Hancock County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner

Deep Roots, Accelerated Future

In 1951, Hancock County was farmland. The people here understand work. They understood neighbors. They understood that if you built something, you built it to last—and you built it for the people around you.

That was the work ethic. That was the commitment.

When the founders of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce gathered, they didn't create a formal strategy. They brought that same farmland mindset to business: We're going to build something here. We're going to do it together. And we're going to make sure it strengthens families and businesses at the same time.

They made a specific choice: Bring government, industry, education, healthcare and business to the same table. Ask hard questions together. Keeping that work ethic at the center of every decision.

That's how Hancock County has worked for seventy-five years.

Three years later, in 1954, growth arrived. A manufacturer came. Then another. Companies scaled. Talent moved in. We transformed into one of America's most industrialized counties.

But because people with deep roots and strong commitment were leading—not extracting—something rare happened:

Business owners scaled their companies, but they stayed rooted. They invested in schools because their kids went there. They served on school boards. They gave generously to local causes and lent their leadership to nonprofit boards. As their businesses grew, so did their investment in the community—strengthening the organizations and institutions that helped Hancock County thrive.

Financial institutions didn't extract. Greenfield Banking Company, our oldest county continuous business has been here since 1871, partnered in growth because they believed in staying invested through generations. Schools grew with intention because educators and business leaders sat at the same table and asked: What will our people need?

Government leaders cleared the way. Infrastructure developers built for long-term community health, not quarterly extraction. Hancock Health expanded because someone—Fannie Andis in 1951—believed that growing communities need healthcare that prioritizes people, not profit.

Utilities evolved. What started as cooperative telephone networks became NineStar Connect—infrastructure that served both business and community.

It wasn't a formal model. It was just how people with deep roots and strong work ethic naturally operated:

I'm staying here. My family is staying here. This is a community worth investing in!

That thread runs straight through to today. And it's accelerating.

Interstate 70 runs directly through Hancock County. We have logistics advantage most places don't: access to I-65, I-69, I-74, I-465. Two million workers within 60 minutes. One hundred fourteen million consumers within a one-day truck drive. Lower tax burden. Large-scale water and wastewater capacity. Shovel-ready industrial land.

Companies move here for those reasons. But they stay because of something deeper.

They stay because they can sense the work ethic and commitment that built this place. They see business owners who've scaled while staying invested in community. They see schools that matter because families have roots here. They see financial partners who understand long-term growth, not extraction. They see government that moves to clear the way. They see infrastructure developers building for people, not just profit.

They see the Amplify Hancock Innovation Center—government, industry, education, and business literally building together. Not as separate interests. As partners committed to the long term.

That's what companies are actually looking for.

A place where you can scale aggressively and stay rooted. Reach markets across the Midwest and invest in your community. Grow and mean something.

On November 14, you're going to stand in that commitment.

Two hundred and fifty plus of Hancock County's most committed leaders will gather at the Amplify Hancock Innovation Center. Business owners who stayed and scaled. Educators who built schools with intention. Government leaders who cleared the way for growth. Financial partners who believed in the long term. Infrastructure developers who understood they were building community.

Not to honor the past. But to claim the moment happening right now.

Growth is accelerating. Manufacturers are arriving. Logistics companies are scaling. Families are moving here. And you'll see exactly why: a community where work ethic and commitment run deeper than quarterly returns. Where government, industry, education, and business sit at the same table and ask hard questions together.

Where growth means something because it strengthens families and businesses at the same time.

THE 75TH ANNUAL DINNER & AWARDS CELEBRATION

Saturday, November 14, 2026, | 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Amplify Hancock Innovation Center, Greenfield

Theme: Deep Roots, Accelerated Future
Expected Attendance: 250+ manufacturers, logistics leaders, financial partners, educators, healthcare leaders, government officials, infrastructure developers
What you'll experience: A community where deep roots and accelerated growth aren't opposites. They're partners. Where the work ethic that built this place seventy-five years ago is driving the next chapter.

YOUR MOVE

Sponsor it.

Your sponsorship says: I'm committed to the kind of growth that works. The kind built by people who stay, who invest, who understand that the best companies are built in communities committed to the long term.

Every level is visible, valued, and remembered:

• Presenting Sponsor ($10,000) — You're leading this vision of rooted, accelerated growth.
• Platinum ($5,000) — You're standing with leaders who stayed and scaled.
• Gold ($2,500) — You're claiming presence in this community.
• Silver Partner ($1,200) — You're at the table where commitment and strategy meet.
• Bronze ($600) — You're showing up and being counted.
• Legacy Banner ($300) — You're making your mark on the evening.

Attend it.

If sponsorship doesn't fit right now, come as a guest. Tickets are $90. Non-Members are $125.

Meet the people who have and are building this place. The ones who understand that growth and community strengthen each other. Understand why companies are choosing Hancock County right now.

REGISTER & SPONSOR

onecau.se/hccc

Questions: Renee@MtVernonFoundation.org  and or Sriggs@gbcbank.com

In closing,

In 1951, Hancock County didn't have a fancy strategy. We had people who understood work. People committed to neighbors. People who believed: if I'm staying here, I'm investing in this community.

Where government, industry, education, healthcare and business sit at the same table and ask hard questions and make decisions together. They stayed rooted while scaling.

Seventy-five years later, that's still who we are.

Interstate 70. Two million workers. One-day access to 114 million consumers. Excellent schools. World-class healthcare. Deep financial infrastructure. Modern utilities.

But the real competitive advantage? People who understand that growth and community aren't opposites. Who believe commitment runs deeper than quarterly returns. Who've proven—through seventy-five years of intentional choices—that you can accelerate without extracting.

That's work ethic. That's commitment. That's Deep Roots, Accelerated Future.

Companies are choosing Hancock County because they recognize it. On November 14, you're going to stand with the people who've built it—and the ones building it right now.

The county is waiting for you.

We'll see you there. Thank you for investing in Hancock County and the Chamber of Commerce.

Sincerely,

The Hancock County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors