided internship opportunities to many talented students over the years. Caroline is one of two fine interns we worked with this spring. This semester was our first to leverage the EARN Indiana program, and I want to encourage all employers to explore this option. EARN not only extends the internship budget but also allows us to employ ‘two interns for the price of one.’ It is also incredibly user-friendly, from registration to reimbursement,” said Mari Bishop, director of operations for the South Bend Regional Chamber.

Hire an Intern & Get Them Involved in Summer Connect

The South Bend Regional Chamber encourages you to hire interns at your place of employment to participate in the talent solutions needed to keep good talent here in the South Bend Region. Every summer, we offer the Summer Connect program to give summer interns in the region the chance to get to know one another more while also experiencing all of the great things to see and do in the area. In this way, the intern may be more likely to stay in the area if offered a job! Learn more!

Navigating the appeal process of reducing your property taxes is difficult,; doing it without any knowledge of the process is a nightmare. It may feel like there is a secret door to unlock and no one gave you the key. Information published by the Department of Local Government Finance is quite complex. Tax bills are coming soon; make sure they are correct. Here are some important things to know before you file an appeal.

1. Studies show that 60% of all properties in the U.S. are over-assessed, yet only 2% appeal.

A Forbes magazine article indicates this stunning statistic. While this is a broad statement of all U.S. property, Indiana is not far off. It is vital that you investigate all aspects of your assessment to see if you are in the majority of over-assessed property and meet the deadline for filing an appeal.

2. There are strict deadlines for action on appeals.

The filing deadline is 45 days from the date of the notice or May 10th, whichever is first. The deadlines are not just for filing. There are also many procedure deadlines that the assessor and taxpayer must adhere to. Information published by the Department of Local Government Finance is quite complex. There were many changes in legislation that affected appeals in 2017. I urge you to read through all of these or seek the advice of an attorney or qualified tax representative before filing your appeal.

3. Almost all rehabilitated properties in urban areas qualify for a tax break.

This type of deduction is becoming more common with all the urban renewal happening. This deduction is for any building or house that has been restored without adding to the footprint. The exemption applies to the increase of valuation to the property by the local assessor. The property must qualify, file Form 322/RE. It applies to structures within an economic revitalization area. There are specific property types within that area that do not qualify, such as golf courses or recreation complexes. Check with your assessor or a qualified tax rep to find out if you qualify.

4. Some vacant buildings qualify for a tax break.

This type of deduction applies to commercial or industrial property located in an economic revitalization area. The property must qualify for the deduction and meet the deadline to file Form 322/VBD.

5. If a property assessment goes up by more the 5%, the burden of proof shifts from owner to assessor.

What it means is that the assessor is required to show evidence and reasoning for increasing an assessment by more than 5% in any given year. It does not qualify for property that has added improvements. If the assessor does not meet the burden of proof, the assessment automatically reverts to the most recent assessment before changes.

While it is a complex procedure, it is not uncommon for taxpayers to win a reduction. With a little research and/or help from a professional, you can prevail.

Beth Szweda | Correct Property Tax 
Indiana Certified Tax Representative | Level III Indiana Assessor/Appraiser
Member Indiana Assessors Association Inc. | Member International Association of Assessing Officers
Correct Property Tax | 574.286.0431

Chamber Editor Note: the above is a guest blog from one of our member businesses. If you have content that you'd like for us to consider for a future blog, contact Shari Carroll at 574.400.4024. You must be a Chamber member business for consideration.

This week I attended the board meeting of the South Bend Community School Corporation. Questions have been raised about the selection process of every superintendent hired since I’ve lived in South Bend--nearly 25 years. Based on conversations and observations, I have seen these same questions asked of corporations across our state; what changes the game is how communities move forward AFTER the superintendent is selected.

Our community doesn’t have the luxury of continuing to expend energy on drama, suspicion, and the casting of stones. Our students and educators deserve better. The people working to positively impact our community through private and public investments know that a strong public education system is necessary to ensure that each person reaches their full potential. Business leaders represented by the Chamber want graduates who are prepared to both benefit from, and contribute to, their continued growth.

We will never pick up the pace on equitable, positive change if we’re in a constant state of crisis. The best schools are not just the site of academic learning - but also places of welcome, stability, safety and the building of life foundations.

