Addressing the needs of Businesses in
La Porte County, Indiana

The La Porte County Economic Development Alliance (LPCEDA) is a joint partnership formed between the Michigan City Economic Development Corporation and the Greater La Porte Economic Development Corporation to provide coordinated economic development services throughout La Porte County.  In 2010 the LPCEDA established a county-wide Business Retention and Expansion Program (BR&E) to provide community support for our local businesses.  The LPCEDA hired a Retention and Expansion Coordinator to conduct visits with all industrial, TDL, and major commercial companies operating in La Porte County.  The goal is to improve communication, create solid data to determine the exact needs of our business community and educate the businesses on assistance programs available to them.

The BR&E program goals are intended to:

• Gain an understanding of the business community's view of the local business climate

• Determine future expansion/relocation plans of companies in order to set up an early warning system for local action

• Acquaint business executives with the programs available through various economic development and government agencies to better strengthen their organization

• Improve the communication and strengthen relationships between local/county government and the business community

• Identify specific concerns and problems of the local businesses and provide effective solutions

 The Importance of the BR&E Program:

• A majority of jobs are created by existing firms

• Local company interaction can lead to an increase in local sales

• Keeping an existing business is easier than creating new businesses

• Businesses that are more competitive are more likely to remain in the community and possibly expand due to the trusted relationship

Program Process:

• Schedule a site visit
• Conduct a site visit with company executives using a tailored survey to obtain specific information on the needs of each business.
• Identify any potential problems/opportunities that could be addressed
• Provide follow-up and service based on the needs
• Track survey results to identify trends, problem areas and growth segment of the local business community.