Economic and Community Development Groups and  Chamber Announce Merger

Economic and Community Development Groups and  Chamber Announce Merger

Unified organization will align the interests of business, community institutions and residents to drive regionalprosperity and community growth

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (February 19, 2021) – Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana, Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville and Southwest Indiana Chamber announce actions by their respective Boards to merge the three organizations, effective April 1, 2021. Through a sharedvision and coordinated efforts, the new organization will advance the interests  of businesses and fuel economic and community growth in theEvansville region.

“All three organizations have a proud tradition of accomplishment,” said Greg Wathen, President and CEO of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana. “By pooling  and unifying essential economic development functions into a single structure, we have an opportunity to better servethe region with a bolder vision for the future.”

The unified organization will work to advance regional prosperity and global relevance by building on the trusted relationships and legacy of its predecessor organizations. Together they will carry forward areas of impact, including business attraction, retention and expansion, pro- economypublic policy work, community development, entrepreneurship, talent attraction, quality  of place enhancement and regional growth strategy.

“The process to craft a new organization was very deliberate by design to give each community their respective voice,” said Ben Shoulders, Vanderburgh County Commissioner President. “I’m  confident that the organization will meet the future needs of Vanderburgh County as well as theother counties who make-up Southwest Indiana and it is equally important that the new organization will focus on being diverse and inclusive.”

A merger committee composed of appointees from all three organizations has been meeting since early October to build on the work the three organizations have been doing cooperatively since the onset of COVID-19 impacts. Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke praised the action of the boards: “These organizations have worked as one over the past year facilitating and serving  the needs of Evansville and the region. The Reopen Evansville Task Force depended on this partnership to effectively serve our citizens.”

“While many pursue a merger or organizational realignment in response to challenges, we did so in recognition of, and in pursuit of, heightened opportunity,” said Tara Barney, President and CEO of the Chamber. “The new partnership is a proactive alignment of complementary efforts to unify asone voice to deliver economic development services for the region and to market our strengths to businesses and talent looking for a great location tooperate a business, to live, and  to thrive.”

The group completed significant due diligence around finances, strategic integration of various programs, public policies, and technology along with a commitment to ensure that the new organization will address diversity, small business development and the unique value that the public and privatesectors bring in delivering success throughout the Evansville region.

“We are very pleased that after months of document review, discussion and best-practice research–including study of similar regions seeking increased velocity–we have clear direction and authorization from our collective Boards to aggregate the work, the assets, the staffs, and the expertiseof three very sound organizations into one,” stated Lynell Walton, Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville Board Chair.

The new partnership will operate within Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrick Counties while continuing strategic partnerships with the entire MSA some of which is in Kentucky, the Southwest Indiana SBDC, area local Chambers, WorkOne and other entities that strengthen the region’s opportunityto prosper.

“Warrick County has been a strong regional voice and as one of the original partners in creation of the Coalition, we’re excited to take this next step in the formation of a new vision for Southwest Indiana,” said Dan Saylor, Warrick County Commissioner.

“The new organization gives Posey County an even stronger voice than we have had in the past,” Jenna Richardt, Executive Director of the Posey County Economic Partnership. “That collective voice along with the ability to invest in larger regional development strategies will add  more value to Posey County businesses and residents.”

Though the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana, Growth Alliance for Greater  Evansville and Southwest Indiana Chamber will combine business operations during the coming  year, details of a new brand and name will be released by early April 2021. During the transition, the executives of the Coalition and the Southwest Indiana Chamber, Greg Wathen and Tara Barney have agreed to serve as co-CEOs. An early order of business for the new group will be the selection of executive leadership as well as the appointment of the new entity’s first Executive Committee andBoard of Directors.

A temporary landing page for the new economic partnership has been created: evansvilleregion.com.

About Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana

The Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana acts as the marketing arm and regional economic development organization for Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties in Southwest Indiana. Since its formation in late 2006, the Coalition has helped to secure over $3.2 billion in new investment and 4,213 new jobs from existing and newcompanies, such as Haier America, Berry Global, Toyota Boshoku, Reckitt Benckiser, Midwest Fertilizer and AT&T. Another important aspect of the Coalition’s multi-faceted job description is helping the communities it serves build new capacity for future development. The Coalition has helped secure over $118 million in grants for such things as expansion of water and sewer systems, building new community centers and making improvements to the region’s levee system, which protects thousands of acres.

 About Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville

Headquartered in Downtown Evansville, Ind., the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville (GAGE) was created in early 2007 as a public-private non-profit partnership through the concerted efforts of government, business and higher education. The Growth Alliance team connects businesses, talent, ideas and experts to elevate the economic prosperity of Greater Evansville.Focus areas include business retention and expansion; innovation and entrepreneurship; quality of place and talent; and new business attraction. You can learn more at         www.growthallianceevv.com.

 About Southwest Indiana Chamber

Since 1915, the Southwest Indiana Chamber has been a trusted ally of the regional business community. Today we are one of the state’s largest, strongest, and most impactful nonprofit business organizations, representing a total membership of almost 1,400 businesses, organizations, and agencies. About one-third of members have invested in our organization for 10 or more years. While nearly all major employers in our region invest in the Southwest Indiana Chamber, 71% of our member businesses have 25 or fewer employees. Learn more about the Chamber, our members, and the Southwest Indiana regional business community at www.swinchamber.com. 318 Main St., Suite 401, Evansville, IN 47708.