Let’s support Dr. Cummings as he works to establish a lean, collaborative and action-oriented administrative team to provide systemic stability and the support our principals and educators need to give their very best to the students they serve.

Let’s be honest about our big challenges, even when it’s uncomfortable – and work together – as a community of partners - to establish priorities and implement strategies that make it possible for ALL of our students to succeed.

Let’s establish strong relationships with the business and non-profit partners who stand ready to support our children and educators – giving the broader community meaningful ways to get engaged and truly feel they are part of Team South Bend.

Let’s hold each other accountable, with open minds, dignity and respect and not with tunnel vision and self-inflicted drama.

Let’s build the level of trust, both internally and externally.

It has taken bold action by local business and government leaders to ignite the positive change we’re seeing in South Bend. We are looking to our elected school board and Dr. Cummings to provide brave and bold leadership for South Bend Schools. We believe you see the value in celebrating successes and have the courage to acknowledge and present the very real challenges to our community.

Business leaders expect: clear goals to be set; relevant and accessible student data; strong and timely communication; and a community-wide, laser focus on the strategies selected to drive positive change. South Bend Schools can then ask for – and be prepared to accept - help to address the larger issues impacting student and school success.

As a community, we must do our part. We must not continuously restate what we think is wrong with our schools. If we want to drive positive, systemic change, we must develop a broader understanding of the challenges of public education – from rising expectations and reduced funding to overburdened educators and a high percentage of students who live in poverty.

Then, we all must act – playing whatever role we can to support our children and partner with our schools.

What if we do this so well that Dr. Cummings determines there is no better community to tackle these challenges with and no better place to spend the next decade (or more!) of his career, leading the team that transforms K-12 education in our city?

This is the time for action.

As the clock turned to 2019, a fair amount of nervous anticipation exists within the business community about what the New Year will hold. Many consecutive years of economic growth have leaders worried a slowdown might be imminent.

Historically, in the U.S., no economic expansion has lasted longer than a decade (March 1991-March 2001). The current expansion has now lasted more than nine years, leading to those concerns about what 2019 and beyond might hold for the economy.

The prognosticators have been busy looking into their "crystal balls" to offer insight on what the future might hold. Unfortunately, mine is no clearer than theirs, but we thought we'd weigh in as well as share some of that insight from others in this issue of my blog.

Nationally, experts predict that the economy should grow about 2.5%. Those same experts predict the Indiana economy should outpace the national economy, growing at 3.2%. Most growth is predicated early in the year, slowing as the year progresses.

The diversity of our economy in South Bend-Mishawaka-St. Joseph County area is a real plus and means we don't see as wide of swings as other areas might see when the economy surges or slows. We anticipate that this will mean slow and steady growth continuing in our area in 2019. We've been growing slower than the rest of Indiana, however, we'd like to see our area growth keep pace with that of the state prediction.

The fastest-growing sectors in terms of job growth included leisure and hospitality, and goverment, which includes school and hospitals. The biggest decline in employment was in private educational and health services. Indications are the recent growth in sectors like health care, the service industry, and warehousing and logistics should continue.

The last few years have seen more capital invested in and around the local communities than at any time in recent memory. We saw tax cuts, as well as many key public-private partnerships drive new investment, especially in our "city" centers. Many of those projects will near completion in 2019. Others announced recently will break ground in early 2019.

Moderate growth among several other key indicators like median income, population and gross domestic product have investors and our communities optimistic. At the same time, international trade uncertainty, rising interest rates and the availability of workforce allow some pessimism to creep in.

Many cite concerns about the challenges with finding workers needed to fill open spots. We don't anticipate that changing much in 2019. Unemployment should stay about the same, and as a result, the tight labor market will continue to drive hourly wages up. We see two potential fixes to the workforce shortage: increase our labor force participation rate (62.5% of all eligible workers do so) and grow our population. Efforts are underway to advance both of these fixes.

We anticipate the demand for housing will remain strong in the New Year. The experts say it's a sellers' market, with a lack of inventory driving some prices up. The number of new homes built rose again in 2018, and a significant amount of high-density residential projects were started, completed or announced. What happens with interest rates in 2019 could have a major influence on the housing market in the New Year.

