HEDC 39th Anniversary Executive Director's Message

As we look back over the last year’s work here at HEDC, it is readily apparent that things aren’t how they used to be. The Requests For Information that we received from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Indy Partnership have differed from those received in the recent past in both type and scale.

Today we are seeing more and more food processing projects; data centers and manufacturing projects as opposed to the distribution and logistics projects we’ve seen over the last several years. These new projects come with smaller employee counts but higher wages. While we have not major announcements this year, we are still actively courting several projects and the pipeline is full.

This year we have been heavily involved in 2 major wins for our community. First of all is the Amplify Hancock career and vocational training center which is being developed in Buck Creek Township near Mohawk. This facility is the long sought realization of a dream to bring this type of workforce development training to Hancock County. It could not happen without the strong collaboration among education, community and business leaders dedicated to seeing it through. We are grateful for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation obligating $1.4 million in Regional Economic Acceleration & Development Initiative (READI) funds for the project, as well as Hancock County for securing 20 acres for the development at the northwest corner of CR 300N and CR 200W. The facility is planned to start at about 95,000 square feet, and we look forward to its anticipated opening in 2026.

The second big win was the “rescue” of the ELANCO campus in Greenfield by a group of local organizations that will allow the community to control its own destiny at one of the most prominent sites in Hancock County, the I-70/State Road 9 interchange on Greenfield’s Northside. When ELANCO announced it would be departing Hancock County and relocating its headquarters to a new campus just west of downtown Indianapolis, uncertainty loomed over the important Greenfield location’s future. Thankfully, Hancock County-based Pride Investment Partners, NineStar Connect, and Hancock Health formed a strategic alliance called HealthStar Partners to acquire the South 20.4 acres of the ELANCO campus, including its five primary buildings.

We have been very successful in growing our organizational capacity and have continued to add to our staff. Mitchell Kirk joined as Communications Director in early 2023, followed by Erica Boswell as Community Development Manager later that year and Anna Voorhis as Operations Manager in early 2024. Mitchell brings a decade of journalism experience to help tell our story in multiple ways, including written articles, social media posts, and a podcast. Erica comes from an extensive community development background, and uses her skills and knowledge in public affairs, project planning, community and stakeholder engagement, and quantitative research to support the county’s quality-of-place initiatives and lead HEDC’s community engagement initiatives. Anna is immersed in the detail-oriented worlds of Requests For Information and operations management--responsibilities she’s well prepared for after 14 years in Hancock County government as well as experience in the fields of journalism and insurance.

As we forge ahead, HEDC remains committed to adapting and thriving in this ever-changing landscape. Our accomplishments over the past year are a testament to the resilience, collaboration, and strategic vision that define our community. With a strong pipeline of projects, a growing team of dedicated professionals, and an unwavering focus on fostering innovation and development, we are poised to seize new opportunities and create lasting impacts for Hancock County. Together, we will continue to build a brighter future—one that reflects the evolving needs and aspirations of our community.

Randy Sorrell
Executive Director, Hancock Economic Development Council