Huntingburg Council hears Dubois Strong update

Dubois Strong reports economic development progress, seeks continued city funding

Dubois Strong presented its annual report to the Huntingburg Common Council on Tuesday, outlining economic development achievements and requesting continued funding at the same level the organization has received since 2005 — which is $9,835.02 annually.

Colton Pipenger, the organization’s executive director who recently moved to Hunters Crossing, delivered the presentation highlighting the organization’s four focus areas: business retention and expansion, town attraction and retention, quality of place initiatives, and infrastructure enhancement.

“Economic development overall as a whole really centers around jobs the way we’re looking at it, because jobs produce income, that generates housing, that provides the market for retail, which creates taxes to fund education, provide the workforce to fill those jobs,” Pipenger said.

Pipenger pointed out that the organization’s projects don’t always have a direct impact but work within the ecosystem of that cycle.

The organization reports two business expansion projects resulting from company visits across the county, with one in the planning stage and another actively looking to purchase land. Pipenger said four prospective companies have reached out directly to Dubois Strong seeking to locate in the area, primarily for final assembly and distribution centers.

Dubois Strong has also updated its marketing materials to better attract site selectors, creating detailed maps showing electric substations, water, gas, wastewater hookups, major roads and neighboring businesses. The organization analyzed industry data using location quotients to identify specialized sectors in the county, focusing recruitment efforts on merchant wholesalers, transportation equipment manufacturing, food manufacturing, specialty trade contractors and professional services.

Housing remains a central focus, with Dubois Strong working to implement recommendations from the county’s housing study. According to the study, Huntingburg needs 480 new housing units by 2035.

Pipenger said the group is looking at ways to work modern construction requirements into lots platted with older styles and construction methods in mind.

“We have a lot of old lots when things were first platted out, where maybe it was a shotgun house and now with our modern day setbacks and codes, we can’t necessarily build that,” Pipenger explained. “So now we just have an empty lot doing nothing but collecting very minimal taxes.”

The organization partners with ROI on incremental development initiatives, creating pre-approved house plans for small-scale development on underutilized lots. This approach reduces risk and upfront costs for developers while providing missing middle housing at lower costs.

“You don’t have the risk of architecture, engineering, they don’t have all those big things,” Pipenger said. “A lot of that risk is eliminated from the start. You don’t have those upfront soft costs.”

Dubois Strong also serves as a partner with the Dubois County Community Foundation on its child care initiative, supporting a nine-member coalition focused on early childhood education workforce development, community awareness, quality improvement and capacity increases. The community foundation recently provided $30,000 in grants, including $10,000 to Southridge Little Raiders for classroom materials and offerings.

Pipenger reported that the talent attraction program, conducted in partnership with RADIUS and Make My Move, has brought 36 new residents to the county since summer 2021. These movers include 18 who joined the local workforce and 18 remote workers, resulting in 100 total new residents, including spouses and children.

The economic impact of these new residents totals $2,345,536 annually in new economic activity, generating approximately $280,000 in annual state and local taxes and creating 15.7 jobs, he said. The average income of the 36 movers when they signed contracts was $94,291.

Mayor Neil Elkins praised Colton’s work, noting improvements in previously vacant buildings and active engagement with local development needs.

“There’s a lot of things I think they’re actively doing. It’s not putting together a study or a program putting it on a shelf,” Mayor Elkins said. “(It’s) taking off what’s already there on the shelf and putting it to work.”

The organization’s budget request remains unchanged from 2005 levels, with most expenses covering personnel costs, lease payments and professional services.

Pipenter also touched on quality of place initiatives, referencing a 2019 workforce attraction plan that provided a matrix for prioritizing community improvements. Market Street Park represented one completed project from that plan, with discussions underway about updating the study.

He also spoke briefly about the Mid-States Corridor project, which Dubois Strong views as the largest economic development project the county has seen in recent years. A public meeting about the project is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Jasper, available both in-person and via Zoom.

The organization emphasizes data-driven decision-making in targeting businesses and measuring success. Dubois County currently has a 2.3% unemployment rate with approximately 750 people over age 16 seeking work, while 6,000 people file taxes outside the county but work for employers within it.

Council members expressed support for Dubois Strong’s initiatives, particularly housing development and business retention efforts.