Our recent successes with growth and development should be celebrated. These successes have also attributed
to a shift in attitude in the region.
This is huge. We must continue to strive to keep pace with the state and national economies. Otherwise, we'll fall behind.

Population growth and income growth should be our top priorities. A great roadmap has been laid out by our partner, South Bend–Elkhart Regional Partnership, to help guide growth in the coming years. We need to commit to seeing the plan through and working closely with our regional partners on enhancing growth opportunities. Here at the Chamber, we're all about seeing you and your business succeed. Onward in 2019, and we look forward to working with you as we seek to catalyze that growth.

Last week, the report came out on 2017 Per Capita Personal Income Data for Counties across the country. This metric is a measure of the amount of money earned per person in a certain area. It can apply to the average per-person income for a city, region or country, and is used as a means of evaluating the living conditions and quality of life in different areas.

It is a key metric we utilize to help track how our economy is doing. One of our principle goals is to drive this number up. From the beginning of our Economic Development program, we've focused on the type of industries and companies that will help improve this number. We've now seen it go up nine straight years, with the 2016-2017 difference being the greatest improvement in that nine-year period.

The current per capita personal income for St. Joseph County is $46,118. While encouraged by the growth of that number, truth is, it still is only 89.3% of the national average and 95% of the Great Lakes average. We're trending in the right direction, or, we're getting closer to those "averages." Once again, our average exceeds the Indiana average.

Though average doesn't seem like a stretch goal, in this case it is. We'd love to continue to push this number closer to the national average and we believe that will continue to send a strong signal about the health of our regional economy.

Wow, the mid-term elections are over, and attention will soon turn to municipal elections. A big thank you to all candidates and their willingness to run! Each has made tremendous sacrifices over the past several months in an effort to connect with voters. A big thank you to each of you as well for voting or for encouraging your employees to vote, and thank you to those who shared the ChamberPAC-endorsed candidates with your associates. Frankly, we were really excited about the candidates who genuinely offered great ideas and solutions, and we were disappointed by those candidates who merely offered “sound bites” and “second-guessed” their opponents. In our minds, second-guessing isn’t a strategy.

One interesting stat for me that jumped out when analyzing the results was that 51% of all ballots cast were a straight ticket ballot. This day and age, that really surprises me, and leads me to believe people don’t spend as much time getting to know candidates as they should. That’s why efforts like the Chamber’s endorsement process are so critical. We try to dig deeper than the party affiliation.

Overall, four of the seven candidates that we endorsed, or 57%, won elections.

We’re especially excited about Commissioner Andy Kostielney’s win. Commissioner Kostielney has been a strong leader for the county, and his efforts have helped put the county on a path for economic and population growth. We believe good things are ahead for St. Joseph County, and we’re excited to have the commissioner serve for four more years.

We’re also excited about what the county council will look like moving forward. We believe it will be one of the better councils in recent memory, and we look forward to seeing the council and commissioners working together as the county navigates some difficult budget challenges. Congratulations to ChamberPAC-endorsed candidates Robert “Bobby K” Kruszynski, Jr., Corey Noland and Dick Pfeil. Joining them will be former Mishawaka Councilman Joe Canarecci, who won his first term on the county council after defeating ChamberPAC-endorsed candidate Brian Pawlowski. Diana Hess won re-election; she was unopposed.

The South Bend School Board produced two closely contested races, as ChamberPAC-endorsed candidates Stan Wruble and John Pinter lost to Oletha Jones and Ruth Warren, respectively. We will look closely at the school corporation moving forward, as challenging times are ahead, and this school board will need to provide strong and effective leadership.

As our attention shifts to municipal races in 2019, we hope some of you are considering a run in one of the many races on the ballot. Like we’ve said before, the national elections get most of the attention, but the local ones make the biggest difference in our daily lives. Want to talk more about being a candidate? I’d love to sit down with you and share with you those issues on the mind of the business community.

Email me

The Indiana Enterprise Center (IEC) development on the county’s west Side is getting a lot of attention in the news these days. This includes that area near New Carlisle where major industrial projects like IN TEK/Kote, St. Joseph Energy Center, Unifrax, and several other large industrial developments have occurred throughout the past 30 years.

