“It was confirmation for what it is that we are doing in Central Indiana, that we are on the right track. We have locations that make sense for mega projects, but we have many sites still available for traditional-sized projects.”
Marlon Webb
Senior Director of Regional
Economic Development,
Indy Chamber
Wabash Valley Power Alliance sponsored nine Midwestern economic developers to learn lessons about scoring business growth projects at a conference in Louisville, Ky.
WVPA sponsored economic developers representing communities served by its member electric cooperatives to attend The Workshop Forum hosted by Area Development in March. The conference featured 18 site consultants and real estate advisors hosting presentations and roundtable discussions on economic development best practices, as well as challenges and opportunities impacting business growth.
“I came away with great insights from all the site selectors I was able to engage with, and the workshops that I was able to sit in,” said Marlon Webb, senior director of regional economic development for the Indy Chamber who was sponsored by WVPA to attend the conference.
Site selectors discussed large-scale industrial sites, data centers and how community development efforts impact site selection for commercial projects, said Rachel Huser, senior economic development manager for Wabash Valley Power.
“It’s a very educational conference, which I love because it goes back to our Cooperative Principles of ‘education, training and information’,” Huser said. “Conferences such as The Workshop Forum offer the chance to learn directly from and network with the professionals working with businesses scouring the nation to build their facilities and make multimillion-dollar investments in the community.”
The breakout sessions featured small-group settings that allowed for participants to network and get valuable information, Webb said. Presenters openly detailed opportunities and challenges they encountered, Webb added.
“It was confirmation for what it is that we are doing in Central Indiana, that we are on the right track,” Webb said. “We have locations that make sense for mega projects, but we have many sites still available for traditional-sized projects.”
The conference included discussions about how federal funding impacts projects, particularly with higher interest rates making loans more expensive. Some projects slow as applications for potential federal funding are submitted, though they are not necessarily canceled if the applications are denied.
“There are definitely projects in the pipeline that will continue without federal funding,” Huser said, “but the significance and scope of the project will change.”
Presenters also detailed how land, power, water availability and local workforce impact how businesses determine a project location. Those insights were incredibly helpful for marketing opportunities to businesses in different industries, Huser said.
“Incentives alone don’t make a site good,” she added, “but they can make a site better.”