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The LaGrange County Promise has been a huge success! With the help of Parkview Health, the Cole Center Family YMCA, the LaGrange County schools the community wide initiative now has 600 new accounts! This is more than double the number of accounts (0-18years) that were in existence before the Promise began.
Students K-3 were able to easily enroll in the 529 College Savings Account this year at the time they had their open house and welcome. Volunteers were at each elementary school sharing this new promise with parents and kids. Parent feedback has been overwhelming. Statements like "I can't believe the community is doing this for my kid" have been pouring in.
Currently we have together raised over $70,000 in our community in support of the Promise and LaGrange County youth. The funds will be divided among kids who continue to champion the plan. Each child signed up (K-3) is being asked to identify 5 people who would give $5.29 to their 529 College Choice account. Successful completion of this process (i.e. raising and additional $25) qualifies the child for an additional gift from the community matching funds.
October 9th is slated to be "WALK INTO MY FUTURE" an event that will take place at Trine University for those who can participate.
We are very pleased with the first ever "Promise" here in LaGrange County and will continue to be involved as this new beginning begins to fly and take wings.
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On September 11, we held a successful ED Forum at Shipshewana Event Center, Shipshewana IN. Featured Guest Speaker Jason Hamman along with Host's Dick Heupel and Dale Buuck captivated the 118 attendees with information regarding shovel ready sites and available buildings . Our panelists included Jerry Henry, Steve Zacher, Dan Zuerner to rap up the morning. In the afternoon we discussed with Ron Lanning and Bill Paolucci about our Foreign companies.
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The region is launching a new project aimed at discovering the answer to "Why Northeast Indiana?" Who are we and where are we going as a region?
The goal of the Our Story Project is to discover who we are as a region and use that information to create a compelling story to collectively market Northeast Indiana. By aligning our marketing messages, organizations will be able to reinforce key themes; establish a strong reputation for the region; and make the region economically competitive on a global scale. Local economic development organizations (LEDOs), convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), chambers of commerce, and the like, will be able to tailor key messages developed from the project and help tell the story of Northeast Indiana in a clear and compelling way.
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Telling Our Story
Over the last two years, officials from the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership have attended conferences at several sites around the county, NIRP Vice President of Marketing Courtney Tritch told those gathered at the Wabash County Chamber of Commerce conference room.
"They came back and said 'Both of these places know who they are. They know how to talk about themselves. Why aren't we doing that? We have so many great things to say,'"
"We know there's a lot happening, but we're just not quite there on how to talk about it yet -- how to tell that story. To be competitive, you have to all be on the same page when telling it."
The workshop, conducted by Scott Ochander and Tyler Borders, focused on discovering the region's personality, and more specifically with this gathering,LaGrange County personality.
It was done through a series of exercises in which participants listed what they believed to be the county's strongest traits. They also had to find a weakness from within the county as well.
In December or January, the results of the effort will be unveiled.
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The Best of LaGrange County Parks
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Watch this video created by Jessica, our high school intern,
about some of LaGrange County's amazing parks!
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About the LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce
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Our 2014 summer intern Anna explored local organizations for her video series titled "A Summer Inside LaGrange County." This second episode is all about the LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce! Watch to find out what they are all about!
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 | | What's Great About the LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce |
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COMPANY SPOTLIGHT: AUTOMATED PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL, LLC
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Automated Products International, LLC
Celebrating 20 years of service
API was established in 1994, in response to rapid growth in the truck cap and tonneau cover market. API recognized the need to compliment the growing market with installation clamps for truck caps, hard & soft tonneau covers, tool boxes and many other proprietor fabricated products.
In 2004, API introduced a patented aluminum rafter to the RV Market. This shapeable I-Beam designed rafter provides improved strength utilizing less material. With lower material requirements the weight is reduced as well as the cost. The product is used in Travel Trailers, 5th Wheels and Motor Homes by dozens of RV product lines.
API continues to serve both the Light Truck and RV Markets providing work for over 30 employees.
~ http://www.apiclamps.com/about.html
~ http://www.apistructuralsolutions.com
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Click on each photo for more information about our staff members.
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Keith Gillenwater Lora Tormanen Jessica Brower
President & CEO Project Manager Marketing Intern |
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President's Perspective
Konnichiwa!
As you have no doubt already guessed, I am traveling abroad this week on a business development trade mission to Japan. We are taking part in this trade mission along with our partners at the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and Indiana-Michigan Power.
This is a great opportunity for our LaGrange County community. First and foremost, we will be visiting with one of the two corporate "parents" of one of LaGrange County's largest employers, Nishikawa Rubber Company (NISCO in Topeka). We will be expressing our gratitude to the company for their continued investment into the Topeka facility while also working on solidifying our valuable partnership to take advantage of future growth opportunities. This is by far the most important visit for LaGrange County.
Additionally, we will be visiting with 6-8 new prospects, as well as establishing important new relationships with the State of Indiana Japanese trade office in Tokyo and other Japanese businesses with interests already in Northeast Indiana. We expect the trip to pay dividends in the future growth and prosperity of LaGrange County!
Arigatō gozaimasu!
Until next time,
Keith A. Gillenwater, CEcD
President & CEO
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