The presence of large tracts of land, utilities, the two highways, potential rail connections, and its proximity to major markets made it an attractive location for those businesses and has piqued the interest of many others over the years looking at business opportunities in our region. But development has been complicated because of the lack of shovel-ready sites.

Issues like zoning, wetlands, land control and utility connections meant a great deal of uncertainty about development and has often caused developers and companies to quickly rule out this area and move on to other sites.

The county is undertaking a comprehensive planning process in the area. That process includes a closer look at all factors that influence development, as well as what types of uses are ideal. Careful consideration has been made to provide a balance between the need for growth, development and new jobs and the need to protect the town, its residents, and the people that have made major investments in and around the area.

Despite what the media would have you believe, there are no plans to develop 20,000-plus acres. The planning area is that big, but that is because it is important to plan any new development within the context of what exists in and around the area.

Projects like this are complicated and complex. Without the plans, critics would complain planning was done in a vacuum and wasn’t inclusive. With plans, come fear and misinformation about the true intentions of the county. It’s complicated, and that is a big reason development in this area has been intermittent at best. The county is seeking to make it less complicated.

We believe the county is approaching planning for this area the right way, and we commend them for the efforts they are making to ensure planned and orderly growth and development. We hope it advances, and we encourage those that have concerns take some time to be involved in the process.

Learn more about the plans.

Five years ago, Indiana began taking an important look at its future. Slow population growth had the state concerned about its future economic viability and it knew it needed to do some things differently to spark growth. Eleven regions across the United States were studied and the Regional Cities Initiative was launched to help Indiana capitalize on those lessons learned from those dynamic, growing regions. The end goal, make Indiana communities attractive for new enterprises and for talented workers.

It may still be too early to tell of the Regional Cities program’s impact. Many of the projects are just coming out of the ground. But just two weeks ago, the Census Bureau released its 2017 Population estimates, which gives us a good indicator of the progress Indiana and our area is making. The 2020 Census will be an even more important check-up. Population growth is an important indicator for the state and the communities in it. Communities that aren’t growing are dying.

Indiana is now the 25th fastest-growing state in the country. Fifty-five of Indiana’s 92 counties saw their population grow in 2017, the largest number in more than a decade. The state is growing faster than our Midwest neighbors.

Overall, Indiana grew at .5%. Our metro area was on the plus side though a little slower than the state number, with South Bend-Mishawaka growing at .3% and Elkhart-Goshen growing at .4%. Though there are some encouraging signs in the 2017 numbers, since 2010, the United States has grown at over 5%, Indiana at 2.4% and St. Joseph County at 1.4%.

Several factors influence population growth and decline. Certainly, births and deaths are big factors, but the migration of population is a more important factor and one that communities have a little more influence over. Regional Cities projects are aimed at helping make sure people migrate “to” here instead of “from” here.

What the Regional Cities study showed was that quality of place improvements would help drive population growth. Our local communities have taken that to heart and have major investments planned in parks and recreation, housing, art, public places, and the overall look and feel of the built environment. Much of that early work is focused in the downtowns and will continue to expand out from there.

Those improvements are at times controversial. Taxpayers demand the delivery of essential public services like schools, public safety and road maintenance. Public officials must carefully weigh the demands of both, as each are essential for sustained community growth.

What about the future? The Census Bureau makes population projections going out through 2050. Those projections for St. Joseph County aren’t great. The 2050 estimate is only 207 people more than the 2017 estimate. Though that estimate will keep our area on the positive side of the growth column, that level of growth will leave us well behind our peer communities, the state and the nation.

The Indiana Business Research Center predicts that “just a handful of metropolitan areas will be responsible for most of the state’s population gains in the future.” Our region is positioned to be one of those areas and our Leaders are determined to make sure those 2050 projections don’t come true.

There is a great sense of urgency and a realization that now is the time to capitalize on Indiana’s business climate and efforts to attract new jobs and capital investment. Look for major improvements in the next few years to further position the region to win the battle for talent migration.  

Indiana had a record year for new job announcements in 2017 with commitments for more than 30,000 new jobs were secured, according to Gov. Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Unemployment hovered below 4 percent in the state and counties in our region.

