Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
"What's the Fort Wayne mayor doing in Kosciusko County?" asked Graham Richard, mayor of Fort Wayne, Wednesday.
A guest of Kosciusko Development Inc., Graham came to promote a regional economic development group, Indiana Northeast Development.
"To compete globally, you must communicate locally," he said.
Richard, a former state senator (1974-1978) and life-long resident of Fort Wayne, began his term as mayor in January 2000.
Between elected offices he has continued to serve the public sector in various capacities, always promoting business and industry.
Richard admitted that Fort Wayne has no more room to grow and is plagued with infrastructure problems like many metropolitan areas.
Richard's vision is to expand the economic development of the region to support the entire area.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins commented that Warsaw's hands are tied without infrastructure, too. However, the local government has plans, now in the engineering stage, to build a new wastewater treatment plant with an enormous capacity.
The city also has hundreds of acres of economic development areas earmarked for industrial growth.
Wiggins said one of the area's challenges is the Hispanic community's growth and incorporating that population into the work force.
KDI president Randy Vutech commented on a recent report regarding the local biomedical industry.
"When I'm asked how Fort Wayne and the surrounding area has been so successful, I always say, 'Lincoln Schrock,'" Richard said.
Since 1982 Schrock has held a Pokagon Conference in June. Representatives of nine counties - LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, DeKalb, Whitley, Allen, Huntington, Wells and Adams - meet, along with invited guests, and develop economic strategies.
Schrock described the coalition of counties as relationship based. They have become economic allies as a result.
"The name of the game is regional economic development," Schrock said. "Industries know where they need to go. You're either in the zone or out of it."
Schrock said the network of communities that has developed over the years has provided great opportunities and created a single entry point for marketing.
Businesses expect property that is already inproved, zoned and has the necessary infrastructure in place, Graham said.
"They don't want to see a corn field," Richard said.
"You have to get in a cooperative rather than a competitive mode," Schrock said. "The name of the game is regional economic development."
Both men stressed that working together is the best way to improve the economy.
