FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) awarded more than $187,000 in Economic Impact Grants in 2019 to assist in the growth and development of Hoosier communities it serves.
This is the second consecutive year I&M has awarded Economic Impact Grants for defined programs that aim to attract businesses, grow local economies and create jobs.
Grants went to communities and economic development organizations in the three areas of Indiana that I&M serves: Northeast Indiana, Michiana and East Central Indiana.
“Indiana is a great place to live, work and operate businesses, and I&M wants to do its part to continue and build on the economic successes of the communities and areas we serve,” said Toby Thomas, I&M President and Chief Operating Officer. “These grants are wide-ranging, but they all have the common goal of supporting local initiatives to make our communities even stronger.”
Grants are going to programs that help develop, attract and keep talented employees. They help communities work together to build stronger regions. They give communities tools to sharpen their focus on housing and infrastructure. They help inform potential employers and employees of the many advantages of working and doing business in I&M’s service area. Great results require great planning, and these grants assist with this all-important process.
Here is a look at each of the 10 grants:
NORTHEAST INDIANA
City of Fort Wayne: An I&M Economic Impact Grant supports the Build Institute, a 9-week basic business education program for entrepreneurs to hone strengths and learn how to successfully start their businesses. The grant helped with initial startup costs, including a website and educational materials. The Build Institute was launched by the Summit City Entrepreneur and Enterprise District (SEED), a city department.
Greater Fort Wayne Inc.: I&M’s grant supports the new “Made By Me” program, which showcases career opportunities in the skilled trades. Northeast Indiana will have thousands of job openings in manufacturing and construction in coming years, and developing a workforce skilled in the trades is urgent. Two ways that Made By Me helps are by sponsoring career fairs and supporting high school counselors with paid externships at various company facilities to gain more direct knowledge about career opportunities for their students.
I&M also contributed to Greater Fort Wayne Inc.’s initiative for the Fort Wayne-Allen County Five-Year Economic Development Strategy by supporting a survey of businesses seeking input on the business community’s priorities. The results will help guide a successful strategy, which will be facilitated by a third-party consulting firm in 2020.
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership: Food and agriculture processing is a core industry for Northeast Indiana, serving as a key part of the economy and carrying potential for much growth. I&M contributed to the cost of a study by the Columbus, Ohio, research firm TEConomy Partners, to analyze new developments in areas such as vertical farming and agbiosciences, and to determine ways that leaders, organizations and businesses in Northeast Indiana can work together to maximize the growth of the industry.
Town of Hamilton and Steuben County: Steuben County is known for its lake communities but needs more “workforce housing” – affordable housing within reasonable proximity to local industry and employers. I&M helped finance a study to examine future housing needs in Hamilton and other Steuben communities and to identify parcels ripe for residential development.
MICHIANA
South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership: The South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership represents 47 communities in northern Indiana and southwest Michigan, promoting industry growth, talent attraction, inclusion and an entrepreneurial network. Two I&M grants supported a suite of marketing materials that included a short video including aerial footage of available properties and highlighting the region’s ability to support industry growth
LaPorte County: Residents of LaPorte County engaged in several community conversations in 2019 to share ideas for developing the county’s future. I&M’s grant helped support bringing the communities together, organizing the meetings and developing the materials used in the planning process. The Unity Foundation of LaPorte County and the LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau are coordinating this ongoing effort.
EAST CENTRAL INDIANA
City of Marion: Marion Mayor Jess Alumbaugh and the Grant County Economic Growth Council have prioritized revitalization of Downtown Marion. Downtown Marion’s vacant and underutilized buildings offer potential to bring more people downtown and help grow Grant County’s population. I&M’s grant supports a downtown redevelopment planning study, which is necessary for the city to gain additional funding to implement the plan and make significant infrastructure investments.
Jay, Randolph and Wayne counties: For the second consecutive year, an I&M Economic Development Grant supported the Jay County Development Corporation in offering Hoosier Opportunity, a web site that helps area businesses find talented employees. These counties include the cities of Portland, Winchester and Union City. The site – http://www.hoosieropportunity.com/ – currently lists more than 50 career openings.
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Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its 2,370 employees serve more than 597,000 customers. More than half of its generation is emission-free, including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 15 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 2,600 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP’s more than 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 32,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including 4,300 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tracy Warner
Indiana Michigan Power Communications
260-408-3420
tkwarner@aep.com