There are more than 3.1 million people working in our state. That’s about 370,000 more than were working at the low point of the recession in July 2009. For 100 straight months, the number of people working has increased as our region numbers mirror the state.

Per capita personal income in our region grew at more than double the national average in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, while per capita personal income in 2016 was $42,946, up from $33,160 in 2010.

We continue to lag behind the national average in per capita personal income. Our region’s is only 87 percent of the national average, but we’ve made significant progress. In 2010, we were only 82 percent of the national average. Increasing wages, low unemployment and high employment should have us all optimistic about 2018.

Construction in 2017 also has us optimistic about 2018. The number of projects either announced, started or recently completed is significant. This is arguably the busiest we’ve seen the construction industry in some time. But will we see some slow down in the economy? We don’t think so, at least not in the short term.

Industry experts are predicting a rise in deal volume in 2018. Despite rising costs and labor concerns, those experts indicated there is no slowdown in sight and that a prosperous 2018 should be expected. Let’s hope they are right.

So, how do we keep the momentum?

Next month, a new regional economic development plan will be released. The plan is centered around industry growth, entrepreneurship, attracting talent, education and workforce, and diversity and inclusion. The plan is a follow-up to those developed as part of the Regional Cities process.

Our economic development teams will be on the road telling the story of our region, visiting 12 states for 28 different events or meetings. At the same time, others will hear about the great progress here and reach out to us as they consider whether this is the right spot for the next phase of their business. Many will visit our community to understand more.

This is where we all have an important role to play. Our businesses, cities, towns, neighborhoods, families, schools, churches, civic groups and social groups all play a key role. Each is an important voice in our effort to attract new people and businesses. When people ask, make sure they know you are excited. Maybe reach out to others in your address book and tell them they should come see what’s happening here. We’re in the middle of a big comeback, and it’s taken many people to change our direction. It will take many more to make sure we stay on the right path.

Also published in the South Bend Tribune

The South Shore Railroad Airport Relocation Project remains a top priority of the business community and we believe it should move forward. The project is critical to our community’s efforts to attract and retain top talent. Ideally, we would like to see it completed in a time frame that aligns with the completion of the South Shore Double-Track project.

Both the station relocation and double-track projects will help our region accomplish the goal of a 90-minute South Shore trip by 2020. A 90-minute trip puts our region in a strong, competitive position with other Chicago suburbs. Indiana is well positioned to take advantage of a poor Illinois business climate, and the South Shore will become even a more important connection for people living west of our area coming to South Bend to work and those living here traveling west for work.

The Chamber is committed to seeing the South Shore’s South Bend station being at the South Bend International Airport.

That connection provides the most logical, safe, economical and convenient options for travelers coming to and from our region. The airport location of the South Shore station provides convenient options like parking, restrooms, concessions, as well as the ease of connections to buses, air travel and taxis. In addition, the safety and security of the airport has been a real asset, as people generally feel comfortable coming to a facility that is occupied by many people, is clean, well lit, and has adequate security.

For these reasons, we don’t believe it makes good economic sense to construct a new station near Bendix Drive as has been suggested. Plus, it’s hard to justify the added expense of acquiring land and designing and constructing a building when resources are tight. There are ongoing operational costs to consider as well, such as staffing, security, snow plowing, grass mowing and other maintenance and upkeep.

It is also suggested that even if a Bendix station was built, South Shore intends to continue to the airport. The Chamber has a difficult time wrapping our arms around how the community would benefit from having two stations so close together. It only creates confusion for consumers as they are deciding where to board the train.

The airport connection could open potential economic development opportunities around the airport, especially on the west side. The rail connection, added with the airport air-freight opportunities and the ease of truck access positions that area for future logistics operations seeking the benefits of a multi-modal facility.

The Chamber is sensitive to the concerns of the residents of the Ardmore neighborhood, who’ve spoken out about the airport station relocation. Though we’ve not seen a final route, we’re confident the consultants have taken great care in identifying a route that will minimize disruptions in the neighborhood. For those that will be disrupted, a very fair relocation process is in place to ensure those displaced residents are adequately compensated.

