Business Takes Root
in East/Southeast Indiana Regions
East Region Serving:
Fayette, Henry, Randolph, Union and Wayne Counties
Southeast Region Serving: Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio, Ripley,
Rush and Switzerland Counties
Moving raw materials and goods fast drives business
growth, and that’s a key component of the success of the Eastern
region of Indiana.
One of the nation’s busiest overland shipping routes, Interstate
70, bisects the Indiana’s Eastern region, putting nearly a third of
the U.S. population within a 500-mile radius of the businesses
located here. “Interstate access to markets, especially to the east,
is one of our biggest selling points,” said Tim Rogers, president
and CEO of the Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County.
The world’s second-largest FedEx hub is a little over an hour away
at Indianapolis International Airport; and CSX, Norfolk Southern, and
C&NC rail lines pass through the this region. Year-round access to
international maritime shipping is a few hours drive to the Ports of
Indiana–Jeffersonville inland waterway port on the Ohio River.
Indiana University East in the heart of the region offers more
than 50 degree programs, and additional regional centers of the
university are elsewhere in the region. Ivy Tech Community Col-
lege, the state’s official community college program, has several
campus locations in the region, making additional educational
opportunities readily available. Purdue University’s College of
Technology offers degrees in computer graphics, industrial tech-
nology, mechanical engineering, organizational leadership and
supervision, and certificate programs as well. Liberal arts institu-
tion Earlham College is also in the region.
Many development sites are available, including the 66-acre
Indiana certified shovel-ready New Castle site and the 282-acre
Gateway Industrial Park in Wayne County, the state’s first region-
al industrial park.
Located approxi-
mately halfway between
Indianapolis and Cincin-
nati, the region has
access to numerous
transportation routes.
Interstate 74 runs through the region and quick connections are avail-
able to I-75, I- 71, I- 70, I- 69, and I- 65. Also, U.S. Highways 50 and 421
traverse the region. “Being between Indianapolis and Cincinnati is a
very attractive advantage,” said Mike Rozow, executive director of the
Dearborn County Economic Development Initiative.
Overnight delivery by air is an hour away in two directions:
the FedEx hub at the Indianapolis International Airport and the
DHL hub at the Greater Cincinnati airport. Moving two million to
three million tons of cargo per year, the Ports of Indiana–Jeffer-
sonville is the fastest-growing port on the Ohio River and within
a two-hour drive of businesses in the Southeast region.
Advanced manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare form the
base of the region’s vital economy, and economic developers
are looking at building on that base. “We did a reverse RFI to
find emerging trends,” said Brad Buening, executive director of
the Rush Co. Economic & Community Development Corp. “With
wind energy coming on, we’re working together to see if we can
supply components for that industry.”
Development locations abound in the Southeast region,
including three state-certified shovel-ready sites. The 400-acre
Industrial Park North in Rush County, the 100-acre Versailles Busi-
ness Park in Ripley County, and the 200-acre Markland Business
Park in Switzerland County are all ready for business growth.
Prime Location, Development Sites Fertilize Southeast Region
Markets to the east, markets to the west — the Southeast
region is ideally situated for companies needing centralized logistical advantages.
Harold Gutzwiller
Hoosier Energy
P.O. Box 908
Bloomington, IN 47402
Phone: 812.876.0294
E-mail: harold@hoosiersites.com
www.HoosierSites.com
