News Center
News Articles
Hancock unemployment remains low
Oct 14 2025Hancock County’s unemployment rate for August 2025 was 3.2%, down from 3.5% in July and 3.6% in August 2024, according to the latest information from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.Unemployment is trending similarly throughout all of Indiana and the U.S., with the state’s rate dropping to 3.8% in August...
Sites in Our Sights
Oct 13 2025Conference provides greatest, latest in site selectionLocation strategists are imperative to economic development, so HEDC staffers were honored and excited to learn from and directly interact with the best of the best in their field earlier this month.The 2025 Site Selectors Guild Fall Forum gathered dozens of Guild members with...
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has launched Power Up Indiana, a new initiative supported by the Office of Commerce incentivizing employers to invest within by training and promoting current jobholders.“Power Up Indiana targets incentives to established Hoosier businesses and workers,” said Gov. Braun. “We are growing employees’ paychecks while strengthening Indiana...
From Mr. Wonderful to the Poker Princess, experts of enterprise share smarts and savvy in IndyNew products and services that improve life in transformative ways help drive economies forward, so the Hancock Economic Development Council jumped at the chance to attend a two-day event last week where innovation was the...
Why do so many global projects falter? Often, it isn’t because executives misread market data or underestimate competitors; it’s because they misread each other. Cross‑cultural communication is less about translation and more about decoding invisible frameworks—values, norms, and assumptions—that shape how people work. Ignoring those frameworks turns diversity into a...
Kasey Napier is ready to bring her love for animal welfare and community to Hancock County.Napier is the new superintendent of Greenfield-Hancock Animal Management, the county’s animal welfare office tasked with enforcing all laws relating to the treatment of animals. Napier succeeds Amanda Dehoney-Hinkle, who resigned in July after Indianapolis...
Site Selectors Guild Awards Internationally Recognized Certified Site Selection Consultant™ Credential
Sep 25 2025The Site Selectors Guild, the only association of the world’s foremost professional site selection consultants, has announced that 64 highly-qualified location advisors have been officially recognized as Certified Site Selection Consultants (CSSC). This prestigious international credential is awarded only to those advisors who have amassed deep experience guiding corporate location...
The Indiana Department of Transportation is looking to construct a first-of-its-kind intersection for Hancock County at U.S. 40 and County Road 600 East in 2027.Tuesday night at NineStar Connect’s south campus in Greenfield, INDOT played host to an open house to inform people about plans for an intersection improvement project...
Georgia is back on top — again. For the 12th consecutive year, the state has claimed the No. 1 overall ranking in Area Development’s annual Top States for Doing Business survey. While Georgia’s consistency speaks volumes, the real story in 2025 is just how competitive the field has become beneath...
Workforce readiness has become a defining factor in regional competitiveness and corporate success. Economic development professionals and corporate executives are facing unprecedented challenges, whether it’s demographic shifts, evolving immigration policies, or the rapid pace of technological innovation, all of which are reshaping the very foundation of the American workforce.Earlier this...
An interdisciplinary accelerated degree program is launching at Indiana University Indianapolis that will offer students a unique opportunity to gain expertise in both sport management and foundational legal principles.The innovative program — which combines a Bachelor of Science in tourism, event and sport management, with a major in sport management,...
Indiana University students from across disciplines and campuses stepped out of the classroom over the summer and into Indiana communities, where they put sustainability into action as McKinney Climate Fellows.Working with businesses, nonprofits or local governments, each fellow contributed to projects that both supported local organizations and advanced their own...
As consumers, we've all been there. We know a good customer experience when we see it—the barista who remembers our usual order, the online portal that makes tracking a package ridiculously easy, or the simple refund process that doesn't require a phone call.We're now bringing those same high expectations with...
VIDEO: Balancing Population Growth and Housing Supply in Indiana's Second Fastest Growing County
Sep 16 2025Population growth and housing supply is definitely a balancing act, especially in the second fastest growing county in Indiana. Recently, Build Indiana Roots sat down with HEDC Community Development Manager Erica Adams and Noblesville Community Development Director Sarah Reed to talk about their approaches to and work on the topic. Catch...
Across Indiana, communities are finding that market-rate, Class A mixed-use developments are powerful drivers of economic growth. By blending modern housing with retail, dining, and community spaces, these projects help cities attract residents, create jobs, and expand tax bases—all while transforming vacant lots and underused properties into vibrant destinations. Goodin...
The Hancock Economic Development Council celebrated its 40th anniversary this week with not only those helping the organization do its important work, but those who helped it get its start as well.HEDC Executive Director Randy Sorrell addresses attendees at the organization's 40th anniversary party.Revelers gathered at Bradley Hall Events in...
Medical device companies measure success in precision, efficiency, and speed. Hancock County, Indiana, provides a foundation that matches those priorities with move-in-ready industrial buildings, development-ready sites, and direct access to a workforce pipeline skilled in advanced manufacturing and life sciences.For companies in orthopedic, cardiovascular, neurology, drug delivery, or ophthalmic device...
A state-commissioned report endorses the state’s regional economic development approach, aligning with districts established under former Gov. Eric Holcomb.The Regional Economic and Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI, allocates federal and state dollars to boost public-private projects seeking to improve Hoosiers’ quality of life. Some projects focused on housing or...
From its 1985 founding to today, the Hancock Economic Development Council has guided growth, fostered partnerships, and helped shape one of Indiana’s fastest-growing counties“We Are the World” was on the radio, Marty McFly was time-traveling his way into movie history, Ronald Reagan had started his second term as president, and...
Revenue-generating practice saves governments money while reinvesting in economiesIn a place growing as fast as Hancock County, it’s imperative for thoughtful, strategic economic development to keep up.That requires money, of course, and in Hancock County leaders have found a way to generate it that keeps funding local for economic development...
Ports of Indiana Appoints Dexter Salenda to Foreign Trade And Economic Development Director Role
Aug 29 2025Global logistics industry veteran Dexter Salenda has joined Ports of Indiana as the organization’s first Foreign Trade and Economic Development Director. This position was created to expand Ports of Indiana’s Foreign-Trade Zone program and offer new services for companies dealing with challenges related to international trade and tariffs, supporting Indiana’s...
HEDC Leader Earns Prestigious Credential
Aug 29 2025The International Economic Development Council Proudly Awards Erica Adams the Certified Economic Developer DesignationAfter months of studying, coursework, a written exam and oral interview, an economic development leader is now even more prepared to help Hancock County prosper.Erica Adams, Community Development Manager for the Hancock Economic Development Council, has earned...
The Cracker Barrel restaurant chain’s rebranding efforts that caused a crisis for the company over the past few days offers important lessons for corporate executives about how and why changing a corporate logo can create a self-inflicted public relations crisis.Cracker Barrel’s crisis started when it removed from its logo a...
To say that the global supply chain has seen more than its fair share of headache-inducing disruptions, bottlenecks, and infrastructural inefficiencies over the past several months would be an epic understatement.Problems with suppliers; transportation disruptions; fluctuations in demand; new regulations or trade policies; technological failures; breakdowns in systems that manage...