We are anxious for the city of South Bend to finalize the route selection from the consultant and move forward the process of relocating the necessary homeowners. We’re concerned that further delays will make it more difficult to align with the 2020 construction goal. We also are concerned that further delays could impact the city’s ability to tap into federal funds to assist with the project as we anticipate some significant federal dollars to be available for shovel-ready projects as the result of a new infrastructure bill from Congress in 2018.

If you have additional feedback for me, please send me an email at [email protected].

Today (January 3), the Indiana General Assembly will kick off its 2018 legislative session. This year is a short session, scheduled to wrap up in early March. That means legislators will get right to work in anticipation of the early ending. Short sessions also mean no fiscal issues will be considered; those will have to wait for 2019.

But what exactly will they work on? That’s anybody’s guess and will likely come into better focus in the coming weeks. In recent years, the legislative sessions have been marked by big, defining issues like last year’s road funding discussion, or previous sessions’ action on items such as property tax caps, or even years ago on Daylight Saving Time.

Generally, the work of the General Assembly has netted some positive results. Action in recent years has helped vault Indiana to the top of those business climate lists, ranking tops in the Midwest and one of the tops in the nation. What’s next to make Indiana an attractive place for businesses and people?

Workforce issues may garner the most attention this year. You can’t go anywhere without hearing employers lament about their challenges with finding and retaining top talent to meet their workforce needs. This is more of a national phenomenon, rather than a regional or state-specific problem. But is there a legislative fix? Likely not, but the General Assembly will certainly look closely at potential solutions that attempt to ease employer concerns.

Alcohol sales have grabbed many early headlines as the legislature once again takes up the debate about whether consumers should be allowed to buy alcohol on Sundays. The consumers seem to be demanding it, but are the members of the General Assembly hearing them? Probably not. Every year about this time it comes up, and every year about this time it goes away, to be considered again at an unnamed time and date well into the future.

For the business community, the issue with alcohol sales is more about the message it sends to people about Indiana than it is about alcohol. Forty-nine other states have allowed this, while Indiana seems stuck with Prohibition-era laws. At a time when businesses are trying to sell people on the merits of Indiana — the positive business climate, the great quality of life — something as simple as this sends a loud message that Indiana is not progressive and is behind the times.

The opioid epidemic is also likely to grab legislators’ attention. It has far-reaching impacts on communities. Like the workforce issue, there is not an easy or magic fix. But the General Assembly is certain to take a closer look at where Indiana law might be able to help combat the epidemic.

The major metro areas of Indiana have a Regional Development Tax Credit on their legislative agenda. This is the follow-up to the Regional Cities Program and could help provide a needed incentive to fill a gap on development projects that enhance the quality of place within communities. We believe this tool can be critical to efforts to develop and redevelop our urban areas.

The business community has a strong interest in local government modernization and will keep a close eye on that issue this session. Locally, the full implementation of property tax caps in 2019 will put additional pressure on the budgets of our school corporations and local government units. We support initiatives to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs in preparation for the budget crunch that will soon follow.

The session will move fast. Follow it closely at www.iga.in.gov and be sure to let your representatives know what you think about the issues being considered.

The Indiana General Assembly reacted to protests from voters over rising property tax bills and in 2008 placed property tax caps into law. The caps limit tax bills to 1 percent of the assessed value of homes, 2 percent for farms and rental properties and 3 percent for businesses.

In 2010, voters affirmed that action of the General Assembly by statewide referendum as 72 percent voted in favor of placing the caps into the Indiana Constitution.

The predicted result was homeowners, landlords and businesses would save significant money. Several years later, that has held true and Indiana has vaulted to the front of most business rankings, boasting the best business climate in the Midwest and one of the tops in the country. This is in large part because of the “certainty” that exists in the Indiana tax system.

At the same time, the action has left many state and local government units scrambling. Initial predictions were that there would be more than $500 million in annual savings to the taxpayers statewide, meaning fewer dollars available to governments for the delivery of essential services.

Many lawmakers felt local governments would consider consolidation options, including reducing the number of school or library districts and consolidating emergency dispatch services. Across Indiana, communities have been slow to follow that thinking with just few consolidations occurring.

In St. Joseph and Lake counties, an additional 10 years were granted for full property tax cap implementation to help the counties better deal with outstanding debt obligations. Still, 2017 estimates by the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) had $78 million in total savings to the taxpayers.

The City of South Bend, St. Joseph County, the City of Mishawaka, and the South Bend Community School Corporation were hit hardest. Other school corporations, libraries and public transportation agencies also saw major cuts in revenue. Those units are also bracing for more losses when full implementation comes in 2020.

I’m one who has benefited. My property taxes are now lower. But am I better off? The jury is still out on that one.

In St. Joseph County, no consolidations have occurred, and there doesn’t seem to be much appetite for that. Instead the level of services has or will be affected.

It seems daily in the news that taxpayers are wondering about police protection, leaf collection, street paving, soon snow plowing, park services, public transportation, 911 services, the number of students in a classroom, the number of schools in a system or school transportation. I could go on.

The cap of property taxes has a direct correlation to the delivery of each of those services. The same public, of which an overwhelming majority voted for tax caps, has been slow to embrace changes in service levels. It will only get more difficult in the coming years.

While our elected leaders are reducing service levels to meet current budget demands, they must also carefully balance the need to make our communities attractive for new people and businesses. Something must give.

We can’t tax or cut our way to prosperity. We have to find the right balance and must be quicker to embrace change. After all we demanded it in 2008 and affirmed it in 2010.

Also published in the South Bend Tribune

Last week, the South Bend Community School Corporation released its Focus 2018 plan that includes new grade configurations, new bell times for all levels and the closing and repurposing of several schools. I’m hoping the community rallies around this plan and supports the efforts leaders are making to improve the school system.

Businesses do things like this all the time. To stay competitive, it’s a requirement, not an option. Businesses must carefully analyze customer wants and needs and pivot to meet those needs or risk going out of business. Though it’s unlikely the school corporation would go out of business, it does need to make critical changes to better position itself among increasing competition.

The business community has a strong interest in what’s happening within the school corporation. In addition to preparing students for success in life, the corporation is also preparing students for success in their careers. Today’s students are tomorrow’s workers.

Companies today are tuned into workers and either finding, attracting or developing top talent for their organizations. Companies realize how important a strong educational foundation is for a student and how that foundation will help influence success in the workforce.

The business community has partnered with the schools on Project Lead the Way and Manufacturing Day, and supported schools through financial contributions and volunteer commitments for things like classroom programming, extracurricular activities and building and facility improvements.

Good work by the corporation is critical to our region’s economic development efforts. Good schools are key to efforts to attract new people and new businesses to our region. It often is the top factor when people are considering a community.

We’ve long been concerned about the South Bend School Corporation and its performance. We know meaningful changes must be made within the system and that those changes will result in hard decisions to remain competitive with other school districts.

The business community recognizes that the educational landscape requires change now. We believe the Focus 2018 plan is bold and fiscally responsible. We believe it will improve student achievement, maximize instructional effectiveness, maintain racial diversity and address changing community demographics.

There will be opposition. We’ve already heard from some parents and students with concerns. It is impossible to develop a plan that 100 percent of the people will support. The school board must carefully weigh the pros and cons.

We believe waiting is not an option and will only cause the corporation and the students in it to fall further behind. We want South Bend to be a leader and we are convinced that changes like these will position the corporation for future success.

All feedback is submitted anonymously with the option to include your name. To submit feedback online, please click here.

Also published in the South Bend Tribune

My daughter and I were talking homework last week. She’s tackling high school chemistry, which brought back memories of the periodic table and chemical formulas. I liked the subject — you can say it was in my genes. I have a family full of pharmacists who all mastered it much better than me.

I chose a different path, and though you won’t see me mixing chemicals or working in a lab, I do spend a lot of time trying to figure out the right formula for economic development success. In the lab, we at least know that when we put two parts hydrogen with one part oxygen, we have water. Add too much or too little of either of those elements, and you end up with something different. In economic development, it’s a little less precise and could be different for every region.

Economic development professionals realize you need to attract new businesses to an area, grow the businesses already here, and create an environment conducive to people starting businesses. But they also know that you need things like good infrastructure, quality schools, a skilled workforce, and other quality of place amenities. Finding the right formula of those elements for a region is key.

A recent Tribune article included unfair shots at the county for its economic development efforts in the New Carlisle industrial area. The article quoted critics of the county effort to attract “big fish” into that area. The writers referenced “outside experts” with a limited view of the overall county economic development efforts to further criticize the effort.

I do think if all efforts were focused on “smokestack chasing,” then the criticism could be warranted. But like in the laboratory, the county realizes that those “big fish” are only one element of an overall strategy that requires many different elements to attract new people, companies and new capital investment.

In the New Carlisle industrial area, the county is advancing plans to ready key parcels for development. When I/N Tek and I/N Kote developed in that area more than 25 years ago, leaders at the time envisioned that development could be a catalyst for other opportunities. That area has been slow to develop, because many of those things the county is now tackling were never undertaken.

The uncertainty that exists in that area related to the control of the land, zoning and other site characteristics slowed development and were major factors in decisions like those of Toyota to seek an opportunity elsewhere. The more uncertainty that exists related to the development of a site, the less likely that site is to secure a new development.

In the past two years, 78 percent of all companies looking at the overall area sought an existing building or a shovel-ready site. This area has neither, which moves it out of consideration quickly for new development opportunities.

This part of the county is well-suited for those large manufacturing operations. Other areas of the county are better suited for warehousing and logistics, office, tech, start-ups, healthcare or housing. And efforts exist to attract those types of development as well. Leaders in the county and the municipalities contained therein realize they can’t have all their eggs in one basket.

Each community in our region is an important element to our formula for success. Each complements the overall effort, with each providing its own strengths related to attracting different kinds of development. Individually, none succeed. Collectively, if we figure out the right formula, we at least have a fighting chance as we compete with other parts of the country and world.

Also published in the South Bend Tribune

The regions we are competing with are thinking big. They are making key decisions to position themselves to beat us. They want to attract the talent we are seeking. They want the companies we believe would be a good fit here. And they wouldn’t mind stealing a few of our existing employers or top employees.

We’ve got to keep pace. That includes maintaining what we’ve got and attracting new people and companies to help grow our economy. New housing and job opportunities will help. Better schools, strong neighborhoods, quality entertainment and recreation opportunities all contribute. Quality of place improvements, like those in the Regional Cities program, should spark population growth.

Our investment in infrastructure is also an important factor. Enhancements to U.S. 31, U.S. 20 and Interstate 80/90 all play a big part in getting people to and from our area. The airport plays a vital role because of its easy connections to major markets in the United States and around the world. And rail will play an increased role in the future in the movement of both freight and people.

Our business community believes passenger rail could be a big advantage in our effort to compete as a quick connection to one of the largest economies of the world. The South Shore railroad has plans for several improvements that will get a trip from South Bend to Chicago down to 90 minutes by 2020. The trip currently takes 2 hours and 20 minutes.

I believe 90 minutes is key. When analyzing commuting patterns and the type of businesses and people that have been attracted to areas within 90 minutes of major metropolitan areas, I think it can be a game changer for our area.

I hope people who live in Chicago will work here, and people who live here can work in Chicago. A quicker ride means a better connection to arts, entertainment and cultural opportunities that exist in the Chicago area.

As the project details are developing, neighbors near the South Bend airport — current home to the eastern most South Shore station — have reacted to the uncertainty and attempted to put the brakes on the project. The neighbors wonder if the 10 minutes of time savings are worth it at the cost of relocating some homes west of the airport. If all the communities along the way took similar approaches, we would never get to 90 minutes and never realize the full potential.

City officials have now pressed pause, too, and gone back to the drawing board with consideration of relocating the South Shore station either downtown, near the Honeywell factory south of the airport or another location. I was just in Washington, D.C., and fear this latest uncertainty could impact our ability to tap into federal funds.

Downtown gets studied every few years. We anticipate it will be ruled out again as it has been many times before because it’s cost prohibitive. The Honeywell location isn’t ideal either, for the same reasons the nearby Amtrak location isn’t ideal. That location isn’t as easy to get to and presents limited development opportunities near the proposed station.

I think the airport is a good fit for the South Shore station. I believe the development opportunities available to the west of airport are a real advantage and ultimately makes the project about more than just moving people back and forth. Like our competition is doing, we have to think big about this once-a-generation opportunity and